Best Third Person Shooters: Top Picks

The best third person shooter right now is Gears 5—it nails the cover-based combat the genre is known for, looks stunning on any platform, and offers a complete package with a great campaign, horde mode, and multiplayer. It edges out the competition because it balances accessibility for newcomers with deep mechanics for veterans, and it runs beautifully even on mid-range hardware.

What to Look For

When picking a third person shooter, the core criteria are:

Cover System: The best games make moving between cover feel fluid and intentional. Clunky cover can ruin an otherwise solid game.
Gunplay & Feel: Aim assist, recoil patterns, and hit feedback determine whether shooting feels satisfying. A good game makes every shot count.
Movement & Camera: Shoulder-switching, dodging, and sprinting should feel natural. A camera that gets stuck on walls is a dealbreaker.
PvE vs. PvP: Decide if you want a story campaign, co-op missions, competitive multiplayer, or a mix. Some games excel at one but are weak in the other.
Progression & Content: Look for meaningful unlocks, character builds, or mission variety to keep you engaged beyond the first few hours.
Performance & Settings: Check if the game supports 60fps on your hardware, has FOV sliders, and offers graphics options to suit your PC or console.

Gears 5

Strengths: The gold standard for cover shooting. The campaign is a cinematic spectacle with open-world segments, Horde mode is a fantastic co-op survival experience, and multiplayer is tight and balanced. It also supports cross-play and has a robust set of accessibility options.

Trade-offs: The story can be melodramatic, and the open-world sections slow the pace. The competitive multiplayer has a steep learning curve.

Who it suits: Anyone who wants a complete, polished shooter with a strong single-player and co-op focus. It’s perfect for those who love tactical, methodical combat over run-and-gun chaos.

Remnant 2

Strengths: A hybrid of third person shooter and souls-like action RPG. It offers deep character builds, procedurally generated worlds, and challenging boss fights. The gunplay is weighty and rewarding, and co-op is seamless.

Trade-offs: The difficulty can be punishing, and the story is thin. The procedural generation can lead to repetitive level layouts.

Who it suits: Players who enjoy a challenge and want a shooter with RPG depth. It’s ideal for co-op groups who like to experiment with different builds and tackle tough bosses together.

Warframe

Strengths: Free-to-play, incredibly fast-paced movement, and a staggering amount of content. You can play as space ninjas with unique abilities, and the game is constantly updated. The movement system—bullet jumping, wall-running—is unmatched.

Trade-offs: The early game is confusing, and the monetization (though not pay-to-win) can be aggressive. The story is fragmented and hard to follow for new players.

Who it suits: Players who love grinding for loot, customizing their loadouts, and don’t mind a steep learning curve. It’s perfect for those who want a game they can sink hundreds of hours into without spending a dime.

Returnal

Strengths: A roguelike third person shooter with buttery-smooth movement and intense, bullet-hell combat. The atmosphere is oppressive and brilliant, and the DualSense haptics on PS5 are a game-changer. It’s a technical showcase.

Trade-offs: It’s brutally difficult, and runs can last over an hour, which can be frustrating. The story is cryptic and requires patience to piece together.

Who it suits: Players who relish a challenge and have a high tolerance for repetition. It’s best for those who want a pure, adrenaline-fueled gameplay loop without much hand-holding.

Fortnite

Strengths: The most popular third person shooter in the world for a reason. It’s free, runs on almost any hardware, and constantly evolves with new seasons, weapons, and map changes. The building mechanic adds a unique skill ceiling, and the zero-build mode is perfect for traditional shooter fans.

Trade-offs: The building mechanic can be overwhelming, and the game is heavily monetized with cosmetics. The skill gap in build mode is enormous, and the game can feel chaotic.

Who it suits: Casual and competitive players alike. If you want a game with a huge community, regular updates, and a mix of PvP and PvE (Save the World), Fortnite is a safe bet. Zero-build is a great entry point for newcomers.

Resident Evil 4 Remake

Strengths: A masterclass in third person survival horror. The over-the-shoulder camera is perfect, the gunplay is punchy, and the enemy design is terrifying. It’s a linear, story-driven experience with incredible pacing and replay value.

Trade-offs: It’s a single-player game, so there’s no multiplayer. The horror elements might be too intense for some, and the game is shorter than most shooters.

Who it suits: Players who want a high-quality single-player campaign with a strong narrative and tense, atmospheric combat. It’s ideal for those who prefer a focused experience over endless multiplayer.

How to Choose

First, decide your budget. Free options: Warframe and Fortnite are excellent and cost nothing to start. Premium single-player: Returnal (PS5) and Resident Evil 4 Remake are worth the asking price for their quality. Premium multiplayer/co-op: Gears 5 and Remnant 2 offer the best value if you plan to play with friends.

Next, consider your use case. If you have limited time, choose a game with short sessions like Fortnite or Warframe. If you want a 10-20 hour campaign, go with Resident Evil 4 or Gears 5. If you want a game to play for months, Warframe or Remnant 2 have endless progression.

Finally, weigh the trade-offs. Do you prefer a deep story or pure gameplay? Do you want competitive PvP or cooperative PvE? Are you okay with a steep learning curve? If you answer these, you’ll narrow it down quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are third person shooters easier than first person?

Not necessarily. Third person gives you a better field of view, which helps with awareness, but it can make aiming less precise. The difficulty depends on the game’s mechanics, not the camera angle.

Do I need a powerful PC to run these games?

Fortnite and Warframe are well-optimized and run on low-end PCs. Gears 5 and Remnant 2 require a mid-range GPU. Returnal and Resident Evil 4 Remake are more demanding and need a recent GPU for high settings.

Can I play these with a controller?

Yes, all of these games have full controller support, and most are designed with a controller in mind. On PC, you can use an Xbox or PlayStation controller, and the games will show button prompts accordingly.

Which game has the best single-player campaign?

Resident Evil 4 Remake is the strongest for a focused, story-driven experience. Gears 5 is also excellent if you want a blockbuster action campaign.

Are there any good third person shooters for Nintendo Switch?

Fortnite runs on Switch, and Warframe is also available. The other games in this list are not on Switch due to hardware limits.

What about older classics like Gears of War 1-3 or Max Payne?

Those are still great, but they may feel dated in terms of controls and graphics. If you’re new to the genre, start with the games listed above for a more modern experience.

Bottom Line

For most players, Gears 5 is the best overall choice—it offers a complete package with a strong campaign, co-op, and multiplayer. If you’re on a budget, Warframe gives you hundreds of hours for free. And if you want a challenging action RPG, Remnant 2 is the way to go. Ultimately, the best game is the one that fits your play style and time commitment.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.

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