Summary
First-person shooters are a tough genre to get into if someone has never played them before. Mastering moving and aiming simultaneously can be a lot to take in. Shooters have since expanded this concept with tons of new mechanics while improving the feedback weapons give.
For many FPS fanatics, the genre might appear stale with how many games have copiedHaloorCall of Duty. It is certainly a problem, but there are plenty of challenging FPS titles that will give the most experienced gamers a challenge.
From competitive multiplayer games to one-life single-player campaigns, many of thehardest FPS gamesencompass a wealth of gameplay loops in addition to the shooting action that most players expect from their titles. These titles can be pretty challenging and cause players to tear their hair out at times, but players who manage to learn these games and how they work will manage to overcome these tough titles without getting too frustrated in the process.
Updated on July 28, 2025, by Mehrdad Khayyat:Single-player or multiplayer, there are a lot of shooters that require a significant amount of dedication and focus to let the players feel the true taste of success, be it defeating a die-hard boss or ranking among the best of the best in the world.
First-person shooter is one of the major genres in gaming with massive popularity, hosting a wide variety of sub-genres that come at different difficulty levels, though some of them just push the boundaries of what a difficult game should be like!
The list includes both single-player games with difficult missions and multiplayer games with a long and complex learning curve.
A standalone game that started as aHalf-Life 2mod,Fistful of Fragsserves as an homage to Western movies of the past, letting players take on the role of cowboys shooting each other to bits. The game is pretty whimsical and worth checking out for any fan of unique fan-made games that feel like complete and unique experiences.
The way players heal in this game is a great example of how the title strives to be tough and innovative at the same time. Players drink booze to heal, causing their aim and vision to sway. This makes healing a strategic decision that players must make outside of a firefight so that they don’t end up woozy and disoriented in the face of enemy fire.
For the most part,Crysiscan be a fairly tough experience but not a frustrating one for many players as long as they use thecapabilities of the suit. However, the difficulty of this game skyrockets if players opt for the highest level of challenge possible.
Enemies inCrysisbecome more aggressive and smart while trying to shoot the player into smithereens, which will happen quite often. A player’s reflexes need to be perfect if they wish to get throughCrysis' massive levels with such elite opposition.
Titanfall 2is a game that was unfairly overlooked upon release. The game featured many improvements to the core gameplay along with one of the best single-player campaigns in an FPS to date.
The end result is an amazing experience that becomes quite challenging in multiplayer. Players will have to make the most of the extended movement suite and the game’s wide array of firearms to overpower their opposition.
David Szymanski is one of the most beloved indie developers around, and it’s clear that the golden age of FPS gaming is something he loves. After all,Duskis a game that channels the vibe of old boomer shooters, with everythingfrom the retro aestheticto the fast-packed gameplay making this title a blast to play through.
It’s one of thehardest FPS gamesthat will force players to get better at this title by any means necessary, especially with the monsters ramping up the difficulty and the immaculate horror vibes testing a player’s resolve. First-person shooter fans who giveDuska shot will be more than elated by the high quality of this title.
Tactical shooters are some of the easier picks for FPS titles that promote difficulty above all.Project I.G.I.is not a game for the faint of heart, with every objective being a heart-stopping affair where a single mistake can have dire consequences for the player if they attract too much enemy attention.
This makes it important to sneak in the shadows, employ a tactical approach, and try to attract as little attention as possible. The game’s AI may not be its strongest point, but players who don’t mind checking out an old-school shooter that’s pretty challenging will findProject I.G.I.to be right up their alley.
TheS.T.A.L.K.E.R.series features some of the toughest open-world first-person shooters ever made, forcing people to manage their resources at all times and not get too overzealous in combat. All the games in this series boast a substantial level of challenge, andClear Skyis no exception here.
Customizing equipment and engaging in faction wars are a few of the many things people will engage with regularly in this game. The learning curve is immense, but players who give this game a shot will find each and every victory to be an accomplishment after their initial struggles.
WhileTitanfall 2might not have sold like hotcakes, the same can’t be said forApex Legends. Technically, the game is free-to-play, but the massive player base makes it clear that Respawn struck gold with this title.
Apex Legendsis an FPS hero shooter where players will take some time to learn the mechanics of the various characters they can control in the game. The balanced experience provided by this game, coupled with its deep systems, makes for a scintillating FPS experience where players need to be attuned to the game and its mechanics if they wish to come out victorious.
Bloodwasone of the manyDOOMclonesduring the golden age of PC gaming. It approached this genre with a pretty unique setting, with the supernatural elements of the game allowing for unique weapons and enemies that made it quite different fromDOOMin its own way.
The remaster of this game retained the great aesthetics and challenging difficulty of this title.Blood: Fresh Supplyis by no means an easy title, but people who love the atmosphere and humor of this title will have many excuses to power through this nostalgic gem of a game.
The reboot ofDOOMwas a source of great happiness among fans. However, these gamers were also rather skeptical about how id Software would be able to make the formula ofDOOMwork in a modern gaming environment.
Thankfully, the developers managed to strike a perfect balance between classic FPS gameplay and modern gaming nuances. This made for a rich first-person shooting experience that was tough as nails as well. It’s easy to see why most people can’t get enough ofDOOMnowadays.
When it came out, most people consideredF.E.A.R.to be one of thehardest FPS gamesever made. This was mainly achieved through a combination of unforgiving gameplay and smart enemy AI that could flank and surprise the player at every step.
Of course, one has to admit that the constant fear of Alma and the other horrors present inF.E.A.Ralso contributed to the overall difficulty. After all, it would be hard for players to focus on the game’s shooting when they’re too busy trying to avoid any scares in the game.
