First-Person Shootershave been around for decades, and as a genre centered around weapons, it has seen quite a few iconic guns over the years.Doom,Quake,Half-Life,Halo, and so on, these franchises have produced some of the most famous and loved weapons in the history of gaming.
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Weapons like the BFG 9000 or the Gravity Gun have not only captured players' imagination but empowered them when engaged in combat with the bitterest of enemies. Even after all these years, many of the weapons in these games are still just as iconic as they were back in the day.
8Doom - Super Shotgun
There really is no comparison to the satisfaction of blasting demons in half with both barrels from this baby. The Super Shotgun from theDoomseries is by far the most famous double barrel shotgun in all of gaming, especially with its return and subsequent upgrade inDoom 2016andDoom: Eternal, respectively.
The gun has appeared in everyDoomgame except the very first entry and has seen quite a few variations, both aesthetically and functionally. Despite this, the Super Shotgun has always been one of the most memorable and fun to use, not to mention versatile weapons in Doomguy’s arsenal.
7Quake - Rocket Launcher
There aren’t many weapons in FPS history that have shaped the genre quite likeQuake’sRocket Launcher. It’s quite literally a blast to wield in both single-player and multiplayer combat due to its high damage and versatility. This is a weapon that took advantage ofQuake’sbrand-new engine capabilities perfectly, allowing players to create rocket jumping.
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This is when the user uses the blast of the rocket while jumping in order to get more height and/or distance when traversing the map. Rocket jumping dramatically increased the competitive value of the game, becoming a core part of the meta for not only theQuakeseries, but otherArena Shootersas well.
6Halo: Combat Evolved - Magnum
Often described as the most overpowered pistol in gaming, theHalo: CEMagnum is one of the most important weapons in the series due to how it shaped the franchise’s combat around slower, precision-based combat.
Despite its (arguably erroneous) reputation for being too overpowering, the Magnum comes with a rather steep learning curve, with players having to deal with its low aim assist, limited projectile speed, and even bullet sway (when shots are affected by strafing). Its capabilities certainly make it rewarding, but its limitations in the face of situationally insta-killing weapons like rockets, snipers and shotguns, and other powerful weapons make it a true “jack of all trades, master of none” type of weapon.
5Half-life 2 - Gravity Gun
Physics can sometimes be a wonderful weapon of its own. InHalf-Life 2, valve set out to build a game withthe most impressive physicsengine seen up to that point, and one of the outlets with which to demonstrate that was the Gravity Gun. While not always a weapon on its own, the gravity gun could manipulate a multitude of different objects and effectively turn them into a weapon.
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Saw blades can be picked up and launched, crates can be pushed, and so on. Much of the time, the Gravity Gun is used to solve puzzles, but during combat, it’s hard to pull it out and pull some wacky shenanigans on enemies.
4Goldeneye 007 - Golden Gun
One shot, one kill. The Golden Gun from the originalGoldeneye 007on Nintendo 64 is a famously powerful weapon, though it only allows for one shot at a time. Based on the golden gun from the Bond film,The Man with the Golden Gun, this powerhouse of a pistol is only obtainable in single player on the level Egyptian but is then available via cheats. Here, the player will have to complete a puzzle to use the weapon.
The Golden Gun can also be found in multiplayer as part of a weapon set and as the subject of the Man with the Golden Gun scenario.
3Call of Duty - Ray Gun
EveryCall of Dutyfan who was around in 2008 remembers hearing about that creepy Easter egg inCall of Duty: World at War, where the player summons an extremely powerful alien gun out from the ground in campaign. The Ray Gun is perhaps (and maybe ironically) the most well-known weapon in theCODfranchise.
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Not only is it famous for its one appearance inWAW’scampaign, but it also became a staple of the wildly popularNazi Zombiesmode as the first in a long line of powerful wonder weapons. As a result, it has since gone on to appear in every Treyarch developedCODtitle since.
2Return to Castle Wolfenstein - Flamethrower
TheReturn to Castle WolfensteinFlamethrower has often been touted as one of the most realistic interpretations of the weapon type in any game, especially upon the game’s release in 2001.
It isn’t simply a pipe that propels fire; this is a weapon that gives the distinct impression that it’s spewing liquid fuel that’s also being ignited, coating enemies in fire. Based off the U.S WW2 era M2 flamethrower, the game’s version can be difficult to master; however, once the player adapts to its relatively low damage rate and limited ammo supply, they can fully take advantage of its effect on unarmored targets and (oddly enough) silent killing ability.
1Doom - BFG 9000
No weapon in FPS history has ever had a reputation for destructive power quite like theBFG 9000. First appearing in the originalDoom, the BFG can initially be obtained in a secret area of E3M3, Pandemonium, and has subsequently appeared in every singleDoomepisode and game since with little variation (save forDoom 3’stake on the weapon).
The BFG is an immensely destructive piece of the player’s arsenal due to the fact that one shot can kill an entire room full of enemies. It is what many consider to be the holy grail of FPS weaponry.
