With modern FPS titles such as the intense battle royales of Apex Legends, the tactical immersion in Rainbow Six Siege, and the sheer competitive atmosphere of Valorant providing casuals with no breathing room for any remorse, it’s easy to feel bummed out and left out of these fun shooting games. And with the ever-growing popularity of eSports extending to online betting sites like www.betstation.com, wannabe FPS pros who just can’t get a break to be better at fundamentals and execution might lose hope in their dreams of FPS greatness. 

Thankfully, just because multiplayer FPS has taken the norm doesn’t necessarily mean players are out of options to practice their trigger fingers. FPS has had a lengthy history of single-player shooters that could give FPS fans a much-needed introduction (or reintroduction) to the genre. Here are some games worth playing for practice:

Counter-Strike

Originally developed as a mod for Half-Life, lovers of FPS games can look at Counter-Strike as perhaps one of the pioneers of the multiplayer first-person shooter. Serving as the first home of the iconic de-dust map, Counter-Strike is a multiplayer tactical experience where players are assigned to either plant a bomb in a site as “Terrorists” or defuse the said explosive as “Counter-Terrorists.” 

Throughout its many installments – the most recent one being Counter-Strike: Global Offensive – the gameplay loop remains the same: players purchase weapons from a Buy Screen during the start of the round, and they earn points as they eliminate opponents and accomplish objectives. Modern players can think of this as Valorant’s default play mode without the abilities, ensuring all players are on fair ground. Among all FPS a beginner can try, Counter-Strike remains effective in putting pressure on player actions, forcing them to juggle buying powerful weapons and conserving money to get a more balanced gear later down the line.   

Call Of Duty

Known best for its usage of World War 2 as a backdrop for its personalized stories, Call of Duty has become of the most riveting FPS franchises out there due to its focus on storytelling and an instead engaging multiplayer mode. Beginning the first Call of Duty title was in 2003 and is an ongoing franchise with Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 as a 2022 sequel of its battle royale game, the franchise remains a strong contender for a must-play game for FPS newcomers who want a taste of modern gameplay mechanics.

While most mainline Call of Duty games offer multiplayer modes that help gamers play together in teams, perhaps FPS beginners may appreciate Warzone 2.0 as a decent introduction to the battle royale scene without the confusing addition of hero abilities (Apex Legends) and building structures (Fortnite). After all, while Warzone 2.0 allows players to play in teams, the ability to play solo in a deathmatch in a wide area can become a decent training ground for players to use available resources and outwit players in securing ideal gear and safe hiding spots without the pressure of protecting teammates. 

Battlefield

Opposing Call of Duty in the historical FPS department would be the Battlefield franchise, which also focuses on providing emotional personal wartime stories while simultaneously giving massive battlegrounds for players to duke it out against each other. Compared to Call of Duty, matches in Battlefield can host up to hundreds of players. For instance, the recent Battlefield 2042 release can have matches that support up to 128 players, giving gamers room to learn team mechanics and fight numerous foes without being pressured to be delegated to specific roles.

Compared to other games, the historical focus on Battlefield allows players to check out recent titles for a more realistic gun-handling experience. Although Battlefield puts a lot more focus on realism than other games, players who get used to the idea of guns having different handling and sensitivities can be more alert in spotting these minute differences in other FPS titles, potentially giving them an edge in the thick of combat.

Warface

At first glance, Warface seems like a typical multiplayer section of an FPS made free-to-play. However, this FPS game is more nuanced than players realize. As expected, Warface as an FPS title allows players to participate in different game modes, with Team Deathmatch and Deathmatch being the most popular options. Compared to the likes of Counter-Strike where TDM and DM are no holds barred for all players, Warface emphasizes a class system for players. These Classes provide various combat roles and perks, allowing players to lean toward specific playstyles.

Considering how Warface provides the impression of a no-pressure FPS environment, players can rely on the game as a healthy in-between for various modern FPS experiences. Its Class system is a nifty introduction to ability-based games such as Apex Legends and Overwatch, with its fast-paced matches being a great training ground for the more high-octane Global Offensive and Valorant. 

Rainbow Six

Fans of tactical espionage can look at Tom Clancy for award-winning novels that can send shivers down one’s spine, and the Rainbow Six franchise is one where players wear the shoes of agents in the acclaimed series. Compared to other FPS titles, every title in the Rainbow Six franchise – particularly the acclaimed Rainbow Six Vegas – focuses on realism and tactical gameplay. Players are expected not just to enter battlefields gung-ho, but to plan assaults carefully. Thanks to built-in commands, players can direct AI companions to do specific things, giving gamers the impression that they’re leading a tactical unit.

While this can seem a bit overwhelming compared to other games, Rainbow Six is a perfect introduction for players who want to get into Rainbow Six Siege title. Considering how players are more expecting of teammates in the realism-heavy shooter, Rainbow Six is a decent way of grasping how the franchise handles even the minute details in matches: destructible environments, sound design, and even the fragility of bodies. 

Halo

When Master Chief and Cortana crash-lands into a mysterious ringworld known only as the Halo, they find themselves thrust into a conspiracy that may turn the tide in the Human-Covenant War. Beginning with Halo: Combat Evolved and its 2001 release was one of the best sci-fi franchises of the decade, with Halo easily topping the charts as one of the most innovative FPS games of all time.

Newcomers to FPS games can rely on the Halo franchise for a high-octane experience in sprawling mega-spaces where the Master Chief is free to roam and pursue objectives. Aside from a unique Shield System, Halo prides itself in a rather simplistic HUD, displaying ammunition on a dedicated display of weapons, as well as an assortment of gear the protagonist can pick up virtually anywhere on the map. With increasingly-difficult levels that force players to maximize their available resources, Halo is an ideal FPS title to teach players the value of mastering weapons available to them to get an edge in fights.

Doom

In mankind’s dark future, a marine eventually known as the Doom Guy gets sent on a world-hopping adventure that would have him fight demons not just on Mars and on Earth, but even on actual Hell itself. Compared to other FPS titles, Doom gets a soft spot for the heart of the action gamer for its sheer level of carnage interspersed with various horrific demons that players need to eliminate with a unique arsenal of weaponry.

Fans of modern FPS titles can play 2016’s Doom and 2020’s Doom Eternal for a refreshing take on the demon-killing experience. Compared to other FPS titles that rely on a more defensive play to guarantee safety, level bonuses and systems such as push-forward combat incentivizes Doom players to become highly aggressive with the weapons available to them. Playing enough Doom can teach FPS beginners the value of an unrelenting assault, especially once they’ve developed enough of their FPS instincts in an intense firefight. 

Always A Way To Git Gud

While countless other FPS titles exist that may suit a player’s fancy, it helps for the FPS neophyte to choose games close to their “dream pro title” to maximize the time and investment they’ll have in practicing with them to finally “git gud.” The above games are just some examples of FPS titles that newcomers to the scene could use to slowly train their trigger fingers and combat sense to outpace more professional players by the time they venture into the more intense first-player shooter scene.