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The single player FPS campaign is a fine art.
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00:00When an FPS title knocks it out of the park, it can influence the entire industry for many years
00:04afterwards. Many of the entries on this list have been imitated, but never beaten, and continue to
00:10resonate with the community to this day. I'm Jess from WhatCulture and here are the 10 best
00:15FPS campaigns of all time. 10. Titanfall 2
00:19Of the many FPS franchises that rose and fell in the 7th and 8th generations, one of the most
00:25underrated was Titanfall, which boasted two main releases to its name from 2014 to 2016.
00:31Many developers who started Respawn were former employees at Infinity Ward, so they clearly knew
00:36their way around crafting a compelling FPS experience. Their first project, 2014's Titanfall, was a
00:42moderate success. Touted as an Xbox One exclusive at first, its blend of on-foot action and stomping
00:48Titans created a unique multiplayer battleground. This did come at the expense of a campaign,
00:54however, which some found fault with at the time. After Titanfall was met with a moderately decent
00:59critical reception, Respawn Entertainment pushed ahead to craft a far superior follow-up.
01:05Regretfully, their best efforts were undone by publisher EA, as the release of Titanfall 2 was
01:10sandwiched in with DICE's Battlefield 1, which released to higher fanfare. The sequel offered a
01:16solid campaign mode that was sadly let down by weaker sales and marketing. It really stood out in an
01:22age of multiplayer shooters, though. Perhaps the biggest surprise was how it managed to create a
01:26strong bond between leading man Jack Cooper and his Titan BT-7274, resulting in a much more engaging story.
01:359. Wolfenstein The New Order Since its beginnings in 1992, the Wolfenstein
01:41franchise has been a regular fixture in the FPS scene. Its tongue-in-cheek action and steampunk tone
01:46managed to keep it relevant with 2001's Return to Castle Wolfenstein, which drew in a massive
01:52following from players. The series did have some growing pains going into the seventh generation.
01:582009's Wolfenstein wasn't a bad game at all, but it did feel kind of generic when you compare it to
02:04its superior predecessors. Along came Machine Games, though, who sought to strike out in a different
02:09direction. In 2014, they'd completely forgo a multiplayer component in favour of a dedicated
02:15campaign. This would turn out to be a great move, as Wolfenstein The New Order found high praise from
02:21fans and critics alike. The game places BJ Blazkowicz in a brutal world ruled by the Nazis. Somehow he's
02:28gotta rip apart this dictatorship at its foundations and forms a deep connection with the small band of
02:34resistance fighters. What Wolfenstein The New Order did was revive the series for a more
02:39serious campaign that felt distinctly human. Unlike previous entries, you really do care about the
02:45characters. The crunchy shooting in action was just the icing on the cake. It was easily one of 2014's
02:51most standout titles as a result. 8. Metro Last Light
02:56Now we're entering into post-apocalyptic territory. While many would point to the likes of Fallout for
03:01this sub-genre, other more recent franchises have resonated with the masses. The Metro franchise belongs
03:07in this camp, having achieved high acclaim over the last decade. In the tunnels beneath a ruined
03:12Moscow, humanity clings to survival, splintering off into different factions in a relentlessly bleak
03:18story. This style of apocalyptic horror made it a great fit for an immersive first-person shooter.
03:24The property was handled by 4A Games, who released their first title in 2010. Metro 2033 was a worthwhile
03:31outing, but its weaknesses in stealth gameplay and overly railroaded tutorials did stick out as points
03:38of critique. Three years later, and it was time to follow it up. Luckily for fans, Metro Last Light
03:43made an even bigger impression. The 2013 title is a substantial improvement on the original, delivering a
03:50tale of close bonds, claustrophobic encounters, and the worst of humanity to boot. Every element of
03:56gameplay has seen improvement, alongside a staggering level of detail in its ruined world. It successfully
04:02put 4A Games alongside the most proficient developers in the genre.
04:067. Borderlands 2
04:09After washing the hands of brothers-in-arms, Gearbox headed deeper into the seventh generation
04:14with Borderlands. Nowadays, it feels like the only AAA franchise who's got its loot system right,
04:19where others rely on insulting monetization schemes. From the get-go, Borderlands built its name
04:25on being a looter shooter, with a bazillion guns to find in crates and other hidey holes.
04:30The original 2009 release was well received, but stopped somewhat short of critical acclaim,
04:36but its 2012 sequel quickly rectified that. Borderlands 2 took everything people loved about the first
04:42and drastically expanded on it. More varied character skill trees, creative weapons, and wacky humor
04:48were all crammed into a massive package. In addition to being an awesome campaign for one player,
04:54it was greatly enhanced when you added three more. The enemies and level system all scaled
04:58to match your party for a massively replayable experience. In their battle against Handsome Jack,
05:04the four vault hunters of Borderlands 2 partake in a brilliant and well-written campaign. It fully
05:10embraces its silliness and cel-shaded art style to deliver the most vibrant campaign on this list.
05:16And things got even better with the countless expansions that arrived over the next year.
05:206. Far Cry 3 As one of Ubisoft's premier franchises,
05:25Far Cry had already maintained a steady following with the first two titles. What's interesting about
05:30this series, though, is how each new entry ventures into a new setting and tone. The first was a mixture
05:35of island combat and horror, the second was a gritty civil war in Africa, and the third heads into more
05:42psychological territory. As Jason Brody, it's up to you to rescue your friends from a life of slavery,
05:47teaming up with the Rakyat tribe to bring down the island's brutal rulers. Easily the most widely
05:53enjoyed in the Far Cry series, it lets the player loose in a tropical paradise gone wrong alongside
05:58charismatic villains. Of course, we all remember Vaas, the sadistic pirate who serves as the leading
06:03antagonist for most of the game. In addition to a deadly conflict, Far Cry 3 explores the depths
06:09Jason is willing to go. While he isn't the most engaging of characters, Brody goes on a dark descent
06:15that gives him a taste of power and status that he's never felt before. The playground offered to
06:20players in Far Cry 3 is not only filled with things to do, but also closely tied in with its story.
06:265. Doom 2016
06:29Like Wolfenstein before it, Doom was a regular presence in the FPS landscape. It led the way for
06:35much of the genre's early development, while cooking up a fair bit of controversy in the process.
06:39Across multiple sequels, the series would slip underground after 2004's Doom 3. As the genre
06:46began to change, its developer had a tricky time figuring out how to fit it into the new landscape.
06:52Heading back to the drawing board, id Software settled on a game that would return to the old
06:56school style of shooters. Doom 2016 completely rejects the stop and pop modern military style that
07:02had dominated the genre for years. There's no regenerative health or hiding behind cover here.
07:07You're blasting your way around levels, ripping and tearing through the enemies with a rocking
07:11soundtrack backing up the gameplay. It also tosses aside a complex story in favour of raw,
07:17satisfying combat. As such, it's one of the fastest and most ferocious FPS campaigns to date,
07:22putting you in the boots of an unstoppable killing machine. Every decision id Software made is fully
07:28in tune with making the player feel awesome. In addition to being one of the best campaigns in recent years,
07:34Doom 2016 is also one of the best reboots. Number four, Bioshock. Bit of cheating here as it leans
07:41towards the immersive sim genre, but Bioshock simply cannot be ignored. As the spiritual successor to
07:47System Shock, it was the Project of Irrational Games and released in 2007. It quickly became one of the
07:53most widely beloved titles of that year. Set in the 1960s, we follow Jack, a seemingly ordinary individual
08:01who stumbles across the underwater city of Rapture following a plane crash. Descending into the depths,
08:07Jack finds an idealistic metropolis turned nightmare. Crazed mutants roam the halls and lumbering behemoths
08:14harvest a drug called Atom via the use of creepy little sisters. What set the game apart from other
08:20shooters was how you could build the kind of playstyle you wanted to exploit. You could take on lightning and
08:25fire-based plasmids to become a master of the elements, or you could go for a more mind-bending approach.
08:30The further you go, the more twisted the story becomes, thus further enveloping the player.
08:35Offering an unparalleled level of atmosphere, Bioshock's underwater city is just as big a star
08:41as its varied combat. It's utterly fascinating to explore the ruined halls and unravel all of
08:46Rapture's darkest mysteries. To this day, it still remains a masterwork in art and design.
08:52Number three, Half-Life 2. A name many gamers are familiar with, Valve Corporation has proven itself
08:59time and again as one of the best creators in the business. The release of Half-Life in 1998 put
09:04them on the map, and from there they continued to go from strength to strength. After revolutionizing
09:09the FPS genre with the original Half-Life, Valve did it again in 2004. With the sequel,
09:15the venerable developer made massive strides in facial animation, in-game physics, and seamless
09:21storytelling. From start to finish, the player is placed in control of the protagonist, with no cut scenes
09:27or scripted moments that would interrupt the campaign. Twenty years after the original game,
09:32Gordon Freeman is released in a grim future in which humanity is ruled over by the Combine.
09:37He once again dons the HEV suit and, with Alex Vance at his side, aims to topple the alien race from
09:44power. His mission takes him from the inner city to the coast and back again as the Lambda
09:48resistance steps up their efforts to fight off the menace. Paced to near perfection, Half-Life 2's
09:54collection of set pieces and seamless storytelling made it a modern classic. This same excellent
09:59development prowess continued into the game's episodic expansions, which took advantage of new
10:04settings and scenarios. 2. Halo 3
10:08In 2007, video games went mainstream, and by far the most successful release of that year was Halo 3.
10:15As the most anticipated title of all time, it had some massive shoes to fill. Luckily for fans and
10:21newcomers alike, Bungie was more than able to deliver the goods. The tagline of Finish the
10:27Fight anchored the game's launch, and when players got their hands on it, Halo 3 lived up to its name.
10:33As Master Chief engages both the Covenant and the Flood in a final confrontation,
10:38the campaign doles out nine varied and highly enjoyable missions. What makes all of them so
10:43engaging is the numerous encounters driven by an excellent gameplay sandbox, and some of the best
10:48enemy AI in the business. The way foes, vehicles, allies and equipment all react to each other has
10:54always been key to Halo's success, and the third entry is arguably its finest showcase. The finale of
11:01the trilogy showed Bungie at the peak of their powers, inching out the other entries thanks to a great
11:06variety of levels. Halo 1 had some repetitive levels here and there, and Halo 2 had its shorter
11:11length and disappointing ending. Halo 3, on the other hand, is a seamless balance of solid action and a
11:18conclusive story. 1. Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare
11:23Last but not least, we come to Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare, Infinity Ward's magnum opus that
11:28remains a textbook example of how to craft an excellent campaign. And before we get into it,
11:34you better tell me if we missed your favorite down in the comments, but let me keep going.
11:38Moving the franchise into the present day for the first time, we follow a set of soldiers as they
11:43attempt to track down Middle Eastern dictator Al-Assad and his Russian financier Zakhev.
11:48What follows is an action roller coaster that manages to maintain the more grounded nature that
11:53the series once embraced. As opposed to an over-the-top power fantasy, Call of Duty 4 continues the mantra
11:59that no soldier fights alone. In essence, Modern Warfare's single-player mode is heavily modeled after
12:05classic thrillers. As SAS operative Soap McTavish, you're conducting precise tactical operations.
12:11Whereas with Sergeant Paul Jackson, the player is planted on more direct, large-scale military
12:17engagements. Alternating between these perspectives allows the campaign to create superb pacing.
12:23Yet the levels we all remember often come through the many set pieces. All Ghillied Up is by far the
12:28franchise's best stealth mission. In short, Call of Duty 4 has a masterful campaign, one that catapulted its
12:35franchise to superstardom and set the standard for what an FPS campaign could do. Countless FPS titles,
12:41including its own franchise, are attempting to replicate it to this day, and most of them,
12:46if not all of them, are falling short left and right.
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