Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. It’s a principle of debatable origin but has become synonymous with special forces kicking down doors and being #tactical. Not all FPS devs seem to have gotten the memo, though.
First-person shooters have gained a bit of popularity as a horror arcade fueled by energy drinks and teenage rage. This isn’t helped by the industry’s obsession with a live multiplayer service that actively rewards sitting and grinding.
Despite all this, I want to believe in a better world. In honor of the silent masses who love a good slow-paced strategy game, here are FPS titles that favor a balanced approach over mindless grinding.
10
Right or wrong
Knock Knock
Despite the growing controversy and issues with the console launch, VOID Interactive set the standard for gameplay with the slow-paced, tactical shooter Ready or Not.
Featuring 26 missions that play mostly on small maps, there’s no grinding in Ready or Not unless you’re chasing S-ranks to unlock cosmetics. However, getting the perfect score requires moving with great caution to avoid sending any suspect to the hospital, which is harder than it looks.
The game stands out for its great use of AI teammates and multiplayer flexibility, allowing for a quality SWAT experience online or offline. Just don’t kick that closet door open if you want to stay.
9
Six days in Fallujah
Urban hell
The Four Marines are backed by weapons against the seemingly endless insurgents. These are not good odds, but the Marines did, and so did you in six days in Fallujah.
This strategic shooter was born out of a canceled Konami project, but has made a name for itself as one of the visual icons of the US invasion of Iraq.
The number of missions is limited, but it’s easy to lose track of time as you and your friends wall hug through the ruins while fighting off wave after wave of human attacks.
8
Gray Zone Warfare
Run in the Forest
Open-world games are often associated with grinding, but Gray Zone Warfare manages to stay expansive without being boring.
Much to the dismay of friends recently deployed overseas, this is one of the few games where you can load up a backpack full of ammunition and food, then disappear into the jungle for the day as you explore the island of Lamang.
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Despite being the first PvE game, a lot of combat is shaped by how you react to other players. I once spent two hours wandering around an airfield crawling with enemies to try to get to the control point without attracting the attention of a sniper who was targeting the area. Every movement counts, as they like to say.
7
ARMA Reforger
War Does Not Change
Many shooters like to take it slow, but that crown will always belong to the ARMA series.
ARMA Reforger plays on a smaller scale than ARMA 3, but follows the same principles of brain over brawl gameplay.
The height of the ARMA gameplay does not come during the combat, but in everything before the first bullets are released. Trucks transport supplies down dirt roads to reach the front, where soldiers will carefully set up defensive positions. The inevitable enemy attack is just a sideshow in the logistics orchestra, as it should be.
6
The group
The Dodgy Logi Club
I’m sure you can handle a gun well, but what about a shovel? The squad allows you to spend most of the game digging up points and forts or walking a mile to reach an objective because the squad’s truck blew up.
Most of the gameplay in Squad is a variation of Battlefield’s Conquest, but the large maps and slow-paced action culminate in rounds that last around an hour.
The shooting mechanics are deliberately tuned to punish players who run and gun, so your only real shot at success in battle is to play smart and slow.
5
Lower Branch
Secret Squirrel Business
The secret exploits of secret agents are often more fictional than most Hollywood productions, but we don’t get to hear about them. Ground Branch opens the door to this world, and while it’s still an early access title, it shows a lot of promise.
The core of the Ground Branch is to conduct a hostage rescue mission and get in as cleanly as possible, with one of the most impressive Tactical Barbie weapons out there.
Thanks to the campaign mode, Ground Branch has a lot more to do than just random solo travel, but where the game really shines is in co-op, where you and your friends can plan raids together and execute them. And if it fails, well, you can at least share a laugh.
4
Metro Last Light
Tunnel rats
The Metro series by Dmitry Glukhovsky and 4A Games achieves something that few games ever manage, which is to make the player feel small and powerless.
While that feeling is best captured by Metro 2033, its sequel does a better job of giving the player some agency over how to approach the levels, despite the sequential experience.
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Many situations in Last Light can be solved by stealth or violence, and Artyom’s survival depends solely on your ability to keep a cool head in scary situations.
3
Hidden and Dangerous 2
Who’s Brave, Wins
Long before officer Paddy Mayne became a household name, SAS: Rogue Heroes, Hidden & Dangerous 2 was giving the special forces of the Second World War the attention they deserved.
Hidden & Dangerous 2 repeats the profile of British SAS missions, complete with all the flexibility that comes with it. Large maps allow you to solve things in any way you can, from crawling for 20 minutes to cut a hole in a fence to blasting through the front gate with guns blazing.
To encourage a more balanced approach, enemies are good markers, so you and your team don’t last long if you always choose the big solution.
2
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon
Crisis Simulator
In the past, Ubisoft was known as a big publisher with a catalog of high quality titles. One of these games was Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon, arguably the founder of the modern stealth shooter.
The first Ghost Recon put all the money where it mattered most. Sure, the game was on the bad side even by 2001 standards, and all you could see on your screen were crosses, but it didn’t matter.
Red Storm Entertainment has created an expansive tactical sandbox where you can plan and execute missions that will impact the world, while managing your team members. It was lightning in a bottle, and the world will end before Ubisoft releases anything as vague as this.
1
Vietnam
Lost in the Forest
In this fair world, one of the most unique shooters ever made is not available for purchase at any major digital storefront. Czech project Vietcong had its fair share of Eurojank when it came out in 2003, but it makes up for it with an esoteric game design that captures the horrors of the Vietnam War like no other game.
The Vietcong perpetuates the fact that jungle warfare is brutal, and no amount of bravery can change that. You spend your time patrolling, avoiding traps, and fighting off Vietcong ambushes that wear you down.
The gunplay is very similar to Far Cry 2, but with a more linear format to prevent you from getting lost. Getting shot usually means dying or losing most of your life in that mission, like in Nam.
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