The first game I EVER played on a pc (it was all amige until then) .. maybe thats why I am so hooked to shooters

I think I dont have to say much about this game. Half Life has influenced many Games since its release back in 1998 and set the standard in fps gaming. Many even consider it the greatest game of all times. Though i would not go so far

In my oppinion one of the greatest expensions to a game ever. How often do get to play a story you already love from a different view ? A great expansion to one of the greatest Games.

We had to wait long for it, but Half Life 2 reached its expectations and went even further. The singleplayer experience is breathtaking and the many many multiplayer mods keep you entertained for months. Half Life 2 is a perfect continuation of the half life saga.

Just like Half Life, Unreal was groundbreaking for its time. The scope, size and style of this game will never be fergotten by many gamers. It also set the starting point for one of the greatest Multiplayer games ever: The Unreal Tournament series. But the original Unreal is remembered mainly because of its unreached athmosphere that few games, even today, are able to reach. Sadly Unreal II was not able to be anywhere near as good as unreal.

While The Portal Idea was not entirely new (narbacular drop anyone ?), Prey deffinetely put them in the spotlight. But aside from the portals, Prey was an athmospheric, deep and gruesome adventure that kept players hooked to the very end. The Story is dramatic and there was finally some good Boss battles again, something i miss in most modern shooters.

This game was mindblowing! Based on a film based on a video game, Tron 2.0 is the perfect blend of great visuals, fun gameplay and an interessting story that just keeps you going. Aside from that you have an upgrade system that is easy to use, but still deep enough to encourage you to find every last upgrade. And you will need them. Tron is no easy game, but it is never unfair. It maybe a little bit much to compare this game to half life, but the story telling is done just as well and you have a hero that actually talks for himself, which is something i gladly appreciate since most fps tend to keep the mouth of the protagonist shut. Half Life did a good job telling the Story without having the main character saying anything, but that does not mean every fps has to do the same.

Just like in Tron 2.0 the first thing you notice about this game are the visuals. XIII is one of the only if not the only First Person Shooter to feature a fully cell shaded environment. The story is engaging, but not as deep and fun to experience than Trons. But the gameplay is solid and overall it is a really great experience, esspecially if your into cell shading. There is a problem though ... at the end of the game you will walk into a "to be continued". The game has been released in 2003 and i am still waiting. Apparently sales numbers werent as high as expected, so it is unlikely we will ever see a sequal.

Following the lead of Half Life 2, Id games also had a pretty neat Engine up their sleeve. While i personally think Valve did a better Job initially, Doom 3 made way for some great games that would utilize the Engine in the future. But not only that, Doom 3 gave players one of the most intense experiences in gaming for a long time. Doom 3 was not a continuation of the doom story, but actually copied the story of the original doom. "Knee deep in the dead" you shoot your way through countless enemys always scared about what awaits you around the corner. Sure, after a few hours you knew what would be behind the next door, but Doom 3 was a terrifieing experience nonetheless.

I wasnt sure if I should put the expansion of Doom 3 on the list. But just as Doom 3 "Resurrection of Evil" gave gamers just what they wanted: more stuff to kill! A new gravity gun supposed to give the player something new to play around with, but Half Life 2 already did that pretty well before. But RoE was still a very good Singleplayer Experience just as Doom 3.

Quake 2 is another classic you just have to play. I am mainly interessted in Q2, because it is still played by speedrunners, playing through the game in every possible way. Many consider Quake 2 the birth of Speedrunning, some say it was Metroid though. No matter who is right, Quake 2 is a shooter classic you just have to experience at least once.

Now i really only want great experiences on this list, and most multiplayer games just dont give you a really great immersive experience. Counter Strike is by far the most popular multiplayer shooter, but its not on this list because I dont consider it a great "experience" nor does it stand out from all the rest. Its just very popular. Quake 3 on the other hand is a great game all by itself. Many many games build on the same fast pace action that quake 3 delivers, but few actually reach it. The weapons from the quake universe, including the infamous BFG, make for a great multiplayer or singleplayer experience against bots. And the Engine still lives on in countless modifications since id released it as open source.