The Best Games About One-Man Armies
Although it might not make sense for every setting, the games that let you be a one-man army can be the definition of empowering and gratifying. When done right, these titles just let you become the ultimate, unstoppable killing machine, one who is capable and willing to reduce a city’s population by hundreds, if not thousands. These types of games take multiple forms, too, and they do not have to be painfully easy either. In some cases, a more challenging difficulty just enhances the eventual satisfaction of your victory.
So, let’s go through a few one-man army games that cover a relatively wide spectrum of genres and tones, so not just shooters. We are also focusing on titles that have dedicated protagonists who are actively chosen as the “one-man armies,” rather than something like the Warriors games that cast dozens of characters in that role. We are also prioritizing games that really emphasize the protagonist’s lone wolf status, which eliminates, for example, Halo, since Master Chief has to work alongside other marines at times.
8
Sniper Elite: Resistance
France’s Freedom Depends Upon You
Sniper Elite: Resistance is the game that inspired this list. It’s the latest entry in the Sniper Elite series, all of which are great one-man army examples. This spinoff replaces the main character, Karl, with one of his allies, Harry, who is helping the French Resistance take back their country from the Nazi regime.
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What makes this stealth game unique is the execution animations players can get upon bullet or melee kills. They are as gruesome as the recent Mortal Kombat games, so for those who love World War 2 games about taking down Nazis, there’s none better than Sniper Elite: Resistance or other entries in the series.
7
DOOM (2016)
One Man Versus The Armies Of Hell
The 2016 Doom reboot was a long time coming, and it turned out better than expected. It was a nice throwback to the old-school first-person shooter genre with modern 2016 trappings that emphasized shooting more than taking cover. Ammo is still a factor, but players are encouraged to run-and-gun effectively and then eliminate enemies with stylish takedowns.
The DOOM Guy was in his element, reborn in the pits of Hell to fight demons with ease, be it with a rifle, shotgun, or rocket launcher, and all he could rely on was himself. Satisfying does not begin to describe the feeling players will have when getting into this shooter.
6
Ghost Of Tsushima
Defeat The Mongols, Save Your Home
Ghost of Tsushima is somewhat based on historical fact, detailing when Mongols invaded Japan. In this game specifically, they invade the island of Tsushima, and after the opening battle goes horribly wrong, Jin Sakai must retake his homeland and drive off the invaders.
While he is aided throughout his adventure by friends and family, Jin is primarily a one-stop, slap-chopping samurai on missions who can double as a ninja and stealthily take down enemies. It’s a giant open-world game filled with activities, from retaking towns to observing beautiful shrines. Along with plenty of duels, Ghost of Tsushima‘s combat primarily involves taking on dozens of enemies at the same time, with crowd control being a major part of the experience.
Ghost of Yotei also fits.
5
Max Payne
A Father’s Love Knows No Bounds
Max Payne was the start of a dark trilogy that followed the titular man down a winding road of revenge. Mobsters killed his wife and child, and from then on, only bottles of countless pills numbed the pain, literally. Not only is Max by himself on this quest for vengeance, he even talks to himself, narrating the whole thing like a film noir from the 1930s.
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The gameplay featured tons of bullets and slo-mo effects akin to The Matrix. Max’s battlefield was the streets, and he made it Hell on Earth for those who crossed him. While Max does not go up against an absurd number of enemies at one go, he is still a one-man army, albeit in a more traditional action hero type of way.
Big Boss’ Big Break
Every Metal Gear entry could be framed as a one-man army story, whether it features Solid Snake or Big Boss. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain feels the most fitting, though, as the last main title in the franchise, which also takes place in bigger open areas. This meant Big Boss had more enemies to face in more diverse terrain.
The game is also unique in that, while Big Boss is alone on missions, he recruits others at Mother Base to create an army so that he doesn’t have to do it alone. If only Konami and Kojima could have finished this fight together to see where this makeshift army would go next.
3
Just Cause 2
Grappling With Disaster
Just Cause 2 was the entry that put this series on the map, thanks to the innovative grappling hook. Rico is flown into the troubled island nation of Panau, which is overrun with corruption. Players need to retake territories by eliminating guards and destroying outposts in this open-world adventure.
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What makes this game fun is the aforementioned grappling hook, which can be used as both an exploration tool and as a weapon. Grapple two enemies together or attach a bomb to an enemy and see what happens. Experimentation is Rico’s closest ally, besides his arsenal of guns and his love of explosions. Just Cause 2 is all about wanton destruction, and Rico can and will annihilate hundreds upon hundreds of enemies in the span of a few minutes.
Just Cause 3 and 4 arguably go even further in presenting Rico as the ultimate one-man army, but the second game is probably the best in the series.
2
Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor
Saved From Death
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a fresh chapter in The Lord of the Rings saga about a Ranger, Talion, who dies but is brought back to life by the spirit of Celebrimbor. Now together as ghost and man, the two must get revenge across an open world filled with Orcs and other mutations.
Technically, one could say this game is a two-man army, but since they inhabit the same body, it still counts. This was the innovative game that introduced the Nemesis System to the world, which makes standard enemies more unique depending on how players execute their missions. This made the quest for revenge more impactful for both sides.
Shadow of War follows suit, and the gameplay is just as satisfying.
1
Wolfenstein: The New Order
An Alternate History Worth Fighting For
The only man better at executing Nazis is B.J. Blazkowicz from the Wolfenstein series, who has been taking them down since the series premiered in 1981. Wolfenstein: The New Order is a series reboot set after the Nazis win World War 2. However, the good of humanity is not altogether satisfied with this result, leading B.J. and others to fight back through decades of oppression.
While the game lacks X-ray kills similar to the Sniper Elite games, B.J. still gets pretty bloody with his executions. This brawling bag of meat is itching to set right what once went wrong, and this reboot series certainly goes in some interesting and violent directions.
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