Great FPS Games You Cannot Buy Anymore
FPS titles have been a staple of the video game industry for decades now, and every so often, there comes along a masterpiece that completely redefines the mechanical limitations of what a first-person shooter can do. While players might be able to relive the legendary titles that made the FPS genre what it is today, some games aren’t so lucky.
The Best FPS Games From The 1990s
The ’90s felt like a decade basically dedicated to the rise of the first-person shooter genre. These great games showcase why.
Perhaps due to a lack of demand, licensing issues, or the developers having left the title to wile away in obscurity, some truly great FPS games are no longer available to buy through digital or mainstream retailers. Most of the upcoming games gave some great value for their content, and were all praised at the time for, in one way or another, pushing the boundaries of the genre; meanwhile, some upcoming titles were just fun.
You might be able to find a physical copy of some of these FPS games, but they cannot be purchased from digital stores.
8
Vietcong
A Definitive Vietnam-Era Shooter
There was a time after Vietcong’s release where a plethora of titles tried to take its place as the best tactical, realistic Vietnam War shooter on the market. This includes, funnily enough, the largely unsuccessful sequel to this title, Vietcong 2. This title prioritized realism and high-impact action as its main focus, but also managed to throw on a unique and compelling story about the horrors of the Vietnam War.
Today, Vietnam War era games are largely lost within the mix of the broader Cold War era shooters, but while this title can’t be bought normally today, it stands as a testament to what good, finely detailed environments and tactical gameplay can do for a shooter. An expansion for this game gave players a prequel story to shoot their way through, which helped flesh out the setting and characters. The game also ends on a particularly somber note, but this is par for the course considering the conflict the shooter is engaged in.
7
Wolfenstein (2009)
A Really Solid Shooter That Feels Like It Has Been Erased From History
Wolfenstein
- Released
-
August 18, 2009
- ESRB
-
Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
It is generally accepted that Wolfenstein: The New Order brought the franchise back into prominence after a period of inactivity, pushing William into the limelight in a big way. Before that, Return to Castle Wolfenstein had successfully brought the series into the 21st century. In between these two seminal releases sits 2009’s Wolfenstein, a really competent shooter that just kind of exists. The game has been delisted for roughly a decade, and it was only available to purchase for around 5 years. Due to its short run, Wolfenstein has just been kind of forgotten.
Every Wolfenstein Game, Ranked
Wolfenstein is a franchise that has often played second fiddle to others in the gaming industry, but it deserves recognition for some of its games.
The thing is, this is a very, very solid first-person shooter. Yeah, it isn’t as good as The New Order or The New Colossus, but not reaching those high standards is hardly a crime. Raven Software crafted a game with tight gunplay and strong level design, all the while introducing mechanics like the Veil that caters to a power fantasy without making you overpowered.
6
Prey (2006)
A Fairly Unique Game That Is Now Mostly Remembered As The Other Prey Game
2017’s Prey is incredible, but it has nearly nothing to do with the 2006 game that it shares a name with. Human Head’s original Prey also blends FPS elements with exploration and sci-fi, although it plays out slightly more like a conventional shooter than Arkane Studios’ horror hybrid. Although not everything came together perfectly, Prey tried to push the envelope through its puzzles, open-ended levels, weapons, and gravity mechanics, and its setting was refreshing during an era that was entirely dominated by military shooters.
At this point, Prey seems unlikely to return in any form, and that sadly applies to both games. While Arkane’s version is still easily accessible, its ancestor is doomed to quietly fade into history as abandonware. A real shame.
5
Corporation
An Innovative But Obscure Cyberpunk Shooter
An often overlooked title in the grand scheme of early FPS games and DOS titles, Corporation holds a surprising level of depth and customization considering its time period, focusing not just on those same envelope-pushing FPS mechanics that really defined this era of shooters, but also a good number of RPG elements that add further customization to the 6 available characters.
A lot of the design principles that would make modern sci-fi horror games so important are seen in the raging mutants and hordes of twisted cybernetic monsters the player must face. On top of this, the cyberpunk setting is incredibly well-realized and a treat for any fans of the genre. This title’s lack of presence on any retail platforms today really does come down to its obscurity, but that only makes this hidden gem gleam a little brighter.
4
Tribes 2
An Early Large-Scale Multiplayer Gem
Tribes 2
- Released
-
March 29, 2001
- Developer(s)
-
Dynamix, Loki Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
-
Sierra On-line, Loki Entertainment
Tribes 2 showed a standard of innovation and intricacy in the multiplayer FPS scene that contemporary titles and franchises would still be trying to meet years later. The verticality in this game through jetpack movement gave players new ways to explore the map over a decade before Advanced Warfare’s exo-boost, and allowed for 64 vs 64 player teams in colossal, open maps.
Tribes 2 cannot be bought today, but it can be downloaded relatively easily, as Sierra On-Line released the title as freeware in 2015, ensuring this game, while somewhat obscure, was available to any players who wanted to give this game’s innovative design a try.
3
The Operative: No One Lives Forever & No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.’s Way
Why Can’t I Buy These Games?
Monolith went on an incredible run of releases during the late ’90s and early 2000s, and the team’s crowning achievement was the No One Lives Forever games. The ultimate spy pastiche, these games had it all, at least for their era. The gunplay was about as good as possible for the early 2000s, which was hardly surprising considering Monolith’s work on Blood.
29 Great Story-Driven FPS Games
These FPS games aren’t just about moving from gunfight to gunfight. They also tell a great story as players progress.
The level design was fantastic and intelligent, and the enemy AI was really great. Although you won’t mistake them for modern shooters, if you do manage to acquire them nowadays, No One Lives Forever and its sequel are still easy to enjoy, more so than most FPS games from this era. Cate Archer is also an all-time awesome female protagonist, and she should have starred in as many projects as Lara Croft.
Also, honorable mentions to a plethora of 007 games that have been delisted. 007 Nightfire was incredible.
2
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (And A Slew Of Other Battlefield Games)
EA Delisted This FPS Masterpiece In 2023
In April 2023, EA made it impossible to digitally buy a few of their games, with both Bad Company games and Battlefield 1943 joining the likes of Battlefield 2 on the delisted shelf. While all of these titles are great in their own right, Bad Company 2 arguably represents the franchise’s peak, even roughly 15 years after its debut.
The multiplayer was incredible and a major selling point, but even if EA wanted to shut down its servers, Bad Company 2‘s single-player campaign is more than brilliant enough to warrant keeping it available in stores. Maybe, one day, EA will announce a remaster compilation containing the two Bad Company games, but that is just wishful thinking at this point.
1
Unreal Tournament
A Monolithic FPS, Sadly Delisted
This arena-based shooter was an instant classic from its launch, and spawned an entire lineage of compelling FPS titles as well as a thriving local multiplayer scene that would see tournaments hosted for years to come. The shutting down of online services for this game was shortly followed by the title being delisted by Epic Games on all retail platforms.
It’s not known at present if Unreal Tournament will be re-released on Epic’s own platform, or if the open alpha of the new Unreal Tournament will turn into the only source of reliving this classic game for players today.
We included the original Unreal Tournament, but a lot of the franchise’s games are nowadays delisted. Unreal Tournament 3 and 2004 were also great.
The Best FPS Games On The PlayStation 2, Ranked
The PlayStation 2 is one of the most successful video game consoles of all time. Here are the best FPS games available on the system.