2024 has been a strong year for shooter fans, with numerous triple-A titles delivering engaging gameplay. While some major franchises were absent, the overall output in this genre arguably surpassed that of 2023. Here are TechNetBook's top five shooter games of the year, ordered by release date.
Top 5 Shooter Games of 2024
Note: All of the following games offer online features, with the exception of STALKER 2.
Helldivers 2
The year started with a bang thanks to Arrowhead's Helldivers 2. Despite mixed reviews, Helldivers 2 was a major commercial success, selling over 12 million copies by May and becoming Sony's fastest-selling game. Its popularity may have influenced Sony's decision to release live-service games on PC simultaneously with console launches. The game saw a resurgence in activity with a major update in September and recently won Game of the Year at the TIGA Awards.
Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2
Saber Interactive's Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 also proved to be a major hit among fans, despite its middling review scores. It sold two million units within the first day and quickly exceeded five million units by late November. The game's performance was particularly impressive in Europe, where it was the second best-selling new launch of the year until Call of Duty's release.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
After a couple of lackluster releases, Treyarch revitalized the Call of Duty franchise with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Kai Tatsumoto wrote in TechNetBook's review that Black Ops 6 represents a true return to form, with strong performance across the campaign, multiplayer, and zombies modes. Activision and Microsoft have declared it the biggest Call of Duty ever in terms of total players, hours played, and matches.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 represents a proper return to form, with Treyarch taking the helm in development once more. This is probably as definitive a Call of Duty title has been in years, with a package that executes well across all three pillars of Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies. While the narrative doesn’t hold up to the spy thriller premise in the lead-up to launch, the online package rounds out the experience well.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, the only single-player title on this list, lived up to much of the hype surrounding its troubled development. TechNetBook's review stated that GSC Game World delivered a worthy successor to the original game, providing a unique experience that, while imperfect, is highly compelling. The team is already working on fixes and improvements, along with planned mod tools, multiplayer, and DLCs.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a worthy successor of the original in every regard, good and bad. The vision is the same: an uncompromising game that will often frustrate you, but also offers a unique experience that can hardly be found anywhere else. It's the classic example where the total is more than the mere sum of its parts. Bugs and balance issues are still very much an issue, but they shouldn't stand in your way of playing, especially if you're willing to wait a while for developers and modders to fix them.
Marvel Rivals
Despite some initial skepticism, Marvel Rivals from NetEase Games has exceeded expectations. The game has garnered a large following, defying the mixed reception of other recent hero shooters and Marvel games. Just last week, the developers announced that over 20 million users have played Marvel Rivals so far.
Honorable Mentions
If our top five aren't to your taste, consider these shooter games:
- The First Descendant
- Starship Troopers: Extermination
- MechWarrior 5: Clans
- Zero Hour
- Mullet Madjack
- Destiny 2
- Valorant
