Best shooters for Xbox Series X and S 2022: Top shooting games
Shooters are entwined with the very history of gaming – whether they’re third-person, first-person or arranged in any other way, we’ve been shooting things on home games consoles for decades at this point.
Top Xbox Series X and Series S games overall
The Xbox Series X and S continue that proud tradition, offering a wide range of top-class shooters, many of them next-gen ready but also with a huge library of backward compatible older games to explore. Here are the very best options.
Halo InfiniteResident Evil VillageHitman 3ControlDoom EternalRainbow Six SiegeFar Cry 6Metro ExodusGears 5
Halo Infinite
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The latest Halo game brings it right into the modern world with a far more free-form design and an open-world map for you to explore at your own pace while moving through its campaign. Things are back to the series’ basics, in a good way.
With the multiplayer portion of the game also available to play completely for free, it’s the best package that the series has been able to offer in quite a while, and definitely a must-play for Xbox Series X or S owners.
Halo Infinite review: A Masterful return to form
Resident Evil Village
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Resident Evil might be a horror franchise, but it’s also historically featured a fair bit of shooting action, and that’s no different in Village. While you’ll spend a lot of your time running away from scary monstrosities of many varieties, you’ll also often be able to shoot back.
There are sequences in this game that we will remember for a very, very long time, and that’s testament to how deranged it gets in places. The action comes in peaks and troughs, and we think it’s a superb new step for the series.
Resident Evil Village review: A gory crescendo
Hitman 3
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The reborn Hitman series has been a total treat over the last few years, concluding with the superb third title. It offers up more intricate levels for you to work your way through, finding and eliminating your targets as seamlessly and secretively as possible.
With some truly devilish methods to discover and locations that are eye-wateringly beautiful at times, it’s a playground that rewards inventiveness and new ideas. The perfect pick for anyone who wants a more cerebral shooter.
Hitman III review: A sensational sandbox of sneaky stealth action
Control
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A shooter that comes to offer up far more than just guns by the end of its runtime, Control is a brilliant thrill-ride that sees you exploring an otherworldly government office building that’s in the grips of a paranormal emergency.
You’ll get a shapeshifting weapon to fight back against encroaching foes with, but the real star of the show are the powers you’ll rack up over time, from telekinesis to eventually full-on flight.
Control review: Gloriously bonkers paranormal action
Doom Eternal
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When Bethesda rebooted Doom in 2016, we didn’t know just how huge a success it would have brought about. The sequel to that reboot confirms the series’ place as one of the best shooter options on the market right now.
It’s insanely fast and brutal, and iterates on the amazing base laid down by the first game with new combat options and enemies that are genuinely really challenging if you don’t adapt to their weaknesses and strengths.
Doom Eternal review: Gory, gory, hallelujah
Rainbow Six Siege
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If you’re on the lookout for a tense multiplayer shooter where every decision you take could be the difference between success and failure for your team, Siege might be the perfect choice for you. It’s a superb team shooter.
You’ll fight against well-equipped enemies to rescue hostages, defuse bombs and more, choosing from a roster of operators with unique abilities. The skill ceiling is super-high and getting started can be tough, but it’s definitely worth trying out.
Rainbow Six Siege review: Thoroughly infectious strategy shooter
Far Cry 6
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The latest Far Cry game looks absolutely ravishing on Microsoft’s next-gen consoles, taking you to an island nation in the grips of a dictatorship and letting you loose to help burn that evil empire down.
There are huge swathes of the map to explore, loads of different guns and weapons to experiment with, and a wider range of vehicles than ever before, so you certainly won’t run out of things to do if you look explosive gunfights.
Far Cry 6 review: Viva la revolution!
Metro Exodus
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The third Metro game is a thoughtful, interesting departure for the series, letting you loose in far more open areas than before so that you can take things on in your own fashion to a solid degree. You’ll see some diverse sights, too, in this railroad trip of a game.
The shooting is still tense and punchy, and the sound design is still really taut, so it’s a tense experience, but one that shooter fans are likely to find a lot of joy with.
Metro Exodus review: All aboard the superb single-player shooter
Gears 5
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Gears is a classic Xbox franchise, and while the last full game was released a little while before the Series X and Series S came out, it’s been nicely enhanced for the new hardware. This means you can enjoy better resolutions and 120Hz gameplay if your display supports it.
For a game with a vibrant multiplayer offering, that’s a great option that fans will appreciate, and it helps that the game’s core campaign and DLC packs are also a bundle of fun to play through. Once again, they let you loose in larger open areas, proving that design trend is here to stay.
