It’s time to throw all those over-hyped first-person shooters in the trash because today we’re talking about how third-person shooters offer the perfect balance of story and gameplay. Although the classic over-the-shoulder view can create a separation between you and your on-screen counterpart, this divide can cement the opportunity for a more relatable and dynamic story that stays with you long after you step away from the game.

Some of the games on this list will have amazing storylines at the forefront, others are fun romps where you can tear everything apart and put it back together again. After combing through everything that steam has to offer for third-person shooters, this is our list of the best games that you need to play.

10. Spec Ops: The Line

Footage from BestInSlot

Upon its’ release, Spec Ops: The Line came out of nowhere with action-packed gameplay and a breathtaking story with a great twist that blew everything else out of the water. Gameplay for this title is typical of third-person shooters, offering a range of weapons and chest-high barriers for you to come across, but what sets Spec Ops: The Line apart is how the story turns everything that a player comes to expect from a title like this on its nose.

In this game, you play as Capt. Martin Walker, who has been sent to find survivors from massive sandstorms that are covering Dubai. The game starts out with a straightforward story and play style, but as the story unfolds and you learn more about what happened to the original rescue team, the third-person narrative of this game encourages you to question what actions you’re making in the game and what it means for the character. 

Capt. Martin Walker has seen some things.

9. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

Footage from SplatterCatGaming

Warhammer 40k is another series that knows how to combine storytelling and gameplay very well. The plot for this game is solid, with a vast universe built from years of novelizations, tabletop games, and video games. In this game, you play as Titus, a space marine charged with stopping an Orc invasion force on the forge world Graia.

This installment of the series stands out from other third-person shooters due to your ability to switch back and forth between using guns and swords with the same devastating effect (enemy depending). This allows for a little more of a unique gameplay experience depending on your preferences as a player, which is somewhat refreshing as you’re carried off to the plot by cutscenes in between battles.

Secure your victory by taking on enemies.

8. Mafia 2

Footage from GrimReplay

Mafia 2 is a whirlwind that takes you through the streets of Italy in WWII to the seedy underbelly of 1940’s New York City. As the story goes, you play as Vito Scarletta, an Italian immigrant who gets sent off to WWII after getting in trouble with the law in New York. As you rise through the ranks and come back to the city, you carry on with your life of crime and claw your way to the top of the Falcone crime family.

Regarding gameplay, this has a lot to offer. You’ll take damage fast if you’re not careful, so finding cover is imperative to success. You have quite a few weapons to play around with throughout the game as well, and some great car-chases to look forward to.

Finding cover is a key strategy throughout the game.

7. Tomb Raider (2013)

Footage from Let's Play Gaming! - SheepNDane

This reboot of the Tomb Raider series will make you feel helpless and powerful at the same time. As the new Lara Croft, you must fight through an island cult after your ship crashes in the infamous Dragon’s Triangle. Along the way, you discover ancient tombs, new abilities, and many enemies both old and new.

From the graphics to the platforming, this game has so much going for it beyond your typical third-person shooter. The plot is interesting, but with options to hunt and craft, you have a little more freedom in how much time you spend just enjoying the gameplay and scenery. The many weapons, and clothing with special abilities that you can choose from makes for a unique gameplay experience.

Use ziplines to move across the map.

6. Hitman: Blood Money

Footage from AuzzieGamer

In this 4th game in the series you play as Agent 47 as the story of the game is told primarily through playable assassination missions that are narrated by a former FBI director turned journalist. Per the previous games, Agent 47 is a nameless assassin taking his orders from the mysterious organization dubbed the International Contract Agency (ICA).

Hitman: Blood Money is primarily a stealth game where your goal is to eliminate your designated targets undetected. You’re armed with a handgun, but throughout the various stages, you come across many different fun and creative ways to disguise yourself and take out your target. So go ahead, the choice is yours: dress up as Corky the clown and take down a whole birthday party or drop a piano on a sexy penguin lady? Replayability on this game is high, so you can keep running through missions to your heart’s content.

Agent 47 very subtly crashing a party.

5. Dead Space 2

Gameplay for Dead Space 2 by Super Best Friends Play

Set 3 years after the first game, You play as Isaac who wakes up in a mental asylum on the station “The Sprawl” outside of Saturn’s moon, Titan. As Isaac fights off insanity, he must also fight off a new outbreak of necromorphs to get out alive.

This is an excellent continuation of the first game in the series. Gameplay-wise the combat is smoother, and there’s less backtracking, which makes the overall story a little less repetitive and the pacing a little more intense when you come across your first necromorph. If you’re looking for a game to play that’ll keep your heart rate up and your buns on the edge of your seat, you should pick this up for your next playthrough.

Necromorphs will grab you at every chance in this space station.

4. Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V Campaign mode footage from Rooster Teeth & Achievement Hunter

The Grand Theft Auto series is a gaming staple and one of the most creative third-person shooters out there. Barring the historical controversy of Rockstar and GTA from the early 2000s, If you need a reason to pick this up, then GTA5 is a fantastic place to start.

GTA 5 comes equipped with custom race tracks and heist modes that you can play online with your friends. Through the steam workshop, you can add just about anything on the planet into this game. Do you wanna be Batman? We got you covered. You want everything to explode when you touch it? No problem! If you’re a fan of action, story, gameplay, and sheer randomness, then this game offers hundreds of replay hours to scratch that itch.

Live out your dreams in GTA 5.

3. Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain

Gameplay from Metal Gear Solid V from KindaFunnyGames

Do you like the 80’s? No? That’s too bad because Metal Gear Solid 5 is all about the 80’s from the playable soundtrack (with unlockable tracks scattered throughout the game) to the setting itself. In this game, we go back to the beginning with Big Boss in the group called the Diamond Dogs as they team up with his old rival Ocelot to track down whoever destroyed his original group: Militaires Sans Frontières.

This is another game where it’s just as fun to run around to shoot things and parachute sheep up to the heavens. If you’re looking for a game with a story that’s about as dramatic as a Telemundo and loose gameplay that allows you to be in control, this is a must-play.

Run around the map in style with the D-Walker

2. Mass Effect 2

Footage from ChristiphorOdd

Mass Effect 2 is back with tons of melodramatic space war drama to play through. This is a brilliant addition to the previous game in the series, streamlining a lot of the gameplay and revealing more of the story for Commander Shepard and the crew of Nostromo.

This game plays out very much like an RPG with different skill paths to unlock from the start, creating unique experiences for different players. If you’ve invested a lot of time in your character creation from the first game, or if you’re interested in playing that game first, you can carry over your character design from one game to another as well. The story is complicated, the gameplay is tight, and if you’re looking for a solid saga, you can start here. And of course, everyone’s favorite side-quest to seduce all the aliens is back, so you better freshen up on those pick-up lines while you’re at it.

Explore extra-planetary maps to complete missions.

1. Resident Evil 5

Footage from 666theheartless666 

Regardless of whether or not you think Resident Evil 5 is a welcome installment of the Resident Evil series, no one can deny that this game is fun. It’s a far departure from Survival Horror that lives more solidly in the realm of action.

The story...is not that great, but what other fans of Resident Evil may fail to realize is that the story has never been particularly profound. The scares in the original game were still just as real, and likewise, this game is incredibly fun, and it makes you feel incredibly powerful when you run around with a 1-hit-KO bow or a huge gatling gun with unlimited ammo.

The story is broken up into Chapters with lots of hidden gems and guns and toys to unlock with money. This, coupled with the online multiplayer Mercenaries mode, makes for a game that you’ll keep coming back to for many playthroughs to come.

Chris and Sheva fight against hordes of enemies in mecenery mode.

You may also be interested in:

• Top 10 Games Like Deus Ex, Ranked Good To Best
• The 15 Best Third Person Shooters to Play in 2018
• 17 Best Third Person Games That Will Take You On a Great Adventure