First-person shootersare typically bettersuited to a mouse and keyboard, especially those that play at a faster pace and/or encourage long-distance firefights. That said, older shooters in particular tended to focus more on expressive movement than they did on skillful aim, making them much more accessible to modern controller users.
In fact, this goes for manyFPStitles that forgo the ability to aim down sights, taken even further by the popularization of aim assist. Couch co-op games are also much better suited to controller play out of sheer convenience, and games that feature weapons with shorter ranges can make playing with a controller all the more enjoyable.
Culticis a retro shooter that features a somewhat slower pace and a focus on horror. Players can certainly move throughCulticat a high speed, but its gunfights are typically slower-paced than its contemporaries (see:Ultrakill). Furthermore, the game features no aim-down-sights.
The slower pace and lack of ADS makeCulticsurprisingly fit for controllers, even when playing on PC. For fans that enjoy action horror titlessuch asResident Evil 4and the old-school gunfights of games such asBlood,Culticis worth a shot.
7Chop Goblins
A Refreshingly Simple FPS
Designed to be played in less than an hour and featuring no aim-down sights or even the ability to jump,Chop Goblinsis a remarkably accessible FPS. Furthermore, the run-and-gun nature of its gameplay and the often close-quarters encounters make for an experience that’s relatively friendly to controller users.
Most importantly,Chop Goblinsis fast-paced and able to throw enemies at the player in a relatively linear fashion. While it does feature verticality, combat encounters are typically small in scale and contain enough to prevent skillful aiming from being a necessity.
Deep Rock Galacticis a mission-based FPS with an emphasis on mining and exploration. In the game, players take on a variety of objectives while battling alien bugs in procedurally generated underground caverns, using a variety of weapons and tools to both defend themselves and explore.
What makesDeep Rock Galacticso friendly to controller users is its high-powered weapons, clear visibility, and the aforementioned focus on mining and exploration. Players will spend most of their time vanquishing the odd enemy as they explore, and the major combat encounters are frequently static.
Unique for throwing players into a zombie outbreak at an island resort,Dead Islandisan FPS survival gamewith light RPG mechanics. More importantly, the game revolves heavily around first-person brawling, which makes aiming significantly less critical to success.
Despite firearms featured in the game, players should expect to spend more time beating zombies with paddles and tire irons than shooting guns. For fans of zombie games and first-person combat,Dead Islandis a no-brainer, especially when playing in co-op.
Quakeisan old-school classicand a true pioneer of the FPS genre. Featuring labyrinthine levels that champion verticality,Quakeis able to focus its efforts on expressive movement rather than cover-based gameplay and skillful aim.
Furthermore, the emphasis on tactical weapon cycling and fluid movement allows players to focus on strategy and expression rather than their aim. This is facilitated further by a lack of ADS, makingQuakesurprisingly accessible when played with a controller.
Fallen Acesis an immersive FPS with a slick and pulpycomic-book aestheticthat gives it a unique charm. Despite featuring a variety of firearms,Fallen Acesis able to remain accessible with its close-quarters combat and emphasis on fisticuffs.
First-person brawling is at the heart ofFallen Aces, and the immersive-sim inspirations also allow players to approach each encounter from several angles. This allows for gameplay that’s both fluid and diverse, all while remaining accessible to controller users.
Featuring an emphasis on hip-fire andhorde survival,Left 4 Dead 2is tremendously accessible to controller users thanks to its focus on teamwork and positioning over skillful gunplay. Paying close attention and having an awareness of the surrounding area is key to success, removing any pressure to aim well and score headshots.
More importantly, the zombie hordes present inLeft 4 Dead 2don’t typically require much skill to hit; these brain-dead shamblers will, more often than not, run directly at players. The only exception is perhaps the special infected, which require a little more skill to remove from the field, but this is more than possible with a controller.
Featuring a focus on vehicular combat and close-quarters encounters, as well as an arsenal of powerful and easy-to-use weapons,Halo 3and its predecessorsare immediately accessible first-person shooters.Halo 3is particularly accessible for its forgiving shield system, making mistakes and missed shots less punishing.
Aiming inHaloisn’t particularly difficult, however, as many of the game’s targets are easy to spot and are relatively large in stature. The focus on positioning and constant movement, however, keepsHalo 3friendly to controller users. This allows the game to excel in couch co-op.
