While an open-world game definitely needs to have an engaging setting and plenty of activities to keep the player occupied, it should also have a satisfying combat system that manages to feel both fun and challenging at the same time. In the case of first and third-person shooters, this means making the guns themselves as believable as possible, but considering there are so many factors that go into this, it can make it a pretty difficult task for developers to make the moment-to-moment gunplay in their games as exciting as they would like.
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Luckily, there have been a handful of open-world titles over the years that feature some amazing gunplay, which results in the combat encounters being much more intense and enjoyable overall. Those who are sick of their weapons feeling like pea-shooters have plenty of options available, most of which offer fluid and fun gunplay to make each encounter as exciting and intense as it can be.
Only fully released games will be included. So, no Star Citizen for now.
Honorable Mentions: Good Games That Were Left Out For One Reason Or Another
- Metro Exodus – Great game with slow but effective gunplay. Most of the campaign doesn’t take place in an open-world.
- Halo Infinite – The gunplay is rock-solid, as you would expect from Halo. That said, the open-world isn’t that great.
- Saints Row: The Third – The gameplay isn’t that special, but it is fun.
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl – The guns are really hit-and-miss, which can be part of the game’s charm.
- Sunset Overdrive – Movement is the star here, but the gunplay is good, too.
- Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League – Look, the game isn’t great…but the gunplay is fine! It doesn’t fit most of the characters, but in isolation, it is fine.
10
Rage 2
Chaotic Shooter Held Back By Poor Open-World Design
Although it didn’t repeat the success of its predecessor, Rage 2 still delivers that joyful gunplay expected from an id Software game. Aside from the smooth and fancy-looking equipment and reload animations, Rage 2 is quite successful in designing heavy weapons, especially shotguns and rocket launchers.
The open-world aspect of Rage 2 couldn’t help it grow with all the repetitive missions and unrewarding exploration, but the gunplay still managed to keep the game enjoyable for players looking for a fast-paced and chaotic shooter rather than a compelling story or a diverse world.
9
Far Cry 2
The Random Nature Of Far Cry 2’s Gunfights Makes Each Encounter Feel Intense And Exciting
Far Cry 2 takes a few risks with its weapon system that virtually no developers have dared to try out since, but what this did achieve was making the gunplay feel like it actually had a big impact on both the player and the enemies. Most of the weapons that the player will scavenge in Far Cry 2 are old and rusty guns that haven’t been fired for quite a while, and this makes them feel a little unstable but also very explosive once the trigger is finally pulled. This also results in guns sounding extremely impactful, and because of the game’s amazing sound design, it means that gunshots can be heard echoing from miles away when exploring the open world.
One big mechanic that Far Cry 2 introduced was weapon jamming, where guns that were old and dirty could end up randomly getting their bullets jammed or, in some cases, even blowing up if they’ve been used for too long. This system encourages players to keep switching around their weapons to try out new and improved ones, and while all the guns featured in the game still feel very punchy and powerful, this element of randomness also makes them much more realistic and almost like a character of their own.
Far Cry 2 got the nod due to its unique gunplay; however, if we are talking solely about which game has the best feeling gunplay, Far Cry 5 takes top spot.
8
Cyberpunk 2077
A Plethora Of Technically Advanced Weapons
An open-world experience that players waited for so long probably did not meet the expectations at launch, but CD Projekt RED never stopped cooking! Today’s Cyberpunk 2077 is an iconic open-world experience that never disappoints players regarding combatting diversity.
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Cyberpunk 2077 knows well how to go creative with weapons. Not only does it offer the common weapon types in slick cyberpunk design, but it also introduces some futuristic guns with auto-targeting that immerse players in cutting-edge technologies. This diversity in weapons comes with significant attention to detail, so that the player feels different when using each weapon. Like, who can ignore the joy of equipping Johnny Silverhand’s iconic pistol with that sick reload animation?
7
Mafia 2
Mafia 2’s Catalog Of 1940s Style Weapons Feel As Good As They Sound
As Vito makes his way through the crime-ridden streets of Empire Bay in Mafia 2, he’ll come across quite a few deadly weapons that he can pick up, including more than a few variations of the classic 1950s Tommy Gun. While the regular pistols can feel a little lackluster to shoot, the magnum that players can unlock in Chapter 4 is much more satisfying to use on enemies, having a huge blowback to every shot that makes it feel truly unstoppable.
While there are only four machine guns and rifles in the game, each of them feels very distinct and unique, but the Thompson 1928 is by far the most fun to use since it’s able to spit out nearly an entire magazine at lightning speed while packing one heck of a punch when it comes to recoil. Because the enemies aren’t always locked on to Vito when they’re firing at him and are slightly inaccurate with their shots, it also helps to make gunfights feel extremely fun and realistic, which really adds to the immersion of the experience.
6
Days Gone
An Open-World Zombie Shooter With Weighty Gunplay
Like the game in its entirety, Days Gone‘s combat can be divisive, and your enjoyment will likely depend on how much importance you give to things like weapon weight. While not offering the twitch-gunplay fun of some other open-world shooters, Days Gone shines in delivering impactful weapons that are relatively grounded in reality. Not only is gunfire backed by loud and satisfying sound effects, but it also causes recoil that impacts Deacon (and, obviously, the player). If you are not looking for this type of combat, this might be annoying; however, it really works within the story’s context.
Compared to a few other games, Days Gone‘s weapon progression is meaningful without relying on traditional stats. Early guns are unpredictable, weak, and irritating, but your arsenal and performance get better and better throughout the campaign, with end-game weapons really reinforcing that you are now a far more capable gunfighter.
5
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands
The Amazing Audio Design And Fast-Paced Combat Make Gunplay Very Satisfying
Players will be able to get their hands on a plethora of weapons during their time scouring the vast open world of Ghost Recon Wildlands, and it’s clear that the team at Ubisoft spent a lot of time and effort making each of them as close to their real-life counterparts as possible. While the assault rifles all have fast fire rates that can melt enemy health bars, they also suffer from some serious recoil, which keeps them feeling balanced but still very powerful to use.
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The light machine guns, which can usually be found hidden away in chests, provide a nice sense of risk versus reward since, while they’re very strong, it can be pretty difficult to keep the crosshair down, so they can take quite a lot of practice to use effectively. The sound of the guns is also on point, with the noise of a bullet whizzing past or ricocheting off a wall sounding extremely realistic, resulting in some fast-paced, intense gunfights that feel amazing to be a part of.
4
Borderlands 4
Taking Weapon Variety And Modification To The Next Level
Borderlands 4 debuted to a mostly positive reception, although it was surrounded by so much noise and awkward marketing that its reputation is muddled and mixed. The game has its issues, and the more open level design is arguably one of its weaker elements, which mostly just dilutes the action. While Gearbox avoided “open-world” as a term, Borderlands 4 is certainly the closest the franchise has ever come to fitting into the genre.
However, for all of its flaws and frustrating aspects, Borderlands 4 absolutely nails its gunplay. Borderlands 3 was already a massive leap forward in this department, and its (main) successor builds upon its foundation beautifully. While BL3‘s gunplay was great within the context of the franchise, BL4‘s gunplay compares favorably against most open-world shooters, and the latter don’t usually come with a billion weapons.
3
Red Dead Redemption 2
Rockstar’s Attention To Detail Is Shown Through Red Dead 2’s Satisfying Selection Of Weapons
Rockstar is often heralded as being one of the greatest developers in the industry when it comes to small details in its games, and they went above and beyond in Red Dead Redemption 2 to make everything, especially the guns, feel as real and believable as possible. The weapons in this game aren’t just reskins. Instead, players will immediately be able to feel the difference between a pistol and a revolver thanks to the sound and kick of the weapons, and this goes double for the rifles and shotguns.
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What really helps to take the gunplay of Red Dead Redemption 2 up a notch is the fairly unique combat system that the game includes. While it does follow a pretty straightforward third-person shooter formula, every character, including Arthur and his enemies, is made to be very inaccurate, especially if they’re firing on the move, and this makes each and every gunfight incredibly unpredictable. Pair this with a frankly absurd amount of customization options, and it makes the guns fun to use and tinker around with.
2
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
Every Weapon In The Division 2 Is Unique In Terms Of Design, Sound, And Strength
While the first Division game received a lot of positive reviews for its immersive open-world and addictive looter shooter gameplay, what a lot of fans also came to admire was the weapons themselves, which felt absolutely amazing to use. The developers doubled down on this in the sequel, especially now that the enemies are far less bullet-spongy, which means that the large arsenal of pistols, rifles, and shotguns feels much stronger and a lot more reliable to use this time around.
The clever AI enemies are still far from easy to take down, though, with many of them waiting to choose the right exact moment to pop out of cover to fire at the player and their team. Because of how easy it can be to lose accuracy, it means that gunfights can quickly get out of hand for anyone who decides to blind-fire their way through an encounter. With that being said, it doesn’t matter if the player decides to pick off enemies from afar with a rifle or punish opponents up close with a devastating double-barreled shotgun; all the guns feel incredible to use without being too unfair or unbalanced.
Every Gun Packs A Powerful Punch
Metal Gear Solid 5 The Phantom Pain
9/10
- Released
-
September 1, 2015
Anyone who has ever played the Metal Gear Solid games will know very well just how much of a gun-nut Hideo Kojima is, often dedicating entire scenes in his games to showing off a single weapon or attachment. He doesn’t reserve this passion just for the cutscenes, though, as the same amount of attention to detail has been granted to the weapons in-game, too, especially in Metal Gear Solid 5, where the guns manage to feel eerily realistic.
Because Snake is going to be sneaking his way around enemy targets for most of the game, it means that he should only really be using guns when they’re absolutely needed, but despite this, they feel extremely powerful and sound absolutely amazing when pulled out. Because the open areas of Afghanistan and Africa featured in the game are so quiet, it allows each bullet to roar through the sky like a cannon, and actually firing the weapons feels just as satisfying since the recoil makes it feel like every shot is just as deadly as it sounds.
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