The Best Shooters on Xbox Game Pass

Looking for a way to unwind after a stressful day? These excellent shooters are available on Xbox Game Pass right now and will get your blood pumping!


Published: October 7, 2020 12:00 PM /

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Doom Eternal

I don't know about you, but when I'm unwinding from a stressful day, I like to plop down on the couch and fire up an action game. These shooters are available on Xbox Game Pass right now and will get your blood pumpin' and your heart thumpin'!

Looking for the best shooters on PlayStation Plus Premium instead?

Sunset Overdrive (PC and Console)

Before creating Marvel's Spider-Man, Insomniac Games popped out an underrated Xbox exclusive called Sunset Overdrive. This certified slapper takes place in a post-ridiculousness world, where a sodapocalypse has transformed the masses into juice-filled zombies that pop on impact. Grab your gun, grab your crowbar, and then grab literally anything you can find to save the world.

Sunset Overdrive sticks out to me as exceptional due to the commitment to the crazy. You'll be grinding up rails, blasting fire at hordes of soda zombies, parkouring off of buildings, and divebombing bosses from the sky. It's pure adrenaline. If you're looking for an action-packed gem to unwind with, you can't go wrong with Sunset Overdrive.

TechRaptor gave it an 8.2 in our review, praising the coloration, dedication to humor, and mindless fun.

Sunset

Halo 3 (PC and Console)

If you're a longtime fan of Halo, you likely have fond memories of driving warthogs into your friends on Coagulation and then teabagging them relentlessly with local multiplayer. Ah, middle school. A simpler time. Halo 3, however, catapulted the franchise into the history books as one of the greats.

I think extra credit needs to be given to Bungie for Halo 3; beyond perfecting multiplayer arena shooters with the Xbox 360's live infrastructure, Halo 3 perfectly wrapped up the original trilogy. Sticking a landing like that in story-focused trilogy is hard enough, but with one of the biggest game franchises in the world? You'll have to experience it yourself.

My Friend Pedro (PC and Console)

Step a bit off the beaten path, somewhere between a 2D platformer and a Matrix movie, and you'll find My Friend Pedro kicking and screaming as it tears through the forest naked. This Devolver Digital game refuses to take itself seriously at any time, with every level simply a promise of more ridiculous action.

The only big downside of My Friend Pedro is how short it is, clocking in around three hours, but that makes it a perfect pick for Xbox Game Pass. Blast your way through it in one evening with a combination of slow-motion dodging, upside-down kicks, Deadpool-like action comedy, and a banana named Pedro that just might get you out alive.

TechRaptor scored My Friend Pedro with a 7.5, admiring the dedication to absurdity and the fast pace of the action.

Pedro

The Outer Worlds (PC and Console)

If you're a fan of the Fallout games, you likely already aware of The Outer Worlds. Obsidian Entertainment, known for making Fallout New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity, and Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II, has returned to their roots. Set in a hyper-corporate post-capitalism world on the edge of the galaxy, The Outer Worlds is a solidly great time, despite essentially being Fallout without the branding.

If you're looking for a bit more serious examination of the human condition accompanied by clever writing, fun gags, and cool monsters, The Outer Worlds is one to check out. I'll warn you that it's a bit more of a thinker, with a ton of dialogue trees to pour through and choices to make. If you're looking for something a little more cerebral, this sci-fi first-person shooter RPG will definitely satisfy.

TechRaptor was extremely impressed with The Outer Worlds, awarding it a 9.5. It's not the best choice. It's Spacer's Choice!

Shadow Warrior 2 (PC and Console)

Shadow Warrior 2 is perhaps the dark horse of this list, but that's just fine with me. If you're hunting for some mindless violence to cool off after a hard day, look no further. A personal favorite of mine, Shadow Warrior 2 sets a first-person action game with sword and gun combat in a grotesque cyberpunk version of mythological China. Beasts, demons, soldiers, and ghosts of all kinds appear in hordes across the beautifully rendered linear levels for you to slash apart or gun down to your heart's content.

There isn't much story to speak of in Shadow Warrior 2, but the only motivation you'll need to keep playing is the sheer fun of the absurd violence. And it's honestly pretty funny, too. With a wide variety of guns, melee weapons, and enemies, you'll blast through the campaign in just a few days, delighting in just how cool everything is.

TechRaptor gave Shadow Warrior 2 a 9.0, praising the music, visuals, and wide arsenal of weapon types. And yes, Devolver Digital made it on this roundup twice. Deal with it.

Shadow Warrior 2

DOOM Eternal (Console, PC Coming Soon)

How else could this list possibly end? DOOM Eternal, the follow up to the smash-hit DOOM (2016), has, against all odds, outdone its predecessor. id Software has proven once again that they understand first-person shooters better than anyone else; that makes sense, as they practically created them.

All the blood-pumping action of DOOM is taken to the next level with a new grappling hook system for vertical combat and increased movement speed, along with a new engine that supports double the number of enemies. Add that to Mick Gordon's thrash metal score and you've got a recipe for one of the best first-person shooters ever made.

TechRaptor gave DOOM Eternal a 9.0, praising the sinfully delicious insanity and unrelenting pace. Rip and tear until it is done!


These are just a few of the great shooters that Xbox Game Pass has to offer, including the entirety of the Halo and Gears of War series. Any great shooters we missed? Let us know in the comments below!

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


Nirav
| Former Staff Writer

Nirav is a 27 year-old unpaid Nintendo shill. When he's not blackmailing his friends into buying a Switch, he's probably stanning for Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage… More about Nirav