Realism is often a sought-after quality among FPS gamers, whether its purely from a visual standpoint or based on gameplay elements. Entire genres such as military simulation and tactical FPS have developed as a result, each with their own unique approach to providing an authentic and believable combat experience.
Rather than scoring points and boosting levels, some gamers prefer the intensity of a one-shot kill environment where every tactical decision is important rather than a mere afterthought.
Whether it's up close and personal house raids in modern cities or nationwide military campaigns from the 1800s, each of the following games has its own approach to realism and handling the subject of warfare.
So, if you're looking for a game that will not just entertain you, but also provide you with some good old-fashioned frontline PTSD, these titles are certainly worth checking out.
10 Bodycam
A Flawed But Promising Competitive Shooter
Bodycam
FPS
Released June 7, 2024
Developer(s) Reissad Studio
Publisher(s) Reissad Studio
Engine Unreal Engine 5
Multiplayer Online Multiplayer
Platform(s) PC
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Designed with realism in mind, Bodycam is anything but your average multiplayer shooter. Inspired by the hyper-realistic style of Unrecord, Bodycam does a great job at presenting combat from a realistic viewpoint, even if it does fall short in some other areas.
Map designs are good with a decent variety of CQB and long-ranged battles, and one well-placed hit is enough to make the difference between life and death. The best way to describe Bodycam's combat is 'consequential', particularly in its elimination-style Team Deathmatch mode.
The chest-height camera view certainly looks the part, but this doesn't always translate into practical gameplay. Movement controls and climbing in particular can be an issue, though it's worth remembering that it's still in early access for now.
The game certainly has potential and will undoubtedly appeal to players who are looking for a realistic tactical shooter with a competitive multiplayer focus.
9 Red Orchestra/Rising Storm
A Truly Unique First Person Shooter Series
Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad
FPS
Released September 13, 2011
ESRB m
Developer(s) Tripwire Interactive
Publisher(s) Tripwire Interactive, 1C Company
Engine Unreal Engine 3
Multiplayer Online Multiplayer
Platform(s) PC
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Made on a comparatively small budget compared to many of its rivals, Red Orchestra/Rising Storm is a fantastic WW2 shooter bundle on Steam, with realism and tactics at the forefront of its gameplay.
The series is split into two theaters of war. Red Orchestra covers the conflict in Europe, particularly the Eastern Front and iconic battles such as Stalingrad and Druzhina. Rising Storm focuses on the conflict in the Pacific, featuring maps such as Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal.
A follow-up game, Rising Storm 2: Vietnam, takes the same PvP format to the 1960s conflict, but all the games in the series excel in their gunplay, movement, ballistics, and map design.
Although it might not be the most realistic series of all time, it is certainly more authentic and life-like than your average multiplayer shooter. The games also feature their own respective single-player campaigns, but occasionally suffer from poor AI and similar technical issues.
8 Verdun
The Ultimate WW1 Experience
Verdun
Action
MMO
FPS
Simulation
Indie Games
Released September 19, 2013
ESRB m
Engine unity
Multiplayer Online Multiplayer
Platform(s) PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Linux, PC, macOS
Developer BlackMill Games, M2H, Abstraction
Publisher BlackMill Games, M2H, Abstraction
How Long To Beat 51 hours
OpenCritic Rating Weak
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World War 1 is often overlooked when it comes to first-person shooters, but one of the shining exceptions is the WW1 Game Series by Black Mill Games.
Starting with Verdun, one of the most infamous and lethal areas of the conflict, the developers have managed to create an addictive FPS trilogy that utilizes the technology of the era and represents the different theaters of war to great effect.
The follow-up titles, Tannenberg and Isonzo, use the same core gameplay but are set on the Eastern and Italian Fronts, respectively.
Verdun certainly stands out as an accurate representation of the conflict and is a great entry point for newcomers to the series. While it might not always be the most tactical of games, the scale of the conflict is captured brilliantly across its large battlefields.
7 Squad
A True Team-Based Tactical Shooter
Squad
FPS
Released December 15, 2015
ESRB m
Developer(s) Offworld Industries
Publisher(s) Offworld Industries
Engine Unreal Engine 4
Multiplayer Online Multiplayer
Platform(s) PC
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When it comes to modern-day multiplayer shooters, Squad is definitely up there with the best of them - particularly for those who prefer a little more realism and tactics than a Battlefield or Call of Duty game.
Pitting players against one another in large 50 vs 50 matches across sprawling maps, Squad does a great job of making its combat feel intense while forcing players to adopt strategies and follow orders if they wish to succeed.
Another advantage of Squad compared to many of its PvP rivals is the huge variety of weapons and vehicles available. From makeshift IEDs right the way up to anti-tank guided missiles, there is truly a place for everyone within the game's many roles.
Additionally, Squad also enables players to construct emplacements, fortifications, and tech structures, which really helps to set it further apart from your run-of-the-mill FPS.
6 Gray Zone Warfare
Open World Realism
Gray Zone Warfare
FPS
Survival
Open-World
Released April 30, 2024
ESRB m
Developer(s) Madfinger Games
Publisher(s) Madfinger Games
Engine Unreal Engine 5
Platform(s) PC
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One of the most recent games to enter the realism-focused tactical shooter scene is Gray Zone Warfare. Despite a somewhat rocky launch and early access period, the game has come a long way in addressing the core issues many of its players had.
Set in a large jungle environment, you'll have to complete a variety of objectives in a PvPvE setting that is really unlike any other FPS on the market. While there are still some balancing and spawning issues here and there, the game is certainly on track to become one of the best tactical shooters around.
The Winds of War update, which was released earlier this year, has gone a long way to improving the experience. On top of additional game modes and a more dynamic faction outpost system, the PvP has also been overhauled and improved considerably.
Finally, the newly-implemented dynamic weather system is one of the best you'll find in any open-world game, let alone a tactical FPS.
5 ARMA 2
The Classic Hardcore Military Simulator
Arma 2
Simulation
Tactical
Released May 29, 2009
ESRB Mature 17+ // Blood, Mild Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
Developer(s) Bohemia Interactive Studio
Publisher(s) Bohemia Interactive Studio
Engine Real Virtuality 3
Multiplayer Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
Sequel(s) Arma 3
Franchise Arma
Number of Players 1-40
Steam Deck Compatibility Unsupported
PC Release Date May 29, 2009
Platform(s) PC
How Long To Beat 17h
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One of the most successful mil-sim games of all time, ARMA 2 really put the series on the map and gave rise to popular mods like DayZ, which has since gone on to achieve a whole new level of success in its own right.
Set in the fictional country of Chernarus, ARMA 2 is a perfect representation of a regional 'proxy war' fought between American and Russian forces. The game not only features a fantastic main campaign, but also additional scenario missions, extensive mods and multiplayer.
While the gameplay might feel slightly dated nowadays, it was revolutionary at the time for its cumbersome but life-like movements, accurate ballistics and gun battles, as well as a huge variety of vehicles, boats, and aircraft for players to pilot.
ARMA 3 and the more recent ARMA Reforger have carried the mantle forward, but the classic ARMA 2 is the one players are generally most fond of. The Operation Arrowhead DLC also took the game to another level with the inclusion of an entirely new country-sized map in the Middle East.
4 Hell Let Loose
A Brutally Unforgiving WW2 Experience
Hell Let Loose
First-Person Shooter
Released July 27, 2021
ESRB M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Violence
Developer(s) Black Matter
Publisher(s) Team17
Engine Unreal Engine 4
Multiplayer Online Multiplayer
Platform(s) PS5, PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
How Long To Beat N/A
X|S Optimized Yes
File Size Xbox Series 22 GB (January 2024)
OpenCritic Rating Strong
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Out of all the realistic WW2 shooters on the market these days, it's hard to find any that manage to rival the intensity and authenticity of Hell Let Loose.
This brutally unforgiving shooter puts players in huge battles featuring several hundred players, where one shot is enough to end your game and send you back waiting for a spawn point to become available.
The longer-than-usual spawn times are what really give the combat its edge in Hell Let Loose. Getting taken out will set you and your team back considerably, which also places a heavy emphasis on leadership, teamwork, and strategy.
Some of the game's very best moments are during its most intense combat. From tanks and infantry to artillery barrages and strafing runs from overhead, nowhere is truly safe in this game, which couldn't be more aptly titled.
3 War of Rights
The Ultimate Civil War Simulation
War of Rights
FPS
Released December 3, 2018
ESRB m
Developer(s) Campfire Games
Publisher(s) Campfire Games
Engine CryEngine 5
Multiplayer Online Multiplayer
Platform(s) PC
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It's hard to think of any games that manage to capture the realism of musket warfare quite so well as War of Rights. Taking place during the American Civil War, this multiplayer shooter rewards teamwork and obedience to one's superiors.
Standing in organized lines while firing in volleys will greatly increase the effectiveness of these primitive and inaccurate weapons, and when the fire is coming in from the other direction, the game really does a great job of making you feel that pressure.
Lengthy reload times force you to pick your shots carefully, while charging with bayonets is just as brutal and intense as you might imagine.
Additionally, War of Rights runs some of the best seasonal events in gaming right now - including the 1776 Independence War throughout July and an insanely fun Zombie Onslaught game mode during October.
2 Escape From Tarkov
The Father of Extraction Shooters
Escape from Tarkov
Shooter
Survival
Released July 27, 2017
ESRB m
Developer(s) Battlestate Games
Publisher(s) Battlestate Games
Engine Unity
Multiplayer Online Multiplayer
Platform(s) PC
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Escape From Tarkov is the very definition of a 'hardcore' shooter. One mistake could cost you hours and hours of work, and as a result, every second in the game feels like the tension has been cranked up to the maximum.
As one of the early pioneers of the extraction shooter genre, Escape From Tarkov perfectly embodies what the game mode is all about - get in, take what you can and get out without dying.
There is no hand-holding or beginner-friendly tutorials here, just prepare as best as you can and head out into one of the hauntingly desolate maps to face off against other players.
What makes Tarkov so good is not just the fact that every match is a high-stakes gamble, but also the realism of the combat and the aesthetics of its post-Soviet environments. Inventory management is also a key component of gameplay, forcing players to think strategically rather than just run-and-gun.
1 Ready Or Not
As Real As It Gets
Ready or Not
Tactical
FPS
Released December 13, 2023
ESRB Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Users Interact
Developer(s) Void Interactive
Publisher(s) Void Interactive
Engine Unreal Engine 4
Multiplayer Online Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play All platforms
Number of Players Single-player
Steam Deck Compatibility Playable
PC Release Date December 13, 2023
Xbox Series X|S Release Date July 15, 2025
PS5 Release Date July 15, 2025
Platform(s) PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
How Long To Beat 16 hours
X|S Optimized Yes
File Size Xbox Series 38.19 GB
OpenCritic Rating Strong
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Ready Or Not isn't a perfect game, but it certainly does the vast majority of things right. Following in the footsteps of the beloved SWAT series, Ready Or Not provides incredibly realistic and tactical combat from the perspective of a SWAT team leader.
Part-tactical FPS and part-PTSD simulator, this game will certainly leave its mark due to its intense mission design, harrowing crime scenes and brutal combat.
Aside from the odd technical mishap and a recent censorship controversy, it's really hard to find much fault with VOID Interactive's magnum opus. Visually, it is one of the best shooters out there, and the way many of the missions are set up also appears to be highly realistic.
In fact, the game has even taken some heat for being too realistic, with some complaining that missions such as a nightclub massacre and a college campus shooting had gone too far.