First-person shooters are a staple of the video game landscape. From hugely successful online multiplayers to beloved story-driven classics, this genre takes players directly into the action with fast-paced combat and dramatic landscapes. While many of these games are set in far-off worlds, hellish dimensions, or sci-fi dystopias, some are set much closer to home.

While Europe isn’t a regular feature for FPS games, the few games set on the continent are often considered genre classics. Many of these games revolve around historical events, with WW2 being a particular favorite. Featuring gritty realism, alternative realities, alien invaders, or monsters from the past, these FPS titles are must-play experiences.

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8

Far Cry Primal

Journey into Pre-History

Released

February 23, 2016

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

While most of the games on this list depict European settings from either recent history or alternative realities, Far Cry Primal takes players back much further. Set in 10,000 BC during the early Mesolithic period in Eastern and Southern Europe, this fun installment in the long-running series was a welcome departure from other entries.

In the game, players control Takkar, a lowly hunter who rises to become the tribal leader. The game is a unique FPS experience, replacing modern weaponry with spears and clubs as players hunt huge mammoths, tame wild beasts, and fight hungry sabertooth tigers. While the game is a unique setting, it does little to advance the genre overall. However, for players looking for a fun FPS alternative, Far Cry Primal is a worthy choice.

7

Resistance: Fall of Man

A Fun Sci-fi Shooter

Systems

Released

November 17, 2006

While Resistance: Fall of Man may sound like another WW2 shooter, this PS3 launch title offers a different take on the well-trod setting. Set in Britain in an alternate history, advanced aliens known as Chimera have invaded Europe. The game follows American soldier Sergeant Nathan Hale, who is sent over to help in the war.

Fall of Man received good reviews on release and became a financial success. Its blend of historical shooter and sci-fi action sets it apart from many other titles. Two superior sequels followed, expanding the lore and gameplay. Ultimately, however, the series fell into cult status as bigger franchises took over the industry.

6

Chernobylite

An Engaging Story-Driven FPS Shooter

Survival Horror

Adventure

Action

Released

July 28, 2021

Developer(s)

The Farm 51

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

This memorable story-driven FPS horror game takes players to the dark, radioactive setting of Chernobyl. Players control former physicist Igor Khymynuk as he searches the exclusion zone for his lost love, Tatyana.

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Chernobylite blends gritty realism, sci-fi action, and non-linear gameplay, creating an immersive experience that fans of the genre will enjoy. Players explore the exclusion zone, collecting supplies while avoiding or fighting enemies. Chernobylite’s grim Eastern European setting adds an evocative atmosphere, while its varied mechanics and vibrant design set it apart from similar games in the genre.

5

Call of Duty: WWII

Brings Players to the Frontlines of World War II

Released

August 25, 2017

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

Of all the WWII first-person shooters out there, the Call of Duty series has arguably had the biggest impact. While it wasn’t the first franchise to explore the Second World War, Call of Duty became a household name for its immersive and action-packed campaigns and addictive online gameplay.

Call of Duty: WWII is the fourteenth installment of the series. The game brought the setting back to the Second World War, last seen in Call of Duty: World at War, and was a fun, if simplistic, campaign. The game is set in Europe as the Allies push toward Germany and come up against heavy resistance. While Call of Duty: WWII doesn’t bring anything new to the genre, it is a well-crafted tribute to the real-life soldiers who fought in the conflict. It’s filled with heart-pumping action that will please all die-hard FPS fans.

4

Wolfenstein: The New Order

Breathes New Life into the Series

FPS

Stealth

Action

Adventure

Released

May 20, 2014

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

Set in an alternate history where the Nazis won the war using advanced technologies, Wolfenstein: The New Order is a modern reimagining of the series. The game takes players across Nazi-occupied Europe during the 1960s. Players take control of William Joseph “B.J.” Blazkowicz, a US army veteran and spy, as he attempts to stop the Nazis’ world domination.

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The New Order brought a modern touch to the classic franchise, with an action-packed narrative that takes players through Poland, Germany, and England. It blends over-the-top action, dark science fiction, and an engaging narrative that pulls the player in. Wolfenstein: The New Order breathed new life into the franchise and was followed by the well-received Wolfenstein: The New Colossus.

3

Battlefield 1

Brutal Frontline Action

Released

October 21, 2016

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Battlefield 1 took the established WW2 series and brought it into the First World War, taking players directly into the horrors experienced during the conflict. While the game is set in multiple locations, the grim battlefield of the Somme is one of the most memorable and evocative.

The single-player campaign is structured as several war stories and follows different soldiers’ experiences in war. Battlefield 1 brings exciting and varied action, such as charging enemy lines, flying early warplanes, and driving tanks across mud-caked fields while never glorifying the brutality of war. Like many Battlefield games, it featured a large multiplayer with several game modes. Numerous DLCs were also released.

2

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl

The Classic FPS Survival Experience

This superb survival shooter is set in the bleak and desolate landscape of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in Eastern Europe. The game follows an unnamed protagonist with amnesia on a mission to find and kill the mysterious Strelok.

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The game features various RPG elements and a non-linear narrative with seven different endings. Loosely based on the novella Roadside Picnic, the game blends gritty action, supernatural anomalies, and survival mechanics to create an atmospheric classic. A new sequel was recently released to critical acclaim, continuing this successful cult series in the modern era.

1

Half-Life 2

A Groundbreaking Release

Released

November 16, 2004

Half-Life 2 is set 20 years after the events of the first game, with players once again controlling physicist-turned-hero Gordon Freeman. The game was a groundbreaking FPS release that pushed the genre forward with its gameplay, narrative, and physics. It influenced numerous future games with its deep level of immersion and storytelling.

The game takes place in City 17, somewhere in Eastern Europe. Gordon Freeman has been awakened from stasis and joins the Resistance to free Earth from the Combine, an alien empire released at the Black Mesa Research Facility. Half-Life 2 was released to critical acclaim and is considered one of the greatest video games of all time.

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