One of the trends that fascinates me most in modern video games is the combination of different genres in a single creation.
As the industry has grown, we’ve received thousands of titles, which has forced developers to find a way to innovate and generate experiences that feel fresh yet familiar through the mixing of diverse mechanics.
Puzzle games with roguelike elements, RPGs with stealth, platformers with side-scrolling combat… The possibilities when combining different gameplay styles are practically endless and often truly delightful.
Therefore, if you want experiences that fuse various mechanics flawlessly, I introduce you to this list of the ten best FPS genre hybrids you need to play.
10 7 Days to Die
FPS + Survival
I don’t like survival games, and it’s probably a genre I’ll never truly embrace, but 7 Days to Die is a rather unique case within the FPS world.
It took me a long time to get used to managing building, hunger, resources, and combat mechanics simultaneously from the start, but the way it makes you feel immersed in its setting is truly impressive.
Although countless titles have replicated the concept, I think this is the only experience of its kind I’ve had with engaging complexity, especially because it features enough content to easily provide hundreds of hours of fun.
Entering a ranch, searching for items to loot, and using all my bullets on a zombie hiding in the ceiling of a t is one of those experiences I simply won’t forget because of how natural it feels.
Thanks to its atmosphere, playing it with friends is a tremendous adventure. Even with its bugs and irregular updates, 7 Days to Die makes me believe that, perhaps, there is hope for my relationship with survival games.
9 PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
FPS + Battle Royale
I know many of us aren’t particularly happy with the legacy PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds left for the industry, but I can’t deny that it’s a very competent FPS that I put countless hours into back in the day.
The Battle Royale formula is incredibly addictive when executed well, and it’s no wonder this title set a great precedent for the entire genre, even while still in early access.
Although I don’t play it anywhere near as much as I used to in its prime, the feeling of fighting to become the sole survivor remains among the most adrenaline-pumping in the last couple of years.
What occurred next is a different discussion, but I’d say the way PUBG combines its first-person gunplay with Battle Royale design remains the best among all its competitors to date.
8 ROBOBEAT
FPS + Rhythm
Ever since I fell in love with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, I’ve had an endless craving for video games that incorporate rhythm into their gameplay, which is why I adore ROBOBEAT.
In this intense first-person shooter, the music determines the tempo of combat, as shooting in time with the beat increases both your damage and your score, giving the game a dazzling tone that suits the experience perfectly.
I never thought combining ULTRAKILL with Guitar Hero’s core gameplay could produce such an outstanding result, but Simon Fredholm’s work showed me just how incredible it can be.
Considering its roguelike structure that makes your weapons and abilities change with each playthrough, ROBOBEAT is among the most interesting and addictive FPSs I’ve played and a solid recommendation for any fan of the genre.
7 SUPERHOT
FPS + Puzzles
While the idea of combining puzzles with shooting seems counterintuitive due to their quite opposing approaches, SUPERHOT is a brilliant game that taught me otherwise.
Instead of prioritizing reflexes or aim, this indie marvel turns the tables on the FPS genre to focus on the planning and meticulous execution of each objective.
Every room is a puzzle in itself, where locating every enemy, knowing the action they will take, and devising a plan to erase them all feels wonderfully smooth. You’ll die a lot in the process, but finding the right combination is as satisfying as it gets.
SUPERHOT is aware of its risky premise and lasts just long enough to avoid exhausting it, which makes me treasure it even more as a captivating anomaly I love to talk about whenever I can.
6 Far Cry 3
FPS + Open World
I can’t say I appreciate how Far Cry 3 shaped the open-world landscape for the entire decade, but I also have no problem admitting it’s among the best FPSs of all time.
Ubisoft’s game has one of the most addictive gameplay loops ever created within the context of open worlds, with a formula that encourages you to investigate every nook and cranny of its deep map.
Since the gunplay is precise and satisfying, as is the stealth and exploration, taking on anything that moves is beyond fun, so doing it repeatedly across the island is anything but tedious.
With its fantastic progression system, unforgettable characters and performances, engaging side activities, and tons of things to do, Far Cry 3 isn’t the prototype of 2010s open worlds because of luck but because of its sheer excellence.
5 Neon White
FPS + 3D Platformer
Neon White is too many things at once to define them all, but you should know it’s among the most exciting combinations within the indie ecosystem.
Primarily, it does a superb job of combining an FPS with a 3D platformer, but that’s not its main innovation. Instead, the title’s novelty lies in using finite cards with special abilities to connect the two gameplay styles in a series of wonderful races.
As cards represent the weapons you use to shoot your enemies, and you have to dispose of them to gain the movement abilities you use to surpass the obstacles, every level has you switching seamlessly between genres every time you decide to keep the cards or discard them.
As an additional note, when you’re not shooting and moving at full speed, you’re searching for gifts for secondary characters to develop their relationships and gain more dialogue. Thus, anyone who wants to consider Neon White a visual novel is within their rights.
4 Deathloop
FPS + Stealth
Whenever I can employ stealth in an FPS, I’m always inclined to stick to the shadows, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt it as satisfying as it did in Deathloop.
Unlike Dishonored, Colt Vahn’s time-loop adventure is quite adept at shooting mechanics, so stealth genuinely feels like an additive rather than the game’s main focus.
Additionally, Deathloop merges both aspects wonderfully well, giving you skills that serve both fields and allowing you to jump in and out of direct combat with remarkable ease.
Many titles blend first-person shooters with stealth, though I genuinely believe that, when it comes to finding the right balance, Deathloop’s progression system, skills, and level design make it the best.
3 Metroid Prime
FPS + Metroidvania
Nothing excites me more than a video game from a long-running franchise that risks everything in trying to revolutionize the elements that made that series popular, so it’s only common sense that I love Metroid Prime.
I never really connected deeply with the IP until its leap into 3D, where the fusion of exploration, first-person puzzles, and shooting became something simply glorious, worthy of being called a timeless classic.
Making a transition of this magnitude is difficult, but the reward of achieving it at Metroid Prime’s level is going down in history as one of those works that helped change the video game industry.
From the level layout to the constant shifts in mechanics, including the setting and its scenic variations worthy of the best sci-fi works, Metroid Prime connects gameplay and visual styles of all kinds as if it were the easiest task in the world.
As a bonus, when I saw Ridley had been brought back for this Metroidvania masterpiece, I realized that the game was as much an ode to the series as it was to the players, and it defined it as my favorite title on the entire GameCube.
2 Metro 2033
FPS + Terror
Metro is one of my all-time favorite trilogies, with each installment standing out for a different mechanical reason.
Metro: Last Light is magnificent with stealth, and Metro Exodus is magnificent with its semi-open world, but Metro 2033 is downright perfect when it comes to blending FPS with survival horror elements.
Since bullets are scarce, absolutely everything in the subway is more powerful than you, and guns jam, the level of immersion and genuine tension you experience with every step you take is completely unparalleled.
The atmosphere of all three games is outstanding, but Metro 2033 is the one that best makes you feel humanity’s vulnerability in times of crisis. If I say I was more scared playing it than any other horror game, I truly believe I’m not exaggerating.
1 Deus Ex: Human Revolution
FPS + RPG
Is it unfair to include an immersive sim on a list that talks about combining genres because, by definition, no one blends styles like they do? Correct. Will I do it anyway because Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a masterpiece? Also correct.
While Eidos Montreal’s creation does everything exceedingly well, its first-person perspective and predominance of firearms and cover combat have always made it, for me, primarily an FPS.
The point is that it combines its shooting mechanics so well with its role-playing and stealth characteristics that you can really fit it into any of these genres, and it would still make sense.
Adam Jensen’s journey is magnificent across the board, offering a thought-provoking story with magnificent characters, iconic missions, and plenty of decision-making that elevates it to the level of the best RPGs.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution ranks high among modern classics, and while there are many reasons for that, I’ll stick with its perfect blend of gameplay genres to justify it.
