10 Best All Killer, No Filler FPS Campaigns

Modern times have led many video games to pack more content than necessary, seeking to meet a length quota that often hinders the experience.

I certainly have a weakness for short titles due to the lack of free time adulthood brings, but also because of my desire to enjoy concrete game adventures that know what and how they want them to be delivered.

There’s nothing more enjoyable than a title whose intention is clear and proposes elements and systems aimed at achieving that vision, rather than taking up extra hours to make it easier for users to justify their purchase.

Therefore, if you’re interested in games that get straight to the point without unnecessary detours, this functional adult with limited time recommends these ten best-of-all-killer, non-filler FPS campaigns.

10 Boomerang X

An Intense and Interesting Twist

Among the countless products from Devolver Digital that deserve more attention than they get, I’ve finally found an excuse to recommend Boomerang X.

It’s a very niche, short shooter that’s tough to fit into most lists, but for this one, it’s perfect because it only lasts a couple of hours and is as intense as you’d imagine.

The idea of a boomerang you use both to shoot and propel yourself is entertaining and complex, featuring a high skill ceiling regarding platforming and aiming you need to reach to deal with the game’s demanding difficulty.

The entire game is made up of waves of challenging enemies and increasingly vertical and expansive levels, presenting multiple threats with specific weak points that will require you to pay attention to dozens of on-screen elements to withstand the onslaught.

The story is completely irrelevant, and the aesthetics are immaculate, so your only concern is killing bugs. Boomerang X is tremendous for de-stressing, and being able to mention it in an article comforts me a lot.

9 Homefront

The Experience of Resistance

Just when I was starting to get tired of all shooters revolving around modern warfare, Homefront came along to fill a void I didn’t even know I had.

Saying that about a game that’s been criticized ad nauseam for its clichéd story and uninnovative mechanics must be a rather strange thing to read, but it completely satisfied my need for a small-scale shooter.

I always liked its real-time narrative, probably the best part of the entire experience (it reminded me of Half-Life), but what kept me coming back was the feeling of fighting an army alone, slowly helping the resistance gain ground, no matter how unrealistic it sounded.

Truthfully, the entire title revolves around improbable circumstances, but I like it. In a context where practically everything points to realism, Homefront‘s commitment to something fantastical, whether intentional or out of ignorance, was a breath of fresh air.

8 Syndicate

A Captivating Dystopia

After falling completely in love with Deus Ex: Human Revolution, I’m basically into anything like it, which explains why Syndicate is on this list.

It’s another game I know that didn’t receive the best reviews in the world, though it’s an interesting title that, in its process of exploring the blurred lines between humanity and technology in the future, presents an intense campaign that really draws you in.

When I recall the boss battles, facing them with futuristic weapons and abilities that border on magic, listening to its dubstep soundtrack at full volume, I can’t help but smile, because I remember beating it in two intense days because the game never gave me reasons to stop.

Maybe nostalgia is blinding me, but from the plot to the gameplay and even the themes it addresses, Syndicate is fascinating, even though it’s quite far from saying or showing anything different from what the genre was all about at the time.

7 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

The Series’ Most Underrated Entry

I’m aware of what I said about modern warfare games, but if I don’t claim Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare as the most underrated game in the franchise, I won’t sleep peacefully today.

It’s undeniable that the series was already showing signs of fatigue because of a static and almost archaic formula, but this game’s five hours of campaign remain in my memory as some of the decade’s most interesting and adrenaline-pumping shooter experiences.

With each new chapter, Advanced Warfare renews itself and focuses on unique contexts, changing biomes, mechanics, weapons, and objectives, so you never know what to expect from the next hour, aided by a story that feels more like Metal Gear Solid than Call of Duty.

It’s not the pinnacle of the series or the genre, but when I think of shooters that invest every second they have into eye-catching sequences, it’s crystal clear to me that Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is a worthy recommendation.

6 Black

A Classic That Never Ages

While FPS standards have changed substantially, there are games destined to never grow old, so Black is a must-play for every fan of this type of game.

I played it at launch when I was young and recently as an adult, and despite never really understanding the plot, I can’t help but feel drawn to its vibrant levels and old-fashioned gunplay.

It’s not a game for everyone due to how far the genre has come, but appreciating the interactive and destructible environments and the strategic placement of enemies makes you discover a completely captivating style of shooter.

Unlike your average title, Black doesn’t just rely on your aim, but on your understanding of the mechanics and the surrounding space, giving the game an unusual complexity that allows you to experience an intensity that differs from the average.

It jumps from one chapter to the next with only a couple of cinematics and obscure dialogue in between, so there are no obstacles. Black is made to live out the fantasy of black ops, only through the lens of a bygone era.

5 Wolfenstein: The New Order

Rewriting History

I consider Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus to be the best game from MachineGames, but in terms of being direct and to the point, there’s no better alternative than Wolfenstein: The New Order.

This wonderful reboot brought back to life an iconic IP that had been left behind, and it achieved this precisely by creating a brutal campaign with so many bullets, enemies, and explosions that it’s impossible to register it all in your mind.

Normally, for this type of title, the story plays a secondary role, but The New Order presents a compelling plot that is interesting to follow and perfectly complements the gameplay, which is undoubtedly the focus of the entire work.

No level, section, dialogue, or even tutorial feels out of place, as the title is designed with tremendous care and an exceedingly precise goal I hold dearly in my heart: kill as many Nazis as humanly possible.

Wolfenstein: The New Order is one of the last couple of years’ best shooters, and unlike its successor, it maintains a measured scale that allows it to remain intense throughout every second, thus being perfect for this list.

4 Metro 2033

Immersive Survival

All the games on this list tend to be concise and present more or less superficial stories, but Metro 2033 is a totally different story.

Despite the game’s immaculate worldbuilding, with a strong emphasis on its characters and events, each episode plays a fundamental role in the journey’s development, which I would argue is the franchise’s most consistent adventure.

Taking on the role of Artyom and experiencing the difficulties of post-apocalyptic life is absurdly immersive, largely thanks to the game’s perfect balance of calm and narrative focus with action-packed moments that make everything feel relevant.

Every time you leave the safe havens, you experience an indescribable tension given the number of beasts rampaging underground, turning each encounter into a life-or-death situation that delivers a thrill few video games I remember can muster.

Metro 2033‘s sequels are more refined and denser, but that’s why the series’ first installment stands out here: because it’s the one that focuses most on the conflict with the mutants and how difficult it is to survive when you have so few tools to do so.

3 DOOM

The Pleasure of Hell

Following in the footsteps of previous entries, DOOM isn’t the best of its subseries, but it’s the finest choice to make you feel immersed in hours of destruction and pure entertainment.

Most sequels to these installments, in attempting to offer more complex and mechanically robust experiences, end up feeling partially artificial, detracting from our ability to connect with the mechanics.

This is particularly true of DOOM Eternal, but the 2016 installment is a masterclass in how to make a game where even the smallest detail fulfills its job to give you the greatest adrenaline rush.

No major plot pauses, no long cinematics, no extensive dialogue, no expansive levels filled with secrets, or anything like that: pure shooting and demon dismemberment is what you’ll see on this journey.

That doesn’t necessarily make DOOM superior or inferior to its peers, but it does make it the one with the least filler and the one that keeps your heart pumping the most, so I’m relieved to finally be able to put it above its successors in a category.

2 Titanfall 2

An Unrepeatable FPS

Although it took me longer than I should have to finally play Titanfall 2, I can’t stop describing it as one of the century’s most underrated titles ever since.

Even though it’s an AAA title, Respawn Entertainment gave us a campaign with zero seconds of filler, sacrificing length in favor of a seamless stream of sequences where everything is absurdly wonderful and entertaining.

The platforming, traditional shooting, and mech sections blend perfectly into a constantly evolving plot, introducing unique characters, areas, and mechanics, never letting you stand still.

Titanfall 2 takes risks by giving you several of the most epic sequences in video game history and never using anything similar again, which is incredibly brave, especially coming from a game with its production values.

To this day, I still haven’t experienced a campaign as exciting and intense as this one, and given the way things are going among big blockbusters, I sincerely believe Titanfall 2 will remain a game that will never be repeated.

1 ULTRAKILL

The Indie King of Shooters

If an indie game can position itself at the top of a list of so many incredible titles, even while still in early access, I think there’s no greater demonstration of its immeasurable quality.

ULTRAKILL is the kind of title that renews my belief that indie titles will lead the way for future generations, as it’s complicated to conceive something this refined, creative, and profound even exists within the ecosystem.

With its pristine fusion of ingenious gunplay, fluid platforming, and fast-paced movement, coupled with unforgettable bosses and equally outstanding levels, you have a title that makes the extraordinary routine, reaching a level of grandeur that’s practically impossible.

Despite the game’s dense lore and dozens of discussions by the community about it, everything is told in a subtle and engaging way that invites you to delve as deeply into the game as you wish, as you can always decide to focus solely on the bullet-fueled carnage.

Thanks to its speed, complexity, and personality, I know for sure ULTRAKILL is the best option if you want a title that never ceases to surprise you. You can play it multiple times, and yet, Hakita’s creation will keep you falling in love with it.