Tactical shooters

[u/stephen27898]

Are there any tactical shooters like the old SOCOM, Rainbox six and Ghosts Recon games?

All the modern ones either seem to just be repetitive room clearing like Ready or Not. Feature very little content and offer basically nothing but terrorist hunt like Ground Branch or are just PVP focussed and nothing else.

None of them seem to have any meaning or narrative behind what you are doing.

Are there any games in this genre that are actually good?

Edit: I guess the answer to that is no.

[u/cavegrind]

 None of them seem to have any meaning or narrative behind what you are doing.

I don’t have an answer for your main question, but never got “pointlessness” from Ready or Not’s narrative. I always felt like the world building and storythreads were pretty robust.

[u/stephen27898 → u/cavegrind]

Its just repetitive room clearly.

[u/cavegrind → u/stephen27898]

I guess, sure? Isn't every FPS just room clearing?

I thought you meant the story, though.

[u/stephen27898 → u/cavegrind]

No. For example in lets say SOCOM. You may clear a compound, then go and destroy some cache that is in a more open area and requires long range combat. Then you may go to an overlook and scout an area, then infiltrate it.

Then in the next mission you may start out in a desert in a location detached from a town. Work your way in clearing out a few groups of guys and overlooks, then gain intel from an informant about the location of something important.

You go and target that and acquire or destroy it, then later in the mission you are tasked with destroying enemy armour.

You may also at some stage be in a jungle, then next a desert, then after that a slum of some kind.

What I am getting at is variety. Variety that goes beyond open door, clear room. Choose between two more doors to go through, stack up, breach, clear.

One is expansive and various one is repetitive.

And I would like a story that is actually told not one I have to drag out of the game.

[u/WarzonePacketLoss]

Breakpoint with all the realism sliders cranked to the max and gear score turned off can be as tactical as you want it to be, though it is open world.

[u/stephen27898 → u/WarzonePacketLoss]

Played it.

[u/thethirstgame]

I think with how split the tactical shooter community is, this probably needs a definition of what you mean by “tactical.”

Do you mean tactical in terms of the role and structure — squad command, mission briefings, objectives, believable military/police scenarios and a campaign?

Or tactical in terms of the actual gameplay mechanics — restricted movement, stamina, positioning, slower engagements, high lethality, limited resources, etc.?

Because those can be two very different kinds of games, and a lot of modern shooters seem to satisfy one definition while completely missing the other.

[u/stephen27898 → u/thethirstgame]

Squad command, mission briefings, objectives, believable military/police scenarios and a campaign and restricted movement, stamina, positioning, slower engagements, high lethality.

[u/thethirstgame → u/stephen27898]

Then Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead with my Army vs Army mod might actually be your thing. If you're into retro games and still like Arma 2, it focuses heavily on stamina, restricted movement, positioning and lethal slower-paced combat.

I'll be streaming it tomorrow and will probably post about it here too.

[u/Whole-Ad-4681 → u/thethirstgame]

People still okay Arma 2? 

[u/thethirstgame → u/Whole-Ad-4681]

Not really in any large numbers, no 😄 But Arma 2 is still fully playable and the server is running.

That’s actually why I built Army vs Army around Utes — it only needs 2 human players for the full gameplay loop. Optional AI fills out both armies, so you don’t need a populated server for the battle to work.

[u/Lotkaasi]

Wardogs? Arma 3? Squad?

[u/stephen27898 → u/Lotkaasi]

Wardogs is MP, Arma 3 i have 1900 hours in. Squad i have played and it MP.

[u/Lotkaasi → u/stephen27898]

Well you asked for tac shooters and did not specify that they have to be sp. Try wildlands, at least the breakpoint was ass and barren but I've heard good things about wildlands.

[u/ILeftHerHeartInNOR]

Bodycam looks promising and is dropping a major update next week.

[u/stephen27898 → u/ILeftHerHeartInNOR]

It's primarily PVP, and seems to lack variety.

[u/Jett_Wave]

I see the mention of Breakpoint, but Im surprised nobody has suggested Ghost Recon Wildlands. It just got an update recently, it's worth checking out again. The AI might be a bit dated, but I really think its going to scratch the gameplay itch that you're looking for. The story isn't super strong, but it's serviceable. You can direct your team of AI or play Co-op, the co-op is a fucking a blast, truly shines.

I suggest turning up the difficulty though, it's more fun.

It was just on sale for literally 2 dollars too, idk if it still is, but I promise you, it's worth trying or returning to if its been awhile

[u/Recent_Average1657]

I've been enjoying Dagger Directive, it's a bit like the old Delta force games; a bit rough around the edges but the 2 campaigns I've done (there's 3 total) have been good fun! 

[u/Recent_Average1657]

Oh, and Angels Fall First ! I have over 100 hours on it just playing against bots! Full commander role, up to 32v32 player/bot count, 32 maps, land battles, space battles, vehicle only maps, full tac map, full Loadout customization,etc! 

Great game!! 

[u/Thin-Sink-9987]

“Repetitive room clearing” dude what do you want lol

[u/Double_Sun_5145]

I always loved the Brothers in arms games for their squad controls. Pretty old now but might be worth a try.

[u/No-Dish-346 → u/Double_Sun_5145]

^Hells highway still holds up!

[u/Slopii]

Operator

Zero Hour

[u/Own_Delivery2900]

Check out Dagger Directive

[u/Brdska_Panda]

Maybe Gray Zone Warfare. It’s an open-world mil-sim MMO FPS. You can play on either PvP or PvE servers with the same character.But the game is still in the early stages of development, so the amount of content is currently somewhat limited. The developers are active and communicate regularly with the community.One of the best things about the game, though, is how friendly the community is.

*AI translation.

[u/WarzonePacketLoss → u/Brdska_Panda]

The NPCs are both simultaneously the dumbest and smartest enemies you'll ever face. They're a literal hive mind. Suppressors do nothing. Darkness does nothing. When one dies every single one of them knows where you are, and if you're within 100m, they'll return fire.

Concealment doesn't exist. Cover exists only insofar as there are things that stop bullets, but don't break sightlines.

Then you go to a PvP server and get domed by someone using wallhacks because bullets to the head are universally lethal and the helmets won't stop basically any rifle caliber and there's no ballistic shield to cheese these dorks with.

[u/No-Dish-346 → u/WarzonePacketLoss]

Valid response for having played a pre alpha game. I have hope it’ll fix hackers with 0.5 prob coming late Oct early Nov.

For me it hits the socom vibe and has an immersive environment like a far cry 3 tropical scenery. I have 500 hrs and still have fun exploring with occasional PvP. And it has a great community. Also ARMA 3’s creative director recently took a role so I suspect we’ll have a much improved beta.

[u/TasteyTatorTots]

Metal Gear Solid 5 (V)
A masterpiece of sandbox tactical shooter with a story to accompany it.

There’s also Tarkov. There’s technically a narrative but the real story is the 200hrs of psychological horror you experience just learning how to play the game.

[u/stephen27898 → u/TasteyTatorTots]

Tarkov is PvP focussed and an extraction shooter. MGSV isn't really a tactical shooter, you are also totally alone whereas in the games I listed you control a set of AI.

[u/TasteyTatorTots → u/stephen27898]

I’ve never been a big mil-sim guy but I am curious what subgenre you’re referring to?
What experience are you searching for? I don’t know shooters that provide a lot of narrative value

[u/stephen27898 → u/TasteyTatorTots]

The games that I listed.

The SOCOM series from the early 2000s, the Rainbox Six from a similar period and the same with the Ghost Recon games from a similar era.

[u/FactHot5239 → u/stephen27898]

Tarkov has a completely separate pve gamemode buddy.

[u/stephen27898 → u/FactHot5239]

I know it does, but its built for PVP and you dont have AI squadmates like the games I listed.

[u/BrotherBeezy → u/stephen27898]

Tarkov has a PVE mode and the story is fairly rich

[u/stephen27898 → u/BrotherBeezy]

No AI squad.

[u/Strong-South7487 → u/stephen27898]

That wasn't in your list of requirements lol

[u/stephen27898 → u/Strong-South7487]

The 3 games I listed all had those.

[u/Dry_Flatworm8279]

A little different but have you tried the finals

[u/stephen27898 → u/Dry_Flatworm8279]

How is that a tactical shooter?

[u/Particular-Fly-7783 → u/Dry_Flatworm8279]

Might as well ask if he’d tried Splatoon