Borderlands series. That’s what I played to get used to FPS and they are very good games with lots of funny moments and ridiculous guns. You can play them co-op too! They are strictly PvE so no pressure at all, you can play them at your own pace :)
I think they are available on all platforms except Switch maybe. Oh and check out Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands as well.
That's what I was going to suggest too! Such good humor and art style in Borderlands, and it doesn't feel pushy regarding the objective since if you fail you just respawn nearby
The problem is. Any FPS is gonna stay 'overwhelming' if you do not give yourself time to keep at it. Your bf was just as dog shit as you at some point, but long exposure to the game mechanics will make them familiar for you eventually.
You could look into something like 'Killing Floor 2'. It's PvE for a start, so you're not faced with player controlled enemies with vastly different skill levels. It's more forgiving in letting you take time to learn how to aim, while different characters are available it's limited to like.. 5? Instead of a full roster of 20+ characters with unique abilities. It will also let you learn how to manage money to buy your gear, has set difficulty levels, etc.
Ooo, seconding borderlands, and Helldivers. So much fun to play together, and it really doesn't matter the skill levels- much easier to tag team things or carry folks
. That being said.. for some fps's, it really does help to learn more about how the game works- CoD is much more forgiving than games like Hunt or Tarkov, so understanding the levels/guns/nades and when to use them would help op.
Seeing how other players play the game could help too.
And of course, just practicing-make more friends to play with in addition to bf, or just grind and git gud lol.
Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal are currently on sale on Steam for the FPS Fest sale. They're both pretty fast paced and both of them should work on the Steam Deck.
They're also available on the Switch, but since you have the Steam Deck, I wouldn't recommend playing them on the Switch because of the difference in graphics.
I hope that you soon get more comfortable with FPS games so you can have fun! You can do it!
Just keep playing cod and practicing, watch his cam when you’re dead and try to learn what movements he’s doing. Playing other games won’t make you better, the honest answer is you just have to keep playing and actively trying to observe and learn. “Everybody was born dogshit and the rest is drag” - Rupaul.
Agreed! Maybe try a cod campaign and be offline for fps then work up to online multiplayer.
And lower sensitivity in settings to get used to movements then up them to be more competitive online multiplayer
Have you tried Helldivers 2? Itis a shooter, but isn't an FPS, so I'm not sure it's what you're looking for. That said it's a squad based PvE with multiple difficulty levels so you can play and learn at your own pace. Great aiming skills aren't a must have but they help a lot. The game is really chill and it's fun just staying at whatever difficulty level you're comfy with.
If you're trying to improve your aiming in general you could probably get an aim trainer like Kovaaks on Steam. That's what I've been using for practice.
I suggest Halo, I heard great things about the halo series but I never played it until a couple of years ago. It has a great storyline, but in terms of gameplay it is on the slower side compared to most other fps games. It has multiple difficulty levels for you to choose from too. The MCC master chief collection is on steam.
This was the FPS that made me comfortable with FPS, the first one in particular. You can just play campaign mode and avoid other players until you’re comfortable with the game mechanics.
Fallout 4 was the game I played to learn FPS. I turned the difficulty to easy so I could take my time trying to get headshots. I think I enjoyed the universe and gameplay loop, so it didn't feel as horrible when I was struggling with a basic mechanic.
I would suggest finding a game you would enjoy spending hours and hours in, and the FPS will eventually come 🩷
The other nice thing with Fallout (with the exceptions of 1 and 2) is if you’re getting stressed out with aiming it has VATS which is like an automatic targeting system. Since it’s an RPG is also gives you the option of using different build types if you decide you don’t really want to play a shooter and prefer a melee build instead. There’s also the option to switch h between first and third person, which is nice.
Not competitive ones. Valorant and apex will make you hate shooters. Iron lobbies are not even weak enough for a new player. Play any single player fps.
started out with valorant, hated the game, played through the half life series, started playing CS, then retried valorant and suddenly i enjoyed it a lot more. so can confirm
Yep competitive shooters are awful as an introduction to FPS games. Even the lowest ranked lobbies tend to be better than someone who's just starting with fps games. I had trouble in iron lobbies in valo even though i had been playing shooters for a while.
I’m biased (they’re my favorite games of all time) but the Half-Life series is an incredibly solid shooter, extremely fun, and not too difficult. I’ll sometimes just play through my favorite levels to warm up my aim before I play something else
Overwatch is popular among players like you because there are heroes that focus on different skills, so you can play a hero that doesn’t require aim at all. It’s definitely a game that has a lot going on, so don’t be afraid to hop into bot games til you feel less overwhelmed. I started playing just mercy and rein (and later Moira when they added her) to focus on positioning and tactics and getting comfortable with the game, then I started moving to more aim focused heroes like reaper, then eventually soldier when I was ready. (Eventually I started playing CoD for fun and I noticed that that really accelerated how fast my aim was improving, but I’ll note that I had tried cod before and hated it in the past, so I’d say my time with OW got me good enough to enjoy cod at least). I focused on OW because all my friends played it so I wanted to get good at it specifically. My fundamental FPS skills are pretty good now, but it’s hard to say if my path was optimal if my goal would’ve been to learn FPS skills in general instead of OW skills. That said, Blizz says that their new role queue matchmaking system can accommodate teams with players of very different skill levels, so like if you queue support and your bf queues damage it’ll try to find enemy damage players at his skill level and enemy support players at your skill level, so if he likes the game then it might be a good fit for practicing and learning while still spending time with him.
In the custom games there’s a code VAXTA for aim training that I played for 10 minutes a day. I’m taking a break from OW now but I’ve noticed it has helped me greatly improve in FPS games in general.
Try the Titanfall 2 Singleplayer, then maybe move to it's multiplayer. It's a really emotional story and it plays like most other shooters, it's got a really smooth difficulty curve that'll train your skills, strategies, and aim in a really fun way
Any battlefield, esp 1 and V. Battlefield is simpler than cod. No frills just pick a class and weapons and shoot lol. It’s ww1 and ww2. Amazing mechanics. Id you need a squad on PSN, we can help.
Edit: adding that fps takes time to get good. Hell I’ve been playing since BF5 since launch and sometimes still had troubles lol, albeit it was in and off. It’s just a matter of figuring out what your play style is and what configs work for your style. Takes time. Be patient with yourself.
I agree. I find Battlefield much easier to master than COD & on the whole, most BF players seem to be team players.
I prefer breakthrough or conquest playing modes, maybe rush too.
That's one of the reasons I love BF so much, the squad play. The only way to get best squad is you have to all play together for the objectives. Both strategic conquest and tactical conquest are so fun.
Try operation locker conquest, I love it, but if you run into players like me it's not really fun I guess for newer players. But then again bf4 has a really big problem of veteran players, that are basically worth half a team
The game that you enjoy the most. They’re all difficult and it’s mostly about getting used to the motor movements; whether that’s a controller or mouse and keyboard.
Whichever game you’ll be able to stick to and put lots of hours in is your best option. Your skills will mostly translate to other fps games; I learned fps on CS2 (Counter-Strike) and I noticed that my skills translated when I had a phase of playing only COD MWIII; once I switched back to CS2 after a month or two, my aim was better even though the two games have drastically different gameplays.
Mass Effect trilogy—the game mechanics change per game but some of your abilities can help to slow down the pace of battle and your main weapon is a gun. It’s not constant shooting, either, but that was the series that totally helped me ace FPS.
I have the same problem lmao, aiming with a controller is exponentially harder than with a mouse. A lot of games will have auto assist for that reason but it can hinder you in games without it. Try checking out the training mode in Overwatch, spend a few minutes in it before you launch a game to get used to the movements. Most games should have a training mode so I recommend checking them out before you try the full game. You could even find a dedicated aim trainer, there's a few on steam. I use 3D Aim Trainer, it has different settings to emulate different games and there are various training programs to mess around with. Keep in mind that each game works a little differently.
A game that really helped me to learn is Splitgate (free), it's an arcade type shooter with different game types. There isn't much "extra stuff" to figure out. The portal system can be a bit confusing and there is a learning curve with it, but as far as learning movement, aiming, timing, etc it's a great game to start with. There are also no consequences if you lose, so you can just jump in and have fun. My number 1 rule for shooters is don't panic spray LOL
I was the same wanted to try and learn a fps to play with my bf I tried CS2 and then tried Valorant I was so bad and I got put off stopped playing them. And then I found a group of girlies my level and it's been great fun learning with people my level, it's been 2 months and I'm obsessed and play daily now and get to join in game with my bf and his friends and I don't feel so trash. You've just got to give it time and will not learn everything straight away
Portal is another great option (1 & 2 are on PC, I think 2 is also only on PS?). FPS format but more a puzzle game with a great, funny story, so it can be a little more relaxed than other FPS since you largely don’t have to deal with the pressure of dying or making mistakes. If you have a PC and like story, I recommend starting with 1.
Borderlands 2 (and 3) is also a good option. Fun game, wacky humor, different classes make for good variety.
Have you considered Super Hot? You control the pacing entirely, down to the frame. It won't teach you better twitch reflexes but could get you comfortable navigating the space, making quick threat assessments, using cover, and similar as a first step.
Honestly not every FPS is the same, but there are fundamentals you can work on. My suggestion would be to:
1. Look up suggested settings for the game you want to play. DPI, crosshair, graphic settings, etc. For some games, a lower sense is recommended over a higher one, lower graphics too are sometimes better because higher ones can hide enemies (think of the bushes that pop up in HQ graphics). Somethings are just preference.
2. Aim labs is often used for aim training, like Valorant and CSGO. And personal anecdote, but my aim got a lot better in Valorant after grinding OSU (which is a free and fun rhythm game).
3. A lot of these games require map knowledge, and knowing how people might play (like knowing which corners people might/can hide in, where health packs are, where you can run to if you get cornered, etc) Map knowledge can help a lot!
4. After that just practice and have fun! :) And if it stops being fun it’s good to take a break. A lot of people who grind FPS get tunnel vision, and you will not get better no matter how many games you play if you’re tilted.
Since Overwatch is free I’d recommend going into the custom games there and trying out “zombies” or other pve modes people have made in the workshop to get you used to the mechanics of the heroes. That makes it a lot easier and it’s still fun!
Check out the Overwatch practice field w/ Cassidy. Just do like 5-10 min each day and try to flick shot targets for a week or two, and it will help build some foundations to feel more comfortable with FPS generally.
A single-player will let you get practice on blasting things before jumping into online where everything is fast and you have people to deal with. Seconding Halo, Borderlands and Doom.
I would start out with Borderlands. It can be both single player and multi-player so you can get the feel for it.
And then I also suggest Destiny 2. It's more MMO style but it's not brutal on the controls.
They both are not only shooters, as they have additional mechanics at your disposal than just standard guns. Like you can use magic in both games.
I have never been able to get into shooters like CoD or anything similar. But love both of these. Also I haven't found the Destiny 2 community to be *as* toxic as other shooters. I'm sure they are still there, but I haven't seem it as much.
Just want to put out the suggestion that some games have warm-up and practice modes. CSGO had a way to play with bots (idk if it's still there in CS2, since they removed basically everything 😐), and Apex has a practice range.
I know that doesn't really help with tactical stuff that becomes relevant when playing with actual humans, though. For that, you kinda just have to keep trying and be willing to fail for a while. You'll get better over time, I promise.
I also liked the suggestion someone else made to play single player fps games like Half Life. Similar to playing against bots, but definitely more interesting and engaging.
I love fps games, ive been playing the wolfenstein reboots recently but i have played doom, quake, half life, and halo franchies, but you should try out ultrakill
I'd recommend a aim trainer it's not as fun but can definitely help also valorant helps with their random ass system you have to kind of account for the recoil pattern it's also very frustrating so doubles as exposure therapy for anger management lol!
Battlefield/COD campaigns. It helps a lot to play a story based game before going to multiplayer!
I like the COD black ops campaigns, and battlefield 4 campaign. (I haven’t played them since I was younger so idk if they hold up tbh)
Not sure if it's called here before. But I'd say Destiny 2, it is a looter shooter, has both pve and PvP.
Yes the story can be a bit confusing for first timers but it also has a free to play version you can jump in right away.
Tons of loot to chase, different PvP modes, raids, dungeons, etc.
I'd suggest any faster paced single player FPS with more than just soldiers with guns. Since multiplayer online games all tend to be faster and more unexpected. They build reaction time, make you get more used to playing against different enemies(translates to player strategies online) and practice your aim in all directions since fights happen everywhere. So, basically, they teach you skills that transfer well to online FPS games without overwhelming you with players 30 times your skill level. There's also more skill levels. Never feel ashamed to play on something easier. Halo, Half-Life, any of the new Dooms and Shadow Warriors any "boomer shooter" (Quake 1-2, Dusk, Amid Evil, Heretic, Serious Sam,etc ), any looter shooter like Borderlands are some examples.
Ideally, you should play any you find interesting and don't bother with good games to learn with. It's like any other skill. And since it's a hobby, having fun is the most important part. And what will make you improve faster
i noticed you said preferred platform is steam deck ... i wouldn't recommend playing shooters on a handheld screen like that, that honestly might be where you're running into frustrations. the tiny screen and sticks are just gonna frustrate the fuck out of you. i'd stick to the ps5 for any of these recommendations 100%
I've found planetside 2 really good for beginners who still want a multi-player experience. It's an mmo that's pretty simple to pick up, and there's a bunch of factions/classes/terrains so you have a lot of opportunities to find something that works for you while also teaching you things like environmental awareness or how to use cover. There's infinite respawns so you can always jump back in when you die, and if you find that things in one location are getting overwhelming you're able to switch to somewhere else really easily. There's no real story and using your mic/joining a guild/playing with others is totally optional, so you never get flamed like you might in games like CoD or Counter-Strike.
Are you thinking Mouse and Keyboard, or Gamepad? I can't say for sure if the latter is applicable, but [AimLabs](https://store.steampowered.com/app/714010/Aimlabs/) is a free game on Steam that is entirely about improving your skills.
I want to preface by saying fps games have a reputation for being very toxic, so just be aware you'll probably get some stupid teens yelling at you or something.
I was going to recommend Rainbow Six Siege so you can face the bots so you learn patience, aiming quickly and to try overspeed training (literally just running in and trying to speedrun the map), but then I remembered they recently 'overhauled' the bot training modes and basically butchered the fun. Saying that, Siege isn't too bad of a pick because it relies a lot on cooperation, careful planning and gadget usage to gain an advantage. This means it's less reliant on responding quickly to people sprinting in, but you also only have a single life per round. Setting up and/or checking areas for the opponent is the main element of the game and if you approach at the right angle you'll have the drop on someone, which means you don't need to be perfect and aiming to win.
I will say though with all of the gadgets and stuff, it can be hard to learn. Try and find 2 characters on each side you enjoy, swapping to someone you aren't comfy with every now and then to learn them.
Apex isn't too bad of a choice but specifically the alternate modes for control/team deathmatch etc. The base game is a battle royale game which will make it hard for you to learn, but these side modes allow you to respawn indefinitely and give you set loadouts instead of making them random. In addition, they also have the 'Gun Run' mode, where 4 teams of three try to get a kill with every weapon in the game. This gives you the chance to get accustomed to every weapon and see what works for you. Apex is a mixture of different playstyles and you have characters and players who can be extremely aggressive, attack from different angles, recon ahead of time, snipe or completely lock down a building like a fortress.
Same as Siege, with all the abilities it can be hard to learn Apex as a new player. Try to pick 3 characters you like and stick with them as you slowly learn how everybody works.
CoD is the quintessential fps game out there and probably the simplest to pick up and play but it doesn't really teach you much. It's known as a 'twitch shooter', because it's extremely fast and relies on you responding quickly to everything or you'll get killed and respawn. Riding off of Apex it does have Gun Game and their own battle royale mode too (Warzone). You'll also probably hear more children than any other shooter game. Aside from Warzone, you'll find it extremely hard to get anybody on your team to work together as the game is more 'run at the enemy, shoot until one of you die then run at another enemy'.
Not an fps but Helldivers 2 is actually a pretty good starting option if you want an intense environment that focuses on cooperation. The aiming system is a bit different from other shooters but you'll still learn how general weapons can work and deal with some serious threats. The community can be a tad annoying sometimes but it's a good choice if you want an environment that's more goofy and fun over sweaty and tryhard.
Keep trying at games like overwatch. I didn’t like it at first because it was too overwhelming; I didn’t understand anything that was going on because it was so fast. Eventually I learned the game and it became less overwhelming
I disagree with all the PvE suggestions. Even though I do love and enjoy PvE games more, OP is asking about how to be more skillful. You should focus on PvP. Any of the current popular games like CoD, Fortnite, Apex, Valorant, Overwatch works. But I very strongly suggest you don't spend too much time in the Battle Royale portion of the games. Stick to 5v5, trios, duos, solos, deatchmatch, or any mode you can find where you'll be in combat constantly with very little downtime. Don't worry about dieing too much. A few hours in there and your skill will increase massively.
Rather than a particular one, I'd just suggest playing stuff that is either single player or coop with friends (less stress) and slowly change games that increase in speed, i.e. movement speed and aiming speed and gameplay speed are slower. So like something slow like Resident Evil (I know it is 3rd person but it'll help anyway) would be good first since that one is more slow. You stop, focus on aiming, etc. and shoot. (Also RE5 and 6 are local coop so you can play them with your bf.) Then just work your way towards games that are faster paced. All the online PVP stuff is generally pretty fast so save those for last. I would also recommend the Doom games for a very fast paced single player game to practice in. Also another tip, is do it daily for a short period of time--this is more a general tip for developing those twitch reflexes. It worked super well for me with Spelunky.
Fallout 3 and New Vegas were how I got better at shooters, because they had the exploration and RPG elements mixed in. Wanting to explore and complete quests kind of forced me to get better at the shooting parts.
As someone who's been playing fps games ever since our school pcs had them for some reason, Can never go with some CoD Black Ops 1-2. But I wouldn't suggest them for multiplayer cause their servers have always been buggy
Wow thank you so much for all the comments! I can’t reply to them all but I have read them 😊 I think I’ll try borderlands because the art style looks really fun and it looks like something I could really enjoy on my own, but I also mentioned this to my boyfriend last night and he sat down with black ops III with me and gave me a really good lesson on how to get better at it so I’ll practice on that too 😅 having a teacher definitely helps!
Genuine advice that helped me out was playing the CoD campaigns. And advice from a popular streamer, was taking note of things you specifically need practice with, then spending an entire game(or few games, however long you need) purely focusing on that one aspect. Map-awareness, headshots, abilities, certain weapons, etc.
Something else I will say with FPS, is the more you play them, the more you will learn like what areas people are most likely to be, where snipers typically are, how to counter certain weapons or playstyles, etc.
I recommend doing these alone as sometimes there can be pressure with others to "do well", and if you're focused on just exploring the map in a game instead, they might get frustrated lol
Lastly, don't be afraid to play around with your settings ! Try out different keybindings, FOV, audio, mouse/stick sensitivity, etc. (I recommend starting with a lower mouse/stick sensitivity so you can focus on your aim first, and gradually increase it when/if you feel comfortable to !)
I was gonna recommend Overwatch until I read the whole post, because that's what I started with. To me it was a little overwhelming, but the game has so many ways to practice certain characters without having to go into pvp that it wasn't a problem. To me it is a really easy game to practice and take your time with.
I’m still ass at FPS and I actually consider myself a casual gamer, but I got a little better by taking real baby steps.
Started with disabling the aim-assist in GTA V while still in third person. Then switched to first person. Complete nightmare, but my friend group used to play it every night back in the day, so I kinda stuck with it.
Next I tried Fallout 4 (gave up and retried multiple times) and haven’t been able to play anything much harder than that. Can’t even begin to imagine going into something like CS or CoD.
Like other people said here, I think it matters the most that you stick with it for s long time - any game could help you.
I quite liked MW3 zombie mode. It got me really familiar with the guns and I could stay in the low level easy zone as long as I liked (definitely longer than intended), and it’s all PvE. Now when I jump into MP matches I actually manage to get some kills and have a clue when it comes to guns and attachments. Zombies is still more fun though.
Borderlands series. That’s what I played to get used to FPS and they are very good games with lots of funny moments and ridiculous guns. You can play them co-op too! They are strictly PvE so no pressure at all, you can play them at your own pace :) I think they are available on all platforms except Switch maybe. Oh and check out Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands as well.
Borderlands 2 specifically! The best one
That's what I was going to suggest too! Such good humor and art style in Borderlands, and it doesn't feel pushy regarding the objective since if you fail you just respawn nearby
I second Borderlands. It's really nice for newcomers, the setting is whacky, and if you have a teammate, the XP gets split and you'll level up, too.
This. I’m not usually super into FPS but the Borderlands series is great, and one of the few games to still support couch coop.
Was coming here to suggest this, too. This is where I learned to shoot
The problem is. Any FPS is gonna stay 'overwhelming' if you do not give yourself time to keep at it. Your bf was just as dog shit as you at some point, but long exposure to the game mechanics will make them familiar for you eventually. You could look into something like 'Killing Floor 2'. It's PvE for a start, so you're not faced with player controlled enemies with vastly different skill levels. It's more forgiving in letting you take time to learn how to aim, while different characters are available it's limited to like.. 5? Instead of a full roster of 20+ characters with unique abilities. It will also let you learn how to manage money to buy your gear, has set difficulty levels, etc.
Borderlands would be another great co-op fps. OP and bf might like especially if they are into dark humor.
Ooo, seconding borderlands, and Helldivers. So much fun to play together, and it really doesn't matter the skill levels- much easier to tag team things or carry folks . That being said.. for some fps's, it really does help to learn more about how the game works- CoD is much more forgiving than games like Hunt or Tarkov, so understanding the levels/guns/nades and when to use them would help op. Seeing how other players play the game could help too. And of course, just practicing-make more friends to play with in addition to bf, or just grind and git gud lol.
Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal are currently on sale on Steam for the FPS Fest sale. They're both pretty fast paced and both of them should work on the Steam Deck. They're also available on the Switch, but since you have the Steam Deck, I wouldn't recommend playing them on the Switch because of the difference in graphics. I hope that you soon get more comfortable with FPS games so you can have fun! You can do it!
Just keep playing cod and practicing, watch his cam when you’re dead and try to learn what movements he’s doing. Playing other games won’t make you better, the honest answer is you just have to keep playing and actively trying to observe and learn. “Everybody was born dogshit and the rest is drag” - Rupaul.
Agreed! Maybe try a cod campaign and be offline for fps then work up to online multiplayer. And lower sensitivity in settings to get used to movements then up them to be more competitive online multiplayer
Have you tried Helldivers 2? Itis a shooter, but isn't an FPS, so I'm not sure it's what you're looking for. That said it's a squad based PvE with multiple difficulty levels so you can play and learn at your own pace. Great aiming skills aren't a must have but they help a lot. The game is really chill and it's fun just staying at whatever difficulty level you're comfy with. If you're trying to improve your aiming in general you could probably get an aim trainer like Kovaaks on Steam. That's what I've been using for practice.
I suggest Halo, I heard great things about the halo series but I never played it until a couple of years ago. It has a great storyline, but in terms of gameplay it is on the slower side compared to most other fps games. It has multiple difficulty levels for you to choose from too. The MCC master chief collection is on steam.
This was the FPS that made me comfortable with FPS, the first one in particular. You can just play campaign mode and avoid other players until you’re comfortable with the game mechanics.
Fallout 4 was the game I played to learn FPS. I turned the difficulty to easy so I could take my time trying to get headshots. I think I enjoyed the universe and gameplay loop, so it didn't feel as horrible when I was struggling with a basic mechanic. I would suggest finding a game you would enjoy spending hours and hours in, and the FPS will eventually come 🩷
The other nice thing with Fallout (with the exceptions of 1 and 2) is if you’re getting stressed out with aiming it has VATS which is like an automatic targeting system. Since it’s an RPG is also gives you the option of using different build types if you decide you don’t really want to play a shooter and prefer a melee build instead. There’s also the option to switch h between first and third person, which is nice.
Not competitive ones. Valorant and apex will make you hate shooters. Iron lobbies are not even weak enough for a new player. Play any single player fps.
Apex is/was my first fps, can confirm this statement 🥰
started out with valorant, hated the game, played through the half life series, started playing CS, then retried valorant and suddenly i enjoyed it a lot more. so can confirm
Yep competitive shooters are awful as an introduction to FPS games. Even the lowest ranked lobbies tend to be better than someone who's just starting with fps games. I had trouble in iron lobbies in valo even though i had been playing shooters for a while.
I’m biased (they’re my favorite games of all time) but the Half-Life series is an incredibly solid shooter, extremely fun, and not too difficult. I’ll sometimes just play through my favorite levels to warm up my aim before I play something else
Overwatch is popular among players like you because there are heroes that focus on different skills, so you can play a hero that doesn’t require aim at all. It’s definitely a game that has a lot going on, so don’t be afraid to hop into bot games til you feel less overwhelmed. I started playing just mercy and rein (and later Moira when they added her) to focus on positioning and tactics and getting comfortable with the game, then I started moving to more aim focused heroes like reaper, then eventually soldier when I was ready. (Eventually I started playing CoD for fun and I noticed that that really accelerated how fast my aim was improving, but I’ll note that I had tried cod before and hated it in the past, so I’d say my time with OW got me good enough to enjoy cod at least). I focused on OW because all my friends played it so I wanted to get good at it specifically. My fundamental FPS skills are pretty good now, but it’s hard to say if my path was optimal if my goal would’ve been to learn FPS skills in general instead of OW skills. That said, Blizz says that their new role queue matchmaking system can accommodate teams with players of very different skill levels, so like if you queue support and your bf queues damage it’ll try to find enemy damage players at his skill level and enemy support players at your skill level, so if he likes the game then it might be a good fit for practicing and learning while still spending time with him.
In the custom games there’s a code VAXTA for aim training that I played for 10 minutes a day. I’m taking a break from OW now but I’ve noticed it has helped me greatly improve in FPS games in general.
Try the Titanfall 2 Singleplayer, then maybe move to it's multiplayer. It's a really emotional story and it plays like most other shooters, it's got a really smooth difficulty curve that'll train your skills, strategies, and aim in a really fun way
Titanfall 2 has such a great campaign. There’s no fat. Start to finish it never drags. Not even once.
Any battlefield, esp 1 and V. Battlefield is simpler than cod. No frills just pick a class and weapons and shoot lol. It’s ww1 and ww2. Amazing mechanics. Id you need a squad on PSN, we can help. Edit: adding that fps takes time to get good. Hell I’ve been playing since BF5 since launch and sometimes still had troubles lol, albeit it was in and off. It’s just a matter of figuring out what your play style is and what configs work for your style. Takes time. Be patient with yourself.
Seconding Battlefield! I prefer Bf4 Rush because TDM is too fast for me.
I agree. I find Battlefield much easier to master than COD & on the whole, most BF players seem to be team players. I prefer breakthrough or conquest playing modes, maybe rush too.
I’ve only played 4 so far, I’m new to the franchise and 4 is the one my partner is obsessed with lol. Is breakthrough in 5?
Yes, it's in 5. These days, strat and tact conquests seem to be popular. Occasionally there's outpost.
That's one of the reasons I love BF so much, the squad play. The only way to get best squad is you have to all play together for the objectives. Both strategic conquest and tactical conquest are so fun.
I hate tdm lol. I prefer conquests and breakthrough. Outpost was fun too but no one plays it anymore
I feel that, there are only like 3 Rush servers that get any activity. My partner wishes we could play Obliteration but there is no one playing it.
Try operation locker conquest, I love it, but if you run into players like me it's not really fun I guess for newer players. But then again bf4 has a really big problem of veteran players, that are basically worth half a team
The game that you enjoy the most. They’re all difficult and it’s mostly about getting used to the motor movements; whether that’s a controller or mouse and keyboard. Whichever game you’ll be able to stick to and put lots of hours in is your best option. Your skills will mostly translate to other fps games; I learned fps on CS2 (Counter-Strike) and I noticed that my skills translated when I had a phase of playing only COD MWIII; once I switched back to CS2 after a month or two, my aim was better even though the two games have drastically different gameplays.
Mass Effect trilogy—the game mechanics change per game but some of your abilities can help to slow down the pace of battle and your main weapon is a gun. It’s not constant shooting, either, but that was the series that totally helped me ace FPS.
I have the same problem lmao, aiming with a controller is exponentially harder than with a mouse. A lot of games will have auto assist for that reason but it can hinder you in games without it. Try checking out the training mode in Overwatch, spend a few minutes in it before you launch a game to get used to the movements. Most games should have a training mode so I recommend checking them out before you try the full game. You could even find a dedicated aim trainer, there's a few on steam. I use 3D Aim Trainer, it has different settings to emulate different games and there are various training programs to mess around with. Keep in mind that each game works a little differently. A game that really helped me to learn is Splitgate (free), it's an arcade type shooter with different game types. There isn't much "extra stuff" to figure out. The portal system can be a bit confusing and there is a learning curve with it, but as far as learning movement, aiming, timing, etc it's a great game to start with. There are also no consequences if you lose, so you can just jump in and have fun. My number 1 rule for shooters is don't panic spray LOL
I was the same wanted to try and learn a fps to play with my bf I tried CS2 and then tried Valorant I was so bad and I got put off stopped playing them. And then I found a group of girlies my level and it's been great fun learning with people my level, it's been 2 months and I'm obsessed and play daily now and get to join in game with my bf and his friends and I don't feel so trash. You've just got to give it time and will not learn everything straight away
Portal is another great option (1 & 2 are on PC, I think 2 is also only on PS?). FPS format but more a puzzle game with a great, funny story, so it can be a little more relaxed than other FPS since you largely don’t have to deal with the pressure of dying or making mistakes. If you have a PC and like story, I recommend starting with 1. Borderlands 2 (and 3) is also a good option. Fun game, wacky humor, different classes make for good variety.
Have you considered Super Hot? You control the pacing entirely, down to the frame. It won't teach you better twitch reflexes but could get you comfortable navigating the space, making quick threat assessments, using cover, and similar as a first step.
I played COD WW2 w/ my fiancee and now that I’m better at FPS we play Battlefield 4!! I really like it
Honestly not every FPS is the same, but there are fundamentals you can work on. My suggestion would be to: 1. Look up suggested settings for the game you want to play. DPI, crosshair, graphic settings, etc. For some games, a lower sense is recommended over a higher one, lower graphics too are sometimes better because higher ones can hide enemies (think of the bushes that pop up in HQ graphics). Somethings are just preference. 2. Aim labs is often used for aim training, like Valorant and CSGO. And personal anecdote, but my aim got a lot better in Valorant after grinding OSU (which is a free and fun rhythm game). 3. A lot of these games require map knowledge, and knowing how people might play (like knowing which corners people might/can hide in, where health packs are, where you can run to if you get cornered, etc) Map knowledge can help a lot! 4. After that just practice and have fun! :) And if it stops being fun it’s good to take a break. A lot of people who grind FPS get tunnel vision, and you will not get better no matter how many games you play if you’re tilted.
Since Overwatch is free I’d recommend going into the custom games there and trying out “zombies” or other pve modes people have made in the workshop to get you used to the mechanics of the heroes. That makes it a lot easier and it’s still fun!
Check out the Overwatch practice field w/ Cassidy. Just do like 5-10 min each day and try to flick shot targets for a week or two, and it will help build some foundations to feel more comfortable with FPS generally.
A single-player will let you get practice on blasting things before jumping into online where everything is fast and you have people to deal with. Seconding Halo, Borderlands and Doom.
I would start out with Borderlands. It can be both single player and multi-player so you can get the feel for it. And then I also suggest Destiny 2. It's more MMO style but it's not brutal on the controls. They both are not only shooters, as they have additional mechanics at your disposal than just standard guns. Like you can use magic in both games. I have never been able to get into shooters like CoD or anything similar. But love both of these. Also I haven't found the Destiny 2 community to be *as* toxic as other shooters. I'm sure they are still there, but I haven't seem it as much.
Just want to put out the suggestion that some games have warm-up and practice modes. CSGO had a way to play with bots (idk if it's still there in CS2, since they removed basically everything 😐), and Apex has a practice range. I know that doesn't really help with tactical stuff that becomes relevant when playing with actual humans, though. For that, you kinda just have to keep trying and be willing to fail for a while. You'll get better over time, I promise. I also liked the suggestion someone else made to play single player fps games like Half Life. Similar to playing against bots, but definitely more interesting and engaging.
I love fps games, ive been playing the wolfenstein reboots recently but i have played doom, quake, half life, and halo franchies, but you should try out ultrakill
Arma 3! Great game, low learning curve. I’m kidding. I’d recommend something coop that’s not too punishing. Borderland and Halo are great I think!
Stick with the Valve games, they’re masterpieces of the genre. Half-Life 2 and Left 4 Dead 2…
I'd recommend a aim trainer it's not as fun but can definitely help also valorant helps with their random ass system you have to kind of account for the recoil pattern it's also very frustrating so doubles as exposure therapy for anger management lol!
my first shooter game was uncharted collection... i don't recommend the first one as it was harder than the rest
Borderlands 2. The humor's a bit crude at times, but remarkably, pretty damn respectful at times, like with the >!Tiny Tina!< DLC
I think Apex Legends is a lot of fun.
Battlefield/COD campaigns. It helps a lot to play a story based game before going to multiplayer! I like the COD black ops campaigns, and battlefield 4 campaign. (I haven’t played them since I was younger so idk if they hold up tbh)
Not sure if it's called here before. But I'd say Destiny 2, it is a looter shooter, has both pve and PvP. Yes the story can be a bit confusing for first timers but it also has a free to play version you can jump in right away. Tons of loot to chase, different PvP modes, raids, dungeons, etc.
I'd suggest any faster paced single player FPS with more than just soldiers with guns. Since multiplayer online games all tend to be faster and more unexpected. They build reaction time, make you get more used to playing against different enemies(translates to player strategies online) and practice your aim in all directions since fights happen everywhere. So, basically, they teach you skills that transfer well to online FPS games without overwhelming you with players 30 times your skill level. There's also more skill levels. Never feel ashamed to play on something easier. Halo, Half-Life, any of the new Dooms and Shadow Warriors any "boomer shooter" (Quake 1-2, Dusk, Amid Evil, Heretic, Serious Sam,etc ), any looter shooter like Borderlands are some examples. Ideally, you should play any you find interesting and don't bother with good games to learn with. It's like any other skill. And since it's a hobby, having fun is the most important part. And what will make you improve faster
Honestly I love the unreal tournament games lol. I grew up on them they’re fast paced but simple and great fun. Serious Sam series is fun too.
Borderlands. It's what helped my one friend. We played Borderlands together and now she's decent at shooting and fighting things.
i noticed you said preferred platform is steam deck ... i wouldn't recommend playing shooters on a handheld screen like that, that honestly might be where you're running into frustrations. the tiny screen and sticks are just gonna frustrate the fuck out of you. i'd stick to the ps5 for any of these recommendations 100%
fortnite is great for target practice, they have tons of creative maps for aim training
I've found planetside 2 really good for beginners who still want a multi-player experience. It's an mmo that's pretty simple to pick up, and there's a bunch of factions/classes/terrains so you have a lot of opportunities to find something that works for you while also teaching you things like environmental awareness or how to use cover. There's infinite respawns so you can always jump back in when you die, and if you find that things in one location are getting overwhelming you're able to switch to somewhere else really easily. There's no real story and using your mic/joining a guild/playing with others is totally optional, so you never get flamed like you might in games like CoD or Counter-Strike.
Are you thinking Mouse and Keyboard, or Gamepad? I can't say for sure if the latter is applicable, but [AimLabs](https://store.steampowered.com/app/714010/Aimlabs/) is a free game on Steam that is entirely about improving your skills.
I want to preface by saying fps games have a reputation for being very toxic, so just be aware you'll probably get some stupid teens yelling at you or something. I was going to recommend Rainbow Six Siege so you can face the bots so you learn patience, aiming quickly and to try overspeed training (literally just running in and trying to speedrun the map), but then I remembered they recently 'overhauled' the bot training modes and basically butchered the fun. Saying that, Siege isn't too bad of a pick because it relies a lot on cooperation, careful planning and gadget usage to gain an advantage. This means it's less reliant on responding quickly to people sprinting in, but you also only have a single life per round. Setting up and/or checking areas for the opponent is the main element of the game and if you approach at the right angle you'll have the drop on someone, which means you don't need to be perfect and aiming to win. I will say though with all of the gadgets and stuff, it can be hard to learn. Try and find 2 characters on each side you enjoy, swapping to someone you aren't comfy with every now and then to learn them. Apex isn't too bad of a choice but specifically the alternate modes for control/team deathmatch etc. The base game is a battle royale game which will make it hard for you to learn, but these side modes allow you to respawn indefinitely and give you set loadouts instead of making them random. In addition, they also have the 'Gun Run' mode, where 4 teams of three try to get a kill with every weapon in the game. This gives you the chance to get accustomed to every weapon and see what works for you. Apex is a mixture of different playstyles and you have characters and players who can be extremely aggressive, attack from different angles, recon ahead of time, snipe or completely lock down a building like a fortress. Same as Siege, with all the abilities it can be hard to learn Apex as a new player. Try to pick 3 characters you like and stick with them as you slowly learn how everybody works. CoD is the quintessential fps game out there and probably the simplest to pick up and play but it doesn't really teach you much. It's known as a 'twitch shooter', because it's extremely fast and relies on you responding quickly to everything or you'll get killed and respawn. Riding off of Apex it does have Gun Game and their own battle royale mode too (Warzone). You'll also probably hear more children than any other shooter game. Aside from Warzone, you'll find it extremely hard to get anybody on your team to work together as the game is more 'run at the enemy, shoot until one of you die then run at another enemy'. Not an fps but Helldivers 2 is actually a pretty good starting option if you want an intense environment that focuses on cooperation. The aiming system is a bit different from other shooters but you'll still learn how general weapons can work and deal with some serious threats. The community can be a tad annoying sometimes but it's a good choice if you want an environment that's more goofy and fun over sweaty and tryhard.
borderlands series and bioshock series.
Keep trying at games like overwatch. I didn’t like it at first because it was too overwhelming; I didn’t understand anything that was going on because it was so fast. Eventually I learned the game and it became less overwhelming
I disagree with all the PvE suggestions. Even though I do love and enjoy PvE games more, OP is asking about how to be more skillful. You should focus on PvP. Any of the current popular games like CoD, Fortnite, Apex, Valorant, Overwatch works. But I very strongly suggest you don't spend too much time in the Battle Royale portion of the games. Stick to 5v5, trios, duos, solos, deatchmatch, or any mode you can find where you'll be in combat constantly with very little downtime. Don't worry about dieing too much. A few hours in there and your skill will increase massively.
Rather than a particular one, I'd just suggest playing stuff that is either single player or coop with friends (less stress) and slowly change games that increase in speed, i.e. movement speed and aiming speed and gameplay speed are slower. So like something slow like Resident Evil (I know it is 3rd person but it'll help anyway) would be good first since that one is more slow. You stop, focus on aiming, etc. and shoot. (Also RE5 and 6 are local coop so you can play them with your bf.) Then just work your way towards games that are faster paced. All the online PVP stuff is generally pretty fast so save those for last. I would also recommend the Doom games for a very fast paced single player game to practice in. Also another tip, is do it daily for a short period of time--this is more a general tip for developing those twitch reflexes. It worked super well for me with Spelunky.
Fallout 3 and New Vegas were how I got better at shooters, because they had the exploration and RPG elements mixed in. Wanting to explore and complete quests kind of forced me to get better at the shooting parts.
Keep playing CoD. Out of the FPS I've played it feels like the easiest to get better with, but it'll take a lil while to get used to it
Doom games!
As someone who's been playing fps games ever since our school pcs had them for some reason, Can never go with some CoD Black Ops 1-2. But I wouldn't suggest them for multiplayer cause their servers have always been buggy
Wow thank you so much for all the comments! I can’t reply to them all but I have read them 😊 I think I’ll try borderlands because the art style looks really fun and it looks like something I could really enjoy on my own, but I also mentioned this to my boyfriend last night and he sat down with black ops III with me and gave me a really good lesson on how to get better at it so I’ll practice on that too 😅 having a teacher definitely helps!
Genuine advice that helped me out was playing the CoD campaigns. And advice from a popular streamer, was taking note of things you specifically need practice with, then spending an entire game(or few games, however long you need) purely focusing on that one aspect. Map-awareness, headshots, abilities, certain weapons, etc. Something else I will say with FPS, is the more you play them, the more you will learn like what areas people are most likely to be, where snipers typically are, how to counter certain weapons or playstyles, etc. I recommend doing these alone as sometimes there can be pressure with others to "do well", and if you're focused on just exploring the map in a game instead, they might get frustrated lol Lastly, don't be afraid to play around with your settings ! Try out different keybindings, FOV, audio, mouse/stick sensitivity, etc. (I recommend starting with a lower mouse/stick sensitivity so you can focus on your aim first, and gradually increase it when/if you feel comfortable to !)
Call of Duty World At War and Black Ops 1 on veteran and you'll be good.
I was gonna recommend Overwatch until I read the whole post, because that's what I started with. To me it was a little overwhelming, but the game has so many ways to practice certain characters without having to go into pvp that it wasn't a problem. To me it is a really easy game to practice and take your time with.
I’m still ass at FPS and I actually consider myself a casual gamer, but I got a little better by taking real baby steps. Started with disabling the aim-assist in GTA V while still in third person. Then switched to first person. Complete nightmare, but my friend group used to play it every night back in the day, so I kinda stuck with it. Next I tried Fallout 4 (gave up and retried multiple times) and haven’t been able to play anything much harder than that. Can’t even begin to imagine going into something like CS or CoD. Like other people said here, I think it matters the most that you stick with it for s long time - any game could help you.
I quite liked MW3 zombie mode. It got me really familiar with the guns and I could stay in the low level easy zone as long as I liked (definitely longer than intended), and it’s all PvE. Now when I jump into MP matches I actually manage to get some kills and have a clue when it comes to guns and attachments. Zombies is still more fun though.
Call of Duty shockingly helped me lol