New FPS games that are rewriting the rules of the genre

That's not a secret FPS games The last few years have felt a little formulaic, especially compared to the genre's high points in previous decades. The number of shooters announced these days that actually break the mold feels very small, as it's much safer to stick with what works rather than risk everything on a big new idea or concept.

However, over the next few months, we're going to be treated to some pretty interesting FPS games that are looking to change course and offer a unique experience unlike any other in the genre. From meme games to full-blown epics like Souls, if you're a shooter fan, your wish list is about to get pretty busy.

Sand: Sophie's attacker

• Pilot large robotic bases.

• A procedural world full of treasure and danger.

The extraction shooter craze isn't going away anytime soon, and the sand It is trying to take the genre in a new direction. You and a group of friends get to build and pilot giant sand walkers that can not only traverse rugged, sandy dunes, but also destroy other fairies roaming the wasteland.

When you're not atop your mechanical home, you can explore various points of interest in the procedural world, from villages to ancient ruins, each with their own treasures and dangers hidden within. I'm personally a little tired of generic extraction games, so I'm excited to try something new that doesn't just follow trends and instead innovates in a truly unique way.

EMPULSE

Movement is king

• Combines many iconic mechanics such as wall runs and grapples.

• High skill PvP action.

EMPULSE It's all about going fast and looking good while doing it. You're given all the tools you need to run, swing and jump your way across the battlefield, using different paint tools that each offer unique bonuses like healing or extra mobility buffs.

At the core of the experience are the mechs, which serve as the main mid-round objective to force both teams into a central clash that could well decide the outcome of the entire game. As a fan of movement shooters, I'm always on the lookout for new ideas and games to play, especially ones with interesting new mechanics, and out of all the recent additions to the genre, EMPULSE Looks the most promising so far.

The Last Harbour

Even water is not safe

• Open world survival within an infected environment.

• Ability to travel with your base.

The Last Harbour A zombie outbreak sends you into the middle of the ocean and forces you to survive against both the weather and the infected lurking on the shore. Your boat acts as a mobile base that lets you move around the ocean while gathering resources and gradually upgrading your offensive and defensive capabilities, but as good as the waves can be, you can only stay there for so long.

To venture inland is to come face-to-face with all manner of infected horrors. When you hunt for good loot, there's always the chance that another player will come around the corner and ruin your day. The gameplay style is very interesting, as it leans less on the pure survival elements seen in other games. I'm looking forward to the multiplayer elements, which should add an extra layer of intensity to an already pretty boring game.

HAEX

Mind bending from the start

• Governed by stressful survival resources.

• An external element extending from the world to enemies.

HAEX It's unlike any other FPS game out there today and could be a real contender for the next big name in the open-world space. An alien wilderness lies before you, and beneath the mists lie a host of extraterrestrial entities and gigantic structures just waiting to be explored and solved.

Gameplay revolves around a mysterious cube that lets you gather resources and push into the unknown, with new abilities added with each upgrade. To top it all off, there's also a co-op element, where you and a group of friends can all explore the same world, or jump into single-player with the same characters, which makes it ideal for players like me who like to play with others as well as go it alone.

Magicians: The Devil's Deal

Wizards can also fight back

• Magical powers are your main tool in battle.

• Unique beauty and visual style.

Magicians: The Devil's Deal Reimagines what first-person combat could look like by building its gameplay loop around stage magic instead of traditional guns. You take control of famous magician Jacob Menteuro, betrayed by his friends, and cast into Theaterland, a twisted Victorian-inspired realm of hell where your survival depends on wielding increasingly powerful magical abilities stolen from the masters who rule the domain.

The game's biggest innovation is how far into magic it is, as everything from cards to gravity can be manipulated to gain the upper hand, creating some fascinating situations where the entire screen is filled with color and effects. The biggest attraction for me is the art style, which looks very stylized and fits the tone of the game perfectly: whimsical, bombastic, and most of all, magical.

How to fish

Not your average fishing trip

• Casual fishing meets sandbox funplay.

• Comic setting and mechanics.

How to fish A very unorthodox FPS game that begins when you crash on a remote island while driving a boat. From there, you must learn how to survive and eventually find your way home, and the only way to do that is by fishing. However, instead of just casting lines over and over again, you bring a much more explosive element to an otherwise laid-back entertainment.

There are explosives and golden snipers, and a healthy dose of physical chaos that makes every moment feel crazier than any other fishing sim. You can also play with a group of friends, and given how silly and funny the trailer looks, I'm excited to try it out with a few friends to see who can land the best “fish-shots.”

Heroic Mortis

Fighting on the frontline

• Fight like a first-person soul.

• Supernatural powers on both sides of the battle.

Heroic Mortis Takes inspiration from games like Soul but transforms the formula into a completely first-person experience. You'll find yourself in the shoes of a soldier in Napoleon's Grande Armée who rises from a battlefield grave amidst a mysterious plague that has ravaged the continent. That supernatural plague has found its way into your own body.

Like any good Souls, the focus is on methodical and tactical combat rather than pure aggression, and to complement that approach, you have access to a range of abilities and weapons that can add a lot of variety to increasingly complex fights. The demo already shows a lot, and as a really loving person ghost runner Games, I'm so happy to see another game from the same devs released so soon.