The third-person shooter camera design is ideal for storytelling games, since it allows you to connect with the protagonist on a more personal level as you experience their story. The Gears of War games are widely considered some of the best 3rd person shooter games of all time, but no matter how good they are, you can’t keep playing them forever.

Therefore, I have assembled ten games that could be a great alternative. I consider some of these games even better than Gears of War, and you are sure to have a fantastic time with each of them.

While some of these games don’t share the same linear approach as Gears of War, their open design can also feel like a breath of fresh air for some players. For variety’s sake, we are only going with one game per developer.

10

Shadow Of The Tomb Raider

Uncharted Territory

Lara Croft’s sudden resurgence was a sight to behold back in 2013, bringing untouched, hidden monuments and solving puzzles back in fashion. With the release of Shadow Of The Tomb Raider, the trilogy came to an end, and now we are again left to wonder what’s in store for the future.

Shadow Of The Tomb Raider puts you in combat sequences way too frequently, and thanks to its fun shooting mechanics, the game is a great time.

This is the perfect game for fans of the Uncharted series. If you get hooked on one, then the other should be next on your bucket list to play.

9

Saints Row: The Third

GTA But Silly

This was the first Saints Row game I played, and I had a much better time with it than I ever imagined. Saints Row 3 is an incredibly fun and addictive game with a GTA satire take.

Everything you love from GTA is here: stealing cars, shooting people, flying jets throughout the city, or just having a great time in the sandbox. The reason why I chose Saints Row 3 over the latest titles is that I consider Saints Row 3 the best game in the series. Also, the franchise turns into a Prototype satire rather than a GTA satire in the later games.

If it is just a silly open-world third-person shooter game that you are looking for, where nothing is taken seriously, then Saints Row 3 is perfect for you.

8

Returnal

A Roguelike With A Dash Of Horror

Returnal is among the most fun roguelikes I have played, featuring a rather captivating story and an incredibly addictive combat system.

Like most roguelike games, each biome is procedurally generated, and the story progresses the further you make it in each run.

There is no shortage of difficulty here as well, as you will be dying more times than you can count, but that is the charm of roguelike games after all. Returnal deserves its spot on this list, and we need more games like it.

7

The Evil Within 2

A Fate Worse Than Death

I am going to stick my neck out for this one and say that The Evil Within 2 is better than the first one. I agree that The Evil Within has a much better horror vibe than the sequel’s more modern style, but in terms of the overall gameplay and story, it is much more refined and direct in the sequel.

Sebastian’s journey of jumping back into the nightmarish world of STEM to look for his daughter while encountering grotesque monsters and evading death at every turn is among my favorites. I hope that The Evil Within 3 doesn’t come out because Sebastian deserves his happy ending.

But at the end of the day, if it is horror you are looking for, then you will have a much better time with The Evil Within 1, but regardless, there is no doubt that this franchise as a whole deserves a spot on this list.

Have I Become Invisible?

If it is a sandbox experience that you are looking for, then the best game on this list is right in front of you. The Phantom Pain really shook the gaming industry by offering one of the most addictive gameplay loops of its time.

The open world itself is vast and full of freedom, as you are able to approach each mission as you want to. Want to kill an enemy by calling a supply drop on top of him? You can do that. How about if you want to creep your way around the enemy base in a cardboard box? You can do that as well.

I still remember the times I used to play Phantom Pain all day back in 2015. Alongside being one of the best open-world stealth games of our time, its story is a real page-turner.

5

Red Dead Redemption 2

May I Stand Unshaken?

Usually, you might be used to seeing Red Dead Redemption 2 in the top 3 spots, because there is no denying that it is one of the best games of our time. But if you compare it to Gears of War, it lacks the same linear approach, and Red Dead Redemption 2 also has a very basic combat system.

That being said, its emotional story is one of the best in gaming history, as you slowly learn about Arthur’s life story and his regrets. After all these years, I still think about Red Dead Redemption 2’s story from time to time.

If you don’t mind the huge open world and just want to experience the story of one of the best characters in video game history, then Red Dead Redemption 2 is the best game to go for.

4

The Last Of Us Part II

Joel Was Right

The Last of Us series, especially The Last of Us Part 2, offers one of the best gameplay designs in gaming history, with its incredibly fun and equally challenging combat sequences.

Alongside an incredibly fun combat system, the series’s story doesn’t fall behind as its emotional set pieces are bound to stay with you for a long time. Joel and Ellie’s journey through the aftermath of the outbreak of the parasitic fungus in The Last of Us Part 1 is a memorable one, and one you are bound to have a great time with.

In a nutshell, The Last of Us series is actually one of the best alternatives to Gears of War if you don’t mind the complete tone shift from a military aesthetic to a deeply personal story.

3

Dead Space Remake

Horrors Beyond My Comprehension

What starts as a regular job for our protagonist, Issac, turns into the worst and most traumatic experience of his life. The moment you set foot in the Ishimura, you are greeted with an uneasy feeling that something is wrong.

Dead Space was always considered one of the best horror games, and with the release of the remake, players are now able to relive that horror with much better graphics.

In terms of gameplay as well, alongside some very fun boss fights, the combat makes you think twice before shooting your weapon because ammo is hard to come by, and ammo conservation is a must, especially if you are playing on a higher difficulty.

2

Alan Wake 2

The Champion Of Light

Alan Wake 2 is among my favorite third-person shooter games ever. After the cliff-hanger ending of Alan Wake, a lot of fans were wondering about what is in the future for the franchise, and after more than a decade, we finally get a continuation of the story, where Alan Wake has to escape the dark place and return to reality.

This time, an FBI agent, Saga Anderson, has also been sent to Bright Falls to investigate a cult, which is also somewhat linked to the disappearance of Alan Wake.

With two protagonists, each with their own motivation, a horror setting, a tense combat system, and a fantastic storyline, Alan Wake 2 is considered one of the best games of 2023, and if you are a horror fan and a third-person shooter fan, then Alan Wake 2 should definitely be on your games-to-play list.

1

Resident Evil 4 Remake

The Best Modern Third-Person Shooter

After the original Resident Evil 4 revolutionized the genre back in 2005, people thought it couldn’t get any better than this. Almost two decades later, we got the Resident Evil 4 Remake that not only recaptured the essence of the original but even improved upon it in some ways.

The Resident Evil franchise as a whole consists of fantastic shooters, most of which deserve to be on this list if I weren’t going for one game per franchise.

Therefore, if by some chance you haven’t been introduced to Resident Evil before, then you have just found a franchise in which you can easily dump hundreds of hours. Whether you start with Resident Evil or go straight to RE4, you are in for the time of your life.