No, there isn't a typo in the title. "Shlooter" is a term coined by Giant Bomb's Alex Navarro and basically combines "looter shooter" into one glorious Frankenstein phrase. With the subgenre's most well-known franchise releasing its third entry recently, this seems like a perfect time to take a look at the best looter shooters on the market.
RELATED: Ranking The Best First-Person Shooters Of All Time
As a concept, looter shooter is still in its infancy in the grand scheme of things. Consequently, the genre's defining traits are somewhat flexible, as there isn't an authority on what constitutes a looter shooter. In general, representatives tend to be first-person or third-person shooters with progression tied to obtaining better guns (or weapons). While isometric action RPGs like Diablo and Path of Exile share many traits in common with looter shooters, ranged combat is not encouraged above simply taking a hammer and whacking away at the enemy. The same can be said about Monster Hunter: World.
What are the best looter shooter games on the market?
Updated June 20, 2023 by Mark Sammut: New looter shooters might not debut every day, but the genre does tend to welcome a couple of releases per year. Compared to consoles, Steam has quite a few titles that should be capable of keeping fans entertained. Ghosts of Tabor is an interesting VR pick, while Marauders and Zero Sievert are two early access projects worth keeping an eye on. The Cycle: Frontier and Lost Light are also worth trying since they are free-to-play. Although all these names have their positives, they are not quite among the best looter shooters on the market.
Release Date
April 1, 2021
Developer
People Can Fly
Platforms
Amazon Listing Page
Outriders: Worldslayer
Designed by the team responsible for Bulletstorm and Painkiller, People Can Fly's Outriders lives with a mixed reception, a consequence stemming from inconsistent marketing, an underwhelming launch, and some frustrating systems. Despite having an endgame and sharing some similarities with live-service projects like Destiny and Borderlands, Outriders should be treated as a single-player third-person shooter akin to the developer's previous projects.
The endgame largely revolves around grinding loot to craft more powerful builds, but Outriders is a bit too stingy with its drops, so the experience tends to be slow and annoying rather than rewarding. When focusing just on the campaign, this game becomes an enjoyable, albeit unspectacular looter shooter.
Release Date
August 20, 2020
Developer
RyseUp Studios
Platforms
Steam Link
Roboquest
In early access, Roboquest has come a long way over the last two years. Compared to its 2020 launch state, which largely consisted of untapped potential, the roguelite has developed into a highly entertaining first-person shooter, even if it is still somewhat rough around the edges.
Basically an arena shooter, Roboquest features five playable classes, nine maps, and an impressive selection of weapons. The latter is the best part of the package and will be the main reason most players keep coming back for more.
Release Date
October 13, 2016
Developer
Flying Wild Hog
Platforms
Steam Link
Shadow Warrior 2
Flying Wild Hog went in a completely different direction with its sequel to 2013's decent Shadow Warrior. Rather than a series of levels set within somewhat spacious maps, Shadow Warrior 2 drops Lo Wang in a hub area that can then be used to undergo a vast range of missions, with only some being directly related to the main story.
RELATED: Underrated First-Person Shooters From The 2000s
With over 70 weapons available in the game, including everything from katanas to rocket launchers, Shadow Warrior 2 definitely ticks the boxes of a looter shooter. As a homage to old-school shooters from the '90s, just with a heavier focus on loot, Shadow Warrior 2 is pretty decent.
Release Date
April 26, 2016
Developer
Housemarque
Platforms
PS4
Generally speaking, isometric RPGs were ignored for this article, as most cannot truly be classified as shooters. Alienation is a noteworthy exception though, as it is all about guns. The twin-stick shooter is set in an alternate reality where aliens have invaded most of Earth, leaving four soldiers to battle through hordes of no-good extraterrestrials.
New weapons covering a wide array of rarities are obtained through random drops, with most weapons offering the possibility of installing an upgrade to increase a specific state (rate of fire, being an example). That said, the weapons themselves do not feel all that distinct.
Release Date
August 20, 2019
Developer
Gunfire Games
Platforms
Amazon Listing Page
Remnant: From the Ashes
Like every modern game, Remnant: From the Ashes has been compared to Dark Souls, albeit one centering around ranged rather than melee combat. From the Ashes is not a conventional shooter, as there are only 23 guns and 16 melee weapons in the game. Furthermore, items generally need to be crafted and cannot simply be looted.
RELATED: Remnant: From The Ashes - All Beast Heart Choices And Their Consequences
That said, Remnant: From the Ashes has enough genre elements to qualify as a looter. With the flexible game world presenting a different experience during every playthrough, Gunfire Games has essentially created a dungeon crawler with roguelike elements. The loot aims for quality rather than quantity, and the main reason to replay the campaign is to collect all the available weapons.
Release Date
March 15, 2019
Developer
Massive Entertainment
Platforms
Amazon Listing Page
Tom Clancy's The Division 2
Tom Clancy's The Division 2 did not need to reinvent the wheel. By the end of its predecessor's run, the franchise was at a good place and the sequel only needed to focus on the elements that worked in The Division.
Unsurprisingly, The Divison 2 fared better with critics, as it essentially launched at a similar level to its predecessor's end state. The combat is improved due to the enemies no longer being as egregious of bullet sponges, while the loot system added a touch of variety without sacrificing the realism sought after by the franchise. Crucially, The Division 2 actually launched with an endgame, which is rather important for a looter shooter's longevity.
Release Date
November 18, 2021
Developer
Duoyi Games
Platforms
Steam Link
Gunfire Reborn
A roguelite, Gunfire Reborn challenges players to work their way through four zones, each consisting of a handful of random levels. En route, they pick a variety of weapons, which come with unique stats, elemental effects, and other variables. Toward the end of each level, players get to pick from three modifiers that will impact the rest of their run, most of which have multiple upgrades designed to encourage specific builds.
Due to its nature, Gunfire Reborn resets the player's weapons after death, so they will not be able to accumulate a fixed arsenal. However, as the game is a roguelite and not a roguelike, progression is made regardless of whether someone fails or succeeds. This largely comes in the form of Gunfire Reborn's playable characters and upgrades for them, although weapons can also be unlocked.
Release Date
May 13, 2020
Developer
Ghost Ship Games
Platforms
Steam Link
Deep Rock Galactic
Deep Rock Galactic is a bit different from the typical looter shooter since drops contain randomized resources (and experience) rather than new weapons. These items can then be used to upgrade each class' equipment.
While supporting solo play, Deep Rock Galactic is at its best when played in co-op as players team up to take on a variety of missions in a decent range of biomes. The game's classes all come with unique strengths, weaknesses, and gameplay styles, ensuring that most people find someone to match their preferences.
Release Date
August 11, 2020
Developer
Hopoo Games
Platforms
Steam Link
Risk of Rain 2
A popular roguelike, Risk of Rain 2 has a simple but addictive formula: kill everything that moves. After selecting a Survivor, players spawn in a randomly generated level filled with enemies. Their goal is to reach an extraction point so they can move on to the next stage. While initially manageable, the game steadily raises the difficulty, to the point that players can quickly become overwhelmed if they fall behind in terms of equipment.
RELATED: Risk Of Rain 2: Every Character, Ranked
In Risk of Rain 2, players collect currency from enemies that can then be used to purchase loot boxes scattered across the level. The latter's content is randomized too.
Release Date
March 25, 2013
Developer
Digital Extremes
Platforms
Steam Link
Warframe
Warframe initially garnered a lukewarm reception, which is not that surprising considering the game launched with repetitive gameplay that focused heavily on grinding the same few missions. However, over the last decade, Digital Extremes has gradually established the looter shooter as a cornerstone of the multiplayer scene. Warframe has grown well beyond its original blueprint, even if its core gameplay is still relatively grind-heavy.
Nowadays, Warframe has open-world sections, multiple planets, an impressive selection of frames and weapons, and engaging lore. Even though players can invest money, the game can be enjoyed without spending a dime. Players who stick to the free version can look forward to hundreds of hours of content, and the end is nowhere in sight.
Release Date
August 28, 2017
Developer
Bungie
Platforms
Amazon Listing Page
Destiny 2 Standard Edition
Unlike its predecessor, Destiny 2 impressed critics right out of the gate, and most of its expansions have largely served as improvements. The most recent release, 2023's Lightfall, is the only real exception as that largely struggled to impress.
RELATED: Awesome Destiny 2 Cosplay That Look Just Like The Game
Destiny 2 showcases Bungie's expertise in the first-person shooter genre; in fact, an argument could be made that the multiplayer-focused game represents this gameplay style's peak alongside Doom. In terms of loot, Destiny 2 is packed to the brim with unlockables that encourage players to customize their characters and load-outs.
Release Date
Developer
Gearbox Software
Platforms
Amazon Listing Page
How could anything other than Borderlands take the top spot? Gearbox's franchise might not have been the first looter shooter since Hellgate: London exists, but it defined the genre. While not every entry is a bona fide masterpiece, Borderlands has been fairly consistent over the years. Borderlands 2 is generally considered to be the best in the series, although 2019's third entry improves upon its predecessor's gunplay by quite a considerable margin. That said, Borderlands 3's characters are rather obnoxious, which does hurt its story. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is also a really fun spin-off inspired by tabletop RPGs.
Borderlands is the poster boy of looter shooters and, as a full package, has yet to be topped by any of its competitors. The stylized visuals are timeless, the gameplay is not quite Destiny-good but still pretty fun, and the loot is never-ending!
MORE: Borderlands 3: The Best Skills For FL4K, Ranked