Top Five Coolest FPS Weapons

First-person shooters have been a staple in the video game industry for well over a decade, and have brought us countless hours of grisly entertainment. The tools of an FPS’ trade are the various weapons we use to dismantle our foes, be them an alien menace or our friends sitting next to us on the couch. Here’s a quick rundown of five of the coolest FPS weapons we’ve locked and loaded over the years.

5. Shock Rifle –Unreal Tournament – PC

While having a standard and alternate fire for weapons was nothing new, UT’s shock rifle took the idea to another level by having the two work together. Both firing mechanisms were sound by their own merits, but when a player’s timing and aim were dead on, they were able to unleash the dreaded shock combo that resulted in epic destruction.

4. Crowbar – Half-Life series – PC

Okay, I know what you’re saying… “A standard melee weapon? Really?” Yep, and the beauty is in its simple efficiency. This handy little chunk of steel gets Half-Life protagonist Gordon Freeman out of plenty of sticky situations, and proves that if the zombie uprising ever does come around, thousands of gamers world-wide would flood their local hardware store to get their hands on one of these babies.

3. Laptop Gun – Perfect Dark – Nintendo 64

Any gun that can disguise itself as a laptop for various espionage purposes is pretty sweet already, but it also has enough stopping power to hold its own in a firefight. Those reasons alone are cool enough, but this weapon’s greatest feature is that it can be deployed as a stationary turret to help you hold those tough-to-reach chokepoints. The Laptop Gun is arguably one of the most versatile weapons to appear in a shooter to date.

2. BFG 9000 – Doom – PC

While this weapon lacks finesse and subtlety, its sheer horsepower guarantees it a fond place in the memory of old school gamers. This was the original overpowered omni-tool of destruction: anything even remotely close to its blast radius was not just killed, but exploded into an unrecognizable pile of red mush. While other weapons have tried to claim the throne of amazing super-weapons, the BFG will always be the king.

1. Gravity Gun – Half-Life 2– PC

The gravity gun is the epitome of innovation. Valve utilized a revolutionary physics engine to make what was simply a supped-up grab button one of the most memorable weapons in recent history. Since every level seems to be littered with oxy-acetylene tanks and oversized buzz-saw blades, using this ammo-free weapon is an absolute joy.
Looking at the genre as a whole, the Gravity Gun also gets props for reinventing FPS conventions and also paving the way for other impressive innovations in FPS weaponry.