Best shooters of 2012 so far

#2 – Tribes: Ascend:

Tribes: Ascend, a free-to-play shooter, looked to set a precedent in the shooter market with its fast-paced futuristic gameplay. The game’s beta certainly left a good taste for players who had a chance to try it.

Then came the shooter’s full launch, which was met with an extremely positive critical reception; it truly deserved it, too. Certainly not for the faint-hearted, Tribes: Ascend makes players learn how to achieve kills – many will be turned off by the initial difficulty spikes. Either way, the enjoyment of carrying out a headshot with a sniper rifle while on a jetpack is a feeling that is unprecedented.

#1 – Max Payne 3:

Max Payne 3 is one of the most overdue titles in gaming history. With over eight years of development, Max Payne 3's rights were transferred to Grand Theft Auto creator Rockstar Games. The studio couldn’t have been a better fit for the game. Judging by the developer’s past shooter-based titles, the quality for the next Max Payne installment aimed to top expectations.

And indeed it achieved exactly that. Featuring series’ trademarks such as a refined bullet-time feature, the series’ first for a multiplayer component, paired with an engrossing narrative and story, Rockstar showcased once again why they’re one of the top developers in history.

2012 aims to deliver another memorable year in gaming with the amount of titles gamers will be exposed to being simply massive. With well over a hundred titles, the shooter genre is once again expanded – as it has been for several years now – with several incoming titles based on the over-populated market. GameZone takes a look at the top 5 shooters of 2012 that have already been released.

#5 – The Darkness II:

2K Games’ The Darkness II, a psychological horror first-person shooter developed by Digital Extremes, was a welcomed addition to the shooter genre. Instilling over-the-top gore and a compelling story, the sequel gave players a very decent gameplay experience.

One of the standout new additions to the IP is "quad wielding," a technique allowing players to see protagonist Jackie Estacado utilizing both of his Demon Arms, as well as firearms concurrently.

#4 – Ghost Recon: Future Soldier:

The Ghost Recon series has gone downhill with a few past instalments but Ubisoft aimed to bring the franchise back to the peak of the shooter genre with Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.

They did just that; incorporating in-game technology that hasn’t been implemented in shooters, Ubisoft’s engine has delivered another stealthy, squad-oriented title that is brimming with excellence. Its multiplayer component, for one, excelled in abundance and brought the series back to its former glory.

#3 – Syndicate:

Although the decision to reboot the Syndicate series with a current generation first-person shooter was met with backlash, Starbreeze’s shooter looked promising from what publisher Electronic Arts showed off before the game’s launch.

Bringing unique elements to the genre, Syndicate certainly delivered a fresh experience the shooting scene was in dire need of. It’s a massive shame, then, that the title bombed at the charts with less than 50,000 units sold during launch.