New FPS games that rewrite the rules of the genre

It's no secret FPS game has felt a bit formulaic in recent years, especially compared to the genre's high points of recent decades. The number of shooters being advertised these days that actually break the mold feels pretty small, as it's much safer to stick with what works rather than risk it all on one big new idea or concept.

However, in the coming months we will be treated to some pretty interesting FPS games that want to change course and deliver a unique experience unlike any other in the genre. From meme games to full-fledged soul-like epics, if you're a shooter fan, your wish list is about to get a lot busier.

SAND: Raiders Of Sophie

• Pilot large robot bases.

• A procedural world full of treasures and dangers.

The extraction shooter craze isn't going away anytime soon, and SAND wants to move the genre in a new direction. You and a group of friends get to build and control large sand walkers that can not only cross the tough sand dunes but also blast other scavengers that can trudge through the wasteland as well.

When you're not on top of your mechanical home, you get to explore a variety of interesting locations across the procedural world, from villages to ancient ruins, each with their own treasures and dangers lurking within. I've personally gotten a little tired of generic extraction games, so I'm excited to try something new that doesn't just follow trends but instead innovates in a completely unique way.

IMPULSE

Movement is king

• Blends several iconic mechanics, such as wall runs and grapples.

• High skill PvP action.

IMPULSE is about going fast and looking good while doing it. You get all the tools you need to run, swing, and jump your way across the battlefield, using a variety of PAINT tools that each offer unique bonuses like healing or additional mobility buffs.

At the center of the experience are the mechs, which serve as a vital mid-round objective that forces both teams into a pivotal confrontation that could very well decide the outcome of the entire match. As a fan of motion shooters, I'm always looking for new ideas and games to play, especially ones with interesting new mechanics, and of all the recent additions to the genre, IMPULSE looks to be the most promising yet.

Last port

Not even the water is safe

• Open world survival in an infected environment.

• Ability to travel alongside your base.

Last port sends you out into the middle of the ocean during a zombie outbreak, forcing you to survive against both the weather and the infected lurking on the shore. Your boat acts as a mobile base that allows you to move around the ocean while gathering resources and slowly upgrading your offensive and defensive abilities, but as nice as the waves can be, you can only be out there for so long.

Venturing inland means coming face to face with all manner of infected horrors. When you're looking for better loot, there's always the chance that another player will come around the corner and ruin your day. The gameplay is quite interesting, as it leans less towards 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 edgy game.

HAEX

Mind-bending right from the start

• Tense survival driven by resources.

• An alien element that extends from the world to the enemies.

HAEX is unlike any other FPS game out there today and could be a real contender for the next big name in the open world. An alien wilderness lies before you, and beneath the mist are a host of otherworldly creatures and gigantic structures just waiting to be explored and solved.

The game revolves around a mysterious cube that allows you to collect resources and venture into the unknown, with new abilities added with each upgrade. To top it all off, there's a co-op element too, where you and a group of friends can all explore the same worlds, or jump into single-player worlds with the same characters, making it ideal for gamers like me who like to both play with others and go it alone too.

Magicians: The Devil's Deal

Even wizards can fight back

• Magical powers are your main tool in battle.

• Unique aesthetic and visual style.

Magicians: The Devil's Deal reimagines what first-person combat can look like by building its gameplay loop around stage magic rather than traditional firearms. You take control of Jacob Menteuro, a famous wizard betrayed by his peers and thrown into Theatreland, a twisted Victorian-inspired realm of hell where your survival depends on using increasingly powerful magical abilities stolen from the masters who rule the domain.

The game's biggest innovation is how far it leans towards magic, as everything from cards to gravity itself can be manipulated to gain the upper hand, creating some fascinating situations where the entire screen is filled with color and effects. The biggest draw for me is the art style, which comes across as 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

• Relaxed fishing meets sandbox play.

• Comic environment and mechanics.

How to fish is a very unconventional FPS game that starts after you crash on a remote island while out on a boat. From there you must learn to survive and eventually find your way home, and the only way to do that is by fishing. But instead of just throwing out lines over and over again, you bring a much more explosive element to an otherwise relaxing pastime.

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

Valor Mortis

Fighting On The Front Lines

• First-person soul-like combat.

• Supernatural powers on both sides of the fight.

Valor Mortis takes inspiration from soul-like games but completely transforms the formula into a first-person experience. You find yourself in the shoes of a soldier of Napoleon's Grande Armée who rises from a battlefield grave in the midst of a mysterious plague that has corrupted the continent. The same supernatural plague has found its way into your own body.

Like all good Soulmates, the focus is on methodical and strategic combat rather than pure aggression, and to complement that approach you have access to a range of abilities and weapons that can add plenty of variety to the increasingly complex fights. The demo shows a lot already, and as someone who really loves Ghostrunner game, I'm super excited to see another game from the same devs released so soon.