10 Best Shotguns In Gaming History - Ranked

There are many different methods to resolve conflicts between mutually conflicted individuals.

From presenting evidence that disproves one side over the other, perhaps a means for both sides to coexist peacefully - maybe even debate ideals in the marketplace of ideas, if you so choose.

Or you can blast every motherf*cker in the room until they declare you the winner.

And when you pursue this method of resolving conflict, always be sure to use a good old fashioned shotgun.

The only question is, which one to use?

Video games have had a plethora of shotguns since programmers learned how to make their guns shoot more than one pixel out of a different rectangular pixel they called a gun.

Easily one of the most fun weapons to use across the board, clearly not every developer gets it right.

Too much distance-to-damage drop-off and the weapon is useless. Too instant-kill feeling up close and the whole thing's overpowered, especially online.

The question is a lot harder than you think, so we've ranked what we consider to be the absolute best shotguns in gaming history.

Since there are so many to choose from, it should be stated that all of these weapons are balls to the wall awesome in their own ways.

But some boomsticks boom harder than others.

Hotline Miami fits squarely into that category of games alongside Dark Souls and Super Meat Boy where you are not only expected to die, you're almost encouraged to. Luckily, unlike those games, you respawn so fast you won't even notice you were taken out at all.

However, there's still a game to be won, and since even one good shot or stab can put you out to pasture, it's best to get your hands on something that can end the fight quickly.

Enter the always trusty shotgun.

This vaguely titled boomstick allows you to blast your way through the competition. But don't get cocky, because this is still Hotline Miami, and you're about as durable as a plush toy surrounded by K-9 units.

What puts it at the bottom of this list is that - while powerful at close range - the spread is almost too thin, and the range - as you can expect - isn't great. As we've probably established by now, this is not a game where you bum rush your opponent, that will get you killed almost immediately.

So while the shotgun can get you out of a tight situation, if you try to use it with any kind of tact, you'll find yourself disappointed.