10 Best Historical First-Person Shooter Video Games

With era-accurate guns and well designed period settings, gamers can relive mankind’s darkest hours with scores of historical FPS games. Players can take part in many famous wars and conflicts while learning more about history in the process.

This FPS genre was one of the earliest in video game history, with Wolfenstein 3D, the so-called “grand-daddy of FPS”, taking place during the Second World War. Its history spans from the early days of Medal of Honor, the powerhouse franchises such as Call of Duty and Battlefield, and finally to the the indie games like Red Orchestra.

Sadly, history-based shooters have been overshadowed in modern times by FPSs taking place in modern military settings, futuristic worlds or horror-filled nightmares.

However, recent titles such as Battlefield 1 and Heroes and Generals have restored the interest of market in old-school shooters, and with the upcoming release of the highly-anticipated Call of Duty: WWII in November, it allows gamers and history buffs alike to make something of a comeback.

Still, such a long history provides many highly-influential games, begging the question: What is the best historical shooter FPS?

Video games taking place during the American Civil War are rare, with most of it being obscure strategy games and horrible action games. Then came along History Channel who released Civil War – A Nation Divided and its sequel, Civil War: Secret Missions.

Civil War: Secret Missions had improved graphics and gameplay than its predecessor, but focused more on Civil War missions conducted behind enemy lines (hence the title “Secret Missions”).

Iconic innovations of the era like lever action rifles and early automatic weapons, as well as famous individuals such as Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee, make an appearance. Players can also engage in many of the bloodiest battles in the War from Chancellorsville to Vicksburg.

While Civil War: Secret Missions was a low-budget game that garnered only mediocre ratings, it was the first to show the gaming industry that there is a place for shooters beyond the invention of tanks and portable machine guns. Civil War action games such as Bound in Blood and War of Rights would take and improve the same steps years later.