Call of Duty: Warzone is fun, but after a few defeats in a row, mistakes, or one or two cheaters, you might lose interest. MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus presents three top shooters that he enjoys playing when he no longer feels like Warzone.
What kind of shooters are they? The three shooters I present here are all quite different from Warzone. Nevertheless, they are partly among the best shooters of 2020 and are among the best you can get in their respective categories.
I play all three of these shooters regularly – some more than others. I’ve made sure that there is a shooter for every possibility, with which you can take a break from the tiring rounds in Warzone.
Why the change? When I no longer feel like Warzone, there can be various reasons:
- Am I making too many mistakes and constantly losing?
- Are the opponents too strong or possibly even cheaters?
- Have I just played too much and can’t really get going anymore?
All of these can be reasons to be frustrated or tired of Warzone, even if Warzone fulfills all shooter wishes otherwise. I sometimes feel this way myself and so do some of my gamer buddies. A bit of variety is welcome.
The shooters I present help you to get some distance from the CoD Battle Royale, so that your “Warzone battery” can recharge and you can jump back in fresh and eager. Perhaps one of the games will captivate you so much that it becomes your new favorite shooter alongside Warzone.
1. Apex Legends – Battle Royale Alternative
What is Apex Legends? Apex Legends is a battle royale like Warzone and was even more successful than the CoD BR at its release. It takes place in the universe of the popular shooter Titanfall and uses characters, stories, and weapons from Titanfall 2.
Apex Legends plays with classic BR elements like the ring and of course the loot system and combines them with the somewhat crazy approach of Fortnite to destroy its map and entice players with events continuously.
The battle royale hit from EA and Respawn quickly gained popularity and remains one of the best shooters in the genre even after the release of Warzone.
What makes Apex Legends special:
- currently 13 unique legends with their own abilities
- many different combinations to play together and interlink skills
- weapons and gunplay from the highly praised Titanfall 2
- characters with depth and stories that bring interesting details into the game
- dynamics through rotation of maps, content, and available weapons, attachments, etc.
What’s happening in Apex Legends: On May 12th, Season 5 of Apex Legends kicked off with a new battle pass, new content, and a new legend: Loba, who hopes to take down the one in Apex Legends who killed her father.
Additionally, there is a brand new PvE mode that you can unlock over time. There are a total of nine repeatable missions, which for MeinMMO author Jürgen Horn make Season 5 the most exciting yet.
Apex Legends is free to play on PC and Xbox One and costs a nominal fee of 25 cents on PlayStation 4. So if you’re interested, you can check it out for (almost) free and see for yourself.
However, the gunplay and features are noticeably different from Warzone, so you still have a strong contrast. Apex Legends plays in a sci-fi setting. If you prefer the realism of Call of Duty, Apex Legends is probably not for you.
2. Rainbow Six: Siege – Tactical Shooter for Variety
What is Rainbow Six: Siege? Rainbow Six: Siege is also a shooter but falls into a completely different category than Warzone. It is a 5v5 tactical shooter that features similar game modes to Counter-Strike – or similarly to the mode “Search and Destroy” in the multiplayer of Modern Warfare.
Siege continues the Rainbow Six series, which has existed since 1998 and is based on the novel “Operation Rainbow” by Tom Clancy. The game is now even a major eSports title and captivates tens of thousands of fans.
The Ubisoft shooter has been around for many years and still ranks among the best shooters in 2020.
What makes Rainbow Six: Siege special:
- high realism requirement for weapons and damage
- tactical gameplay – you need to plan and work together to win
- unique operators with their own backgrounds, stories, and skills
- various weapons for the operators with the possibility of customization
- many different maps with multiple layers for more variety
- PvE mode “Terrorist Hunt” to prove your skills as an anti-terror specialist
What’s happening in Rainbow Six: Since May 5th, the “Grand Larceny” event featuring an exclusive game mode is running, allowing you to contest a battle for vaults and money in the style of the “Golden 20s”. Until May 19th, you can still grab exclusive cosmetics here.
Moreover, in the coming days and weeks, the first info about Season 2 of Year 5 is expected, which is coming up. Many players are already waiting for details. You can find out more about Year 5 Season 2 and the upcoming operators with the colleagues from GameStar.
Currently, the GSA League in Rainbow Six: Siege is taking place, an eSports event for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Here the best teams in the region compete against each other for a prize pool of €40,000.
eSports is making Rainbow Six the best shooter for me right now. If you play yourself, you’ll understand better what’s going on during the rounds and can cheer along – or you can check out tips and tricks from the pros.
Rainbow Six: Siege is available for PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One, but it is not free. There are often free weekends, but generally, you need to buy the game. I recommend the Deluxe Edition for a small extra charge, as you unlock a few operators for play:
- PlayStation 4 – Rainbow Six: Siege Deluxe Edition for €29.99 in the PS Store
- PC – Rainbow Six: Siege Deluxe Edition for €29.99 in the Ubisoft Store or on Steam
- Xbox One – Rainbow Six: Siege Deluxe Edition for €39.99 in the Microsoft Store
Often, the slightly more expensive Gold or Ultimate versions are on sale and cost only a few cents or euros more than the Deluxe Edition. Keep an eye out for discounts.
Siege is a tactical shooter and similar to the multiplayer modes of Modern Warfare, but more comparable to their realism and hardcore variants (including HUD). If you like shooters and want to try something different, Siege is a great choice.
However, the price is a small entry hurdle and if you’re not sure if Rainbow Six would interest you, it’s better to watch some streams and get a feel for it.
3. Warframe – Relaxation for Shooter Fans
What is Warframe? Warframe hits in a completely different vein than the shooters presented here. It’s a loot shooter that heavily focuses on PvE and grind. It takes place in an impressive sci-fi setting.
You control a “Warframe,” a type of war machine, of which there are now dozens of different types, each with its own properties and abilities. These can be customized to your personal preferences with perks and weapons.
Although Warframe almost flopped, it is now among the top shooters on Steam. One of the latest updates from March 2020 was so good that players applauded in awe.
Honestly, I now play Warframe less than I actually want to. However, I simply lack the time between all the other games and work – and Warframe requires quite a bit of dedication to truly enjoy it.
What makes Warframe special:
- loads of loot and resources that you can farm for hours
- different Warframes with various gameplay styles for more variety
- focus on PvE and cooperative play against AI
- optional PvP in certain modes
- open worlds to explore and complete missions
- Pets
What’s happening in Warframe: Currently, the “Nightwaves” season is running in Warframe, which lets you slip into the role of a detective to solve a murder case with the update from May 12th.
Since the update, there is a battle pass with 30 tiers for cosmetic rewards, at the end of which there is a landing craft with new abilities. You can read more about the Nightwaves with the colleagues from GameStar.
Warframe is free-to-play for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. So you can check out the extensive shooter at any time.
As it is free-to-play, you can take a look any time. The only investment of time you should consider is relatively high. Many of the cool features are only discovered later in the game, requiring several hours or days of grind and farming.
If you’re not willing to engage so deeply in a shooter, you should probably skip Warframe.
Have you checked out some of the games mentioned here? Which ones do you find interesting? What are your alternatives when you’re tired of Warzone? Leave us a comment!
If you’re looking for other alternatives: The new Riot shooter Valorant is currently particularly popular on Twitch. With a little luck, you might receive an invitation to the beta of the new tactical shooter.
