Games Like Half-Life: Opposing Force

Made by Gearbox Software and originally released in 2001 as an add-on to Half-Life, Blue Shift is a return to the Black Mesa Research Facility in which you play as Barney Calhoun, the security guard sidekick who helped Gordon out of so many sticky situations.

Why similar: FPS 52.7%, Classic 14.3% ★, Aliens 7%, Sci-fi 5.7%, Shooter 4.3%

Why You'll Like It: This official companion expansion returns to Black Mesa during the same catastrophe, delivering another compact GoldSrc campaign from a different survivor's perspective.

Named Game of the Year by over 50 publications, Valve's debut title blends action and adventure with award-winning technology to create a frighteningly realistic world where players must think to survive. Also includes an exciting multiplayer mode that allows you to play against friends and enemies around the world.

Why similar: FPS 30.4%, Classic 19% ★, Silent Protagonist 11.5% ★, Aliens 8.4%, 1990's 5.4%

Why You'll Like It: The original Black Mesa disaster has the same engine, pacing, alien enemies, environmental storytelling, and foundational combat that Opposing Force expands upon.

Relive Half-Life.

Why similar: FPS 41.4%, Classic 20.1% ★, Aliens 8.8%, Sci-fi 7.4%, Shooter 5.6%

Why You'll Like It: This polished modern reimagining of Half-Life preserves the Black Mesa setting and escalating alien-invasion campaign while substantially updating its presentation and combat.

Reawakened from stasis in the occupied metropolis of City 17, Gordon Freeman is joined by Alyx Vance as he leads a desperate human resistance. Experience the landmark first-person shooter packed with immersive world-building, boundary-pushing physics, and exhilarating combat.

Why similar: FPS 45.2%, Classic 20.6% ★, Silent Protagonist 6.7% ★, Sci-fi 6.4%, Aliens 4.4%

Why You'll Like It: Valve's direct sequel keeps the tightly scripted first-person campaign format while expanding its physics interaction, worldbuilding, and resistance-versus-alien conflict.

Prospekt begins in the Nova Prospekt prison in the Half-Life universe. Gordon Freeman is slowly being overrun by soldiers in the prison, however unknown to him, his Vortigaunt allies manage to find some help from a forgotten hero.

Why similar: FPS 63.3%, Sci-fi 10.4%, Action 8.8%, Shooter 8.5%, First-Person 5.5%

Why You'll Like It: This Half-Life 2 campaign mod puts you in the boots of a prison guard during Gordon Freeman's uprising, emphasizing direct combat and recognizable Valve-style spaces.

As part of the elite Rhino Squad, you must spearhead Earth’s military invasion of a hostile alien homeworld. But, in this desperate war for humanity’s survival against an unrelenting enemy, you may discover that the only way to defeat them...is to become one of them.

Why similar: FPS 54.2%, Classic 17.4% ★, Sci-fi 6.9%, Shooter 6.7%, Action 4%

Why You'll Like It: This linear military sci-fi campaign similarly drops a soldier into an alien war, balancing heavy weapons, scripted events, and grim industrial environments.

TE120 is a short single player experience set in the Half-Life Universe featuring a gravity defying weapon that allows you to jump buildings and sustain large falls. The story takes place at a mysterious date & location. Where are you? Why have you been sent?

Why similar: FPS 56.4%, Shooter 15%, First-Person 7.8%, Action 7.4%, Sci-fi 6.3%

Why You'll Like It: A compact Half-Life 2 mod campaign that delivers inventive physics puzzles, armed encounters, and an atmospheric scientific-facility mystery.

Experience the original F.E.A.R. along with F.E.A.R. Extraction Point and F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate.

Why similar: FPS 58.7%, Classic 21.9% ★, Shooter 5%, Action 4%, Sci-fi 2.4%

Why You'll Like It: Its excellent enemy AI, tense corridor combat, experimental-facility setting, and unsettling supernatural incidents suit players who enjoy Half-Life's combat-driven storytelling.

Selaco is a brand new original shooter inspired by classics, featuring thrilling action set pieces, destructibility, smart enemies and a fleshed out story taking place within an immersive game world.

Why similar: FPS 56.8%, Shooter 10.7%, Sci-fi 10%, First-Person 6.4%, Action 4.5%

Why You'll Like It: Its detailed secret facility, reactive enemy encounters, environmental interaction, and story-driven pacing make it one of the clearest modern successors to classic Half-Life design.

A demonic invasion has overwhelmed the Union Aerospace Corporation's Mars research facility. As one of only a few survivors, you must fight your way to hell and back against a horde of demons in this award-winning horror/action FPS and reimagining of the original DOOM.

Why similar: FPS 53.2%, Classic 22.5% ★, Shooter 6.4%, Sci-fi 5.8%, Action 3.6%

Why You'll Like It: This slower, darker sci-fi shooter centers on surviving an alien and demonic outbreak inside a research complex filled with scripted scares and experimental weaponry.

Aliens Versus Predator Classic 2000 features the Colonial Marine, Alien and Predator Campaigns and the frenetic single-player Skirmish mode from the original title: Alien Versus Predator Gold Edition, which was released to massive acclaim in 2000.

Why similar: FPS 41.3%, Classic 28.8% ★, Aliens 10.7%, Sci-fi 6.3%, Shooter 4.5%

Why You'll Like It: The Marine campaign especially delivers tense first-person battles against dangerous aliens in dark industrial installations, with a similarly era-appropriate feel.

FIGHT THE PAST TO SAVE THE FUTURE. STOP THE SINGULARITY. Learn the truth behind a massive cover-up of the catastrophic SINGULARITY, an event that fractured time and threatens the world as we know it. Armed with powerful, advanced weaponry and the experimental Time Manipulation Device, fight enemies from the past, the present, and...

Why similar: FPS 65.5%, Sci-fi 9.8%, Shooter 5.8%, Action 4.9%, Classic 4.4% ★

Why You'll Like It: A first-person sci-fi campaign through a ruined research installation, with experimental technology, mutated enemies, and a strong late-2000s shooter feel.

System Shock® 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is a genre defining experience that established innovative game-play mechanics that are a staple of the FPS and RPG genre today. Survive the wretched corridors of the Von Braun. Your training has prepared you for this.

Why similar: FPS 59.5%, Sci-fi 12.5%, Shooter 9.1%, Action 5%, First-Person 3.9%

Why You'll Like It: Its isolated sci-fi horror setting, hostile creatures, environmental logs, and methodical first-person exploration make it an influential cousin to Half-Life's immersive tension.

World War II rages and nations fall. The Nazis are twisting science and the occult into an army capable of annihilating the Allies once and for all. As US Army Ranger William “B.J.” Blazkowicz, pierce the black heart of the Third Reich and stop them...or die trying.

Why similar: FPS 48.6%, Classic 32.5% ★, Shooter 4.8%, Action 4%, First-Person 2.7%

Why You'll Like It: Though set in World War II, it shares Opposing Force's mission-based military perspective, varied weapons, supernatural enemies, and scripted single-player escalation.

In Prey, you awaken aboard Talos I, a space station orbiting the moon in the year 2032. You are the key subject of an experiment meant to alter humanity forever – but things have gone terribly wrong. The space station has been overrun by hostile aliens and you are now being hunted.

Why similar: FPS 48.4%, Sci-fi 15.7%, Aliens 13.4%, First-Person 6.1%, Action 3.8%

Why You'll Like It: Prey trades linearity for exploration, but its invaded space station, alien menace, scientific mystery, and first-person problem-solving strongly echo Black Mesa's atmosphere.

You are humanity’s last hope to stop the Strogg, a hostile alien race waging war against Earth. Play this military sci-fi FPS, now upgraded for modern platforms with improved visuals, new campaign content, online multiplayer/co-op, and more.

Why similar: FPS 45.1%, Classic 27.4% ★, 1990's 5.1%, Sci-fi 4.8%, Shooter 4.7%

Why You'll Like It: Its campaign of industrial alien bases, heavy weapon combat, and late-1990s sci-fi action is a natural fit for players seeking another foundational shooter of the era.

Serious Sam is a high-adrenaline single-play and 16-player co-operative arcade-action FPS and Gamespot's Game of the Year 2001!

Why similar: FPS 48.4%, Classic 31.3% ★, Shooter 4.9%, Action 4.7%, Sci-fi 2.9%

Why You'll Like It: It favors enormous enemy swarms over scripted narrative, but its no-nonsense classic FPS weapons and alien invasion action fit the same old-school shooter appetite.

Become the ultimate badass in Trepang2: A gory, action-packed FPS set in the near future. Unleash all hell on your enemies, dodge bullets and leave a trail of destruction in this hardcore and frenetic shooter.

Why similar: FPS 58.4%, Shooter 12.9%, First-Person 6%, Sci-fi 5.4%, Gore 5.3%

Why You'll Like It: Its intense tactical firefights, aggressive enemy AI, secret-facility missions, and supernatural conspiracy make it a modern action-heavy alternative to F.E.A.R. and Half-Life.

JOIN THE REVOLUTION! Lured to Mars by the Ultor Corporation's promise of a better life, thousands have come to seek their fortune and work for the massive mining company. But all is not as it seems. A deadly plague is sweeping through the barracks, and miners suffer daily abuse at the hands of the Ultor guards.

Why similar: FPS 50.3%, Classic 26.8% ★, Sci-fi 7.7%, Action 5%, Shooter 4.7%

Why You'll Like It: A Mars-set rebellion shooter with a classic linear campaign, oppressive industrial sci-fi environments, and unusually destructive firefights.

SiN: Gold (1998) has returned! Free update for original owners!

Why similar: FPS 42.5%, Action 23.5%, Classic 16% ★, Shooter 7.2%, 1990's 4.6%

Why You'll Like It: A contemporary late-1990s shooter with corporate conspiracies, mutant enemies, branching-feeling levels, and the same fast GoldSrc-era sensibility.

Cry of Fear is a psychological single-player and co-op horror game set in a deserted town filled with horrific creatures and nightmarish delusions. You play as a young man desperately searching for answers in the cold Scandinavian night, finding his way through the city as he slowly descends into madness.

Why similar: FPS 57%, Shooter 10.5%, First-Person 9.6%, Action 6.9%, Co-op 5.6%

Why You'll Like It: Built from Half-Life technology, this standalone horror campaign preserves the era's first-person movement and level design while making the atmosphere far more disturbing.

Half-Life Deathmatch: Source is a recreation of the first multiplayer game set in the Half-Life universe. Features all the classic weapons and most-played maps, now running on the Source engine.

Why similar: FPS 55.3%, Classic 19.2% ★, Action 7.9%, Shooter 6.9%, Sci-fi 6.7%

One of the most popular online action games of all time, Team Fortress Classic features over nine character classes -- from Medic to Spy to Demolition Man -- enlisted in a unique style of online team warfare. Each character class possesses unique weapons, items, and abilities, as teams compete online in a variety of game play modes.

Why similar: FPS 46.2%, Classic 27.7% ★, Action 10.1%, Shooter 6.4%, 1990's 5.1%

Fast multiplayer action set in the Half-Life 2 universe! HL2's physics adds a new dimension to deathmatch play. Play straight deathmatch or try Combine vs. Resistance teamplay. Toss a toilet at your friend today!

Why similar: FPS 67.7%, Action 11.5%, Shooter 7.6%, Sci-fi 5.9%, First-Person 4.6%

Half-Life: Alyx is Valve’s VR return to the Half-Life series. It’s the story of an impossible fight against a vicious alien race known as the Combine, set between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2. Playing as Alyx Vance, you are humanity’s only chance for survival.

Why similar: FPS 46%, Aliens 14.5%, Sci-fi 9.3%, Shooter 9%, First-Person 5.6%

Developed by the award-winning id Software, Quake® is the ground-breaking, original dark fantasy first-person shooter that inspires today’s retro-style FPS games. With Quake (Enhanced), experience the authentic, updated, and visually enhanced version of the original.

Why similar: FPS 44.5%, Classic 30.6% ★, Shooter 5.2%, 1990's 4.7%, Action 2.6%

Enjoy fast-paced multiplayer gaming with Deathmatch Classic (a.k.a. DMC). Valve's tribute to the work of id software, DMC invites players to grab their rocket launchers and put their reflexes to the test in a collection of futuristic settings.

Why similar: FPS 43.2%, Classic 25.9% ★, Action 17.1%, Shooter 5.9%, First-Person 3%

Enlist in an intense brand of Axis vs. Allied teamplay set in the WWII European Theatre of Operations. Players assume the role of light/assault/heavy infantry, sniper or machine-gunner class, each with a unique arsenal of historical weaponry at their disposal. Missions are based on key historical operations.

Why similar: FPS 80.1%, Classic 10.5% ★, Shooter 4%, Military 1.7%, Action 1.6%

With its extensive Tour of Duty campaign, a near-limitless number of skirmish modes, updates and new content for Counter-Strike's award-winning multiplayer game play, plus over 12 bonus single player missions, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero is a tremendous offering of single and multiplayer content.

Why similar: FPS 58.4%, Classic 17.9% ★, Shooter 8.9%, Action 7.4%, First-Person 3.5%

Play the enhanced version of the original game released on the Nintendo 64 in 1997. Years have passed since you stopped Hell’s invasion of Earth. Quarantined for humanity’s safety, the UAC research facilities on Mars were abandoned and forgotten...until now.

Why similar: FPS 40.9%, Classic 28.4% ★, 1990's 7.3%, Shooter 5.2%, Action 4.5%

A futuristic action game that challenges your agility as well as your aim, Ricochet features one-on-one and team matches played in a variety of futuristic battle arenas.

Why similar: FPS 44.4%, Classic 24.5% ★, Action 17.8%, Sci-fi 4.5%, Shooter 4.1%

The greatest warriors of all time and space have been summoned to battle for the amusement of an ancient alien race. Wield a variety of guns and power-ups as you fight for glory against ruthless combatants in this fast-paced single-player and multiplayer FPS.

Why similar: FPS 50.8%, Classic 28.5% ★, 1990's 4.7%, Shooter 4.6%, Action 3.5%

Play the world's number 1 online action game. Engage in an incredibly realistic brand of terrorist warfare in this wildly popular team-based game. Ally with teammates to complete strategic missions. Take out enemy sites. Rescue hostages. Your role affects your team's success. Your team's success affects your role.

Why similar: FPS 54.4%, Classic 24.7% ★, Shooter 7.7%, Action 5.8%, 1990's 3.1%

Sven Co-op is a co-operative game originally based around Valve Software's Half-Life. In this game players must work together against computer controlled enemies and solve puzzles as a team.

Why similar: FPS 55.1%, 1990's 12%, Shooter 11%, First-Person 6.7%, Action 4.8%

Just another mission, or so you thought… until aliens from another dimension start invading Earth before a scientist with a crowbar hospitalizes you after wiping out your entire squad. Just when you thought you were finished, a man with a briefcase offers you the chance for another beginning.

Why similar: FPS 54.5%, Military 11.4%, Shooter 10.8%, First-Person 7.1%, Moddable 5.6%

Developed by id Software, and originally released in 1993 and 1994, the definitive, newly enhanced versions of DOOM + DOOM II are available as a combined product.

Why similar: FPS 42.1%, Classic 31.2% ★, 1990's 6%, Shooter 4%, Great Soundtrack 3.3%

As a member of Delta Force — The Army's Elite, top secret special forces unit — the word 'impossible' is not in your vocabulary. In Delta Force, you will conduct missions swiftly and silently, in every possible terrain, under every imaginable condition and through unconventional means.

Why similar: FPS 45.5%, Classic 27% ★, Military 8.8%, Action 6.8%, Shooter 4.5%

Halo: Campaign Evolved is a faithful yet modernized remake of Halo: Combat Evolved’s campaign, rebuilt from the ground up.

Why similar: FPS 58.3%, Aliens 9.4%, Sci-fi 8.3%, Shooter 7.5%, Action 4.6%

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter is a visually upgraded and fully Steam supported remake version of the original high-adrenaline single-play and 16-player co-operative arcade-action FPS which was Gamespot's Game of the Year 2001 and which scored overall of 87% on Metacritic!

Why similar: FPS 59.4%, Classic 15.8% ★, Shooter 5.7%, Aliens 5.1%, Action 4.5%

The classic first person shooter from Crytek is back with the action-packed gameplay, sandbox world, and thrilling epic battles you loved the first time around – now with remastered graphics optimized for a new generation of hardware.

Why similar: FPS 53.3%, Aliens 13.6%, Shooter 10.3%, Sci-fi 9.4%, Action 5.4%

Pulse-racing new installment from 2007's PC Game of the Year*: Play as Sergeant Sykes and experience a whole new side of the battle. A standard combat mission behind enemy lines becomes critical when you discover your enemies have captured something of vital importance to the ensuing war.

Why similar: FPS 59.7%, Aliens 9.1%, Sci-fi 8.1%, Shooter 6.7%, Action 5.5%

Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II picks up where the award-winning Dark Forces™ game left off...with even more features and firepower in dazzling 3D graphics. As Kyle Katarn, you must acquire a lightsaber and learn the ways of the Force to become a Jedi Knight.

Why similar: FPS 43.3%, Classic 29.4% ★, Sci-fi 8.4%, Action 6.4%, Shooter 4.3%

You are John Blade, commander of HardCorps, an elite security force dedicated to protecting the people of Freeport City. Four years have passed since your first battle with Elexis Sinclaire, a beautiful, brilliant, and ruthless scientist who is out to remake humanity according to her own twisted vision.

Why similar: FPS 58.6%, Classic 18.3% ★, Action 8.3%, Sci-fi 6%, Shooter 5.1%

Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter is a high-adrenaline single-play and 16-player co-operative arcade-action FPS and Gamespot's Game of the Month February 2002!

Why similar: FPS 48.4%, Classic 28.8% ★, Action 5.3%, Shooter 5.1%, First-Person 3%

Wolfenstein®: The New Order reignites the series that created the first-person shooter genre. Wolfenstein offers a deep game narrative packed with action, adventure and first-person combat.

Why similar: FPS 67.1%, Shooter 8%, Action 5.5%, Sci-fi 4.7%, First-Person 4.4%

World War II rages. The Nazis are planning to build an unstoppable, mutant army. On a mission to steal the secret plans, you were captured and imprisoned. Now, a lucky break gives you the chance to escape, but a maze of passages and trigger-happy Nazis stand in your way.

Why similar: FPS 40.5%, Classic 25.2% ★, 1990's 8.1%, Shooter 6.9%, First-Person 4.4%

The evil Empire is currently creating a doomsday army behind a veil of secrecy. However, they are no match for the Rebel Alliance's covert operations division. Your mission is to infiltrate the Empire and put an end to their plans for terror and domination.

Why similar: FPS 46.4%, Classic 10.3% ★, Shooter 9.3%, Sci-fi 8%, 1990's 7.1%

Serious Sam is a high-adrenaline arcade-action shooter heavily focused on frantic action. In a world where cyberpunk meets fantasy-fiction and advanced technology is mixed with black magic and psycho-powers, Sam travels through four beautiful worlds, confronting countless foes on his way to Mental's base.

Why similar: FPS 50%, Classic 29.2% ★, Shooter 6.5%, Action 5.6%, First-Person 2.7%

Battle through an onslaught of mystical backwater cultists, possessed militants & even darker forces as you attempt to discover just what lurks beneath the Earth in this retro FPS inspired by the '90s legends.

Why similar: FPS 48%, Classic 19.4% ★, Shooter 7.9%, 1990's 6.4%, Great Soundtrack 4.2%

Relive the legendary single-player campaign from the classic first-person shooter, Crysis 2, optimized for today's hardware in Crysis 2 Remastered.

Why similar: FPS 54.9%, Aliens 15.3%, Shooter 10.9%, Sci-fi 6.3%, Action 6.2%