Top 10 Video Game Guns

Kicking off our list is the game changing power weapon from the king of split screen multiplayer. A beast of a gun with insane accuracy, this bad boy fires 80 rounds per clip, so 160 rounds when you’re dual wielding in single player. There was nothing better than like stumbling on one of these and then mercilessly hunting down your one poor friend that hadn’t played before and could only ever find the Klobb.

The twisted humor that made Duke 3D a classic is perhaps best epitomized by the Shrink Ray, which did exactly what you think it would do. Shrinking your enemies to pint sized proportions, the shrink ray let you literally squash them like bugs. Although the direct effects of the gun aren’t deadly, it was certainly effective.

With a full inventory of imaginative guns, most of which feature a dual function, there was never a shortage of choice in Perfect Dark. That said, we got to give it up for the Farsight, a sniper rifle that allowed you to hit targets through walls, you know, like in that movie with Arnold and James Caan. Of course, the experienced players knew that deploying the laptop gun as a sentry for cover was the king strategy, making it our close second Perfect Dark pick.

The iconic weapon of the series, gamers lovingly refer to it as the disk launcher, combining the best elements sniper rifles and rocket launchers. Slow firing and slow moving rounds only rewarded careful timing and precision, as the jetpack fueled carnage Tribes was known for never had anyone sitting still for very long. As such, scoring a mid air kill with the spinfusor was one of those gaming delicious savored by the very few.

The shotgun for the far future, it’s hard to think of a weapon that had a more tactile “ooph”. Not only did it literally shred your enemies to bits at close range with dependable ferocity, but it’s brilliant visual design made added to the weapon’s efficiency and satisfying use. Being able to see the glowing shards of Flak you were firing let you know exactly how accurate you were, and the “punch-can” animation made it feel, well, really punchy.

Actually just a re-appropriated mining tool from the future, the plasma cutter is the bread and butter of any stranded spacefarers dismembering kit. Firing a short vertical or horizontal line, which is ever so useful for skillful limb removal, standard pistols just aren’t the same after you’ve sliced a few Necromorphs apart with one of these babies. But perhaps the best part are the 3 guiding lasers which protrude from the muzzle, which somehow instill you the confidence you need to walk down the very darkest of hallways.

I’m pretty sure the only thing they ever had to say while pitching the idea for Gears of War was “chainsaw bayonets”. An over the top weapon that epitomizes the bad-assery that the series is known for, it prompts nasty gore filled retribution to enemies that venture too close. Many of the guns on this list have come to represent their franchise as a whole, but without the Lancer, there is no Gears of War.

Halo is a game chalk full of memorable guns, and we were tempted to pass this over to the Battle rifle for the sheer amount of use it gets in multiplayer. However, the Needler stands out from the pack for its brilliant aesthetic design and unique core mechanic. While the guided projectiles are always cool and help to elevate this gun past the standard status of “alien smg”, the sweetest peach is holding on long enough to cause your new pincushion to overload, guaranteeing a colorful and satisfying explosion.

With the protagonist Gordon Freeman being a physicist, his weapon is science! Namely, the Zero-Point Energy Field Manipulator which can grab and hurl objects. This means that you are frequently only limited by your imagination, as anything in your surroundings can become a deadly projectile. The ultimate display of in game physics, Half Life 2’s gravity gun is the perfect example of how new technology combined with brilliant and creative design can result in the very best gameplay.

Expecting the BFG 9000? While that beast is ultimate and god like, we’ve decided to defy your expectations by declaring our love for boomstick of gaming. Sure, workhorse doesn’t do anything as fancy as release a room clearing energy blast, but it’s all in the little things. The animation looks awesome for one thing; everyone was impressed in 93 when we saw that perfectly digitized hand pump the action. But most importantly, after running around the first level or so with the pistol, when you finally find the shotgun and send a few enemies careening across the map in a single shot, it’s the first time you feel truly powerful. And that’s the quintessential essence of all first person shooters.

Agree with our list? What’s your favorite digital boom stick? For more entertaining top 10s, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.