Best milsim/tactical shooter?

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

I've been on a bit of a tactical shooter kick recently and have been bouncing around between various titles, trying to find the one that clicks.

I've thrown time into the following the past few months:

Ready Or Not
Zero Hour
Squad
Ground Branch
Insurgency: Sandstorm
ArmA III
Post Scriptum


I really like the level design and the variety of tactical options in Ready Or Not.  It's still in early access so some levels aren't finished yet.  The latest update added two new levels that are really fun and challenging.  It also upped the AI skill level and I think they might've overdone it a bit.  They now seem to know whenever you go eyes-off and that's when they jump out to pop you.

Squad.  I dunno.  I just can't get into this one as much.  It's got some of the best explosion effects in any game and the maps are huge.  Player base is solid and the modding community is very active.  Infantry combat is great but you sometimes feel a little like a sideshow as vehicles dominate the matches.  Vehicles are a little too simplified for my tastes, yet I somehow manage to completely suck at them.  Helis now have joystick support but it doesn't work very well and only recognizes one device so you can't use HOTAS.  I think it's the weird base building portion of the game that throws me off.  really feels out of place to me.

Post Scriptum is by the same dev team as Squad, I think.  Gameplay is very similar.  I prefer the WWII theme to the modern stuff but the player base isn't as active in PS as in Squad.  Same thing.  I can't put my finger on why it doesn't click with me, but it just doesn't.  Again, I think it's down to the way spawning and base building are implemented.  Just feels odd and out of place to me.

Zero Hour.  For a budget title, this is a great little game.  It doesn't have the deep features that Ready Or Not does, but the gunplay is fun, the levels offer up a lot of variety, and the AI is challenging, especially if you try to solo it.

Ground Branch.  I love the gunplay in this one.  It's still early access and it doesn't feel as far along as Ready Or Not.  I hope they add body armour and the ability to go prone in the next patch.  I do like the ability to set up maps with the number baddies you want to face as well as their skill level.   I fire this one up and just throw together a quick mission where I can try to solo a level in 15-20 minutes.

Insurgency: Sandstorm.  This is the one my buddies like to play the most so it kinda sucks that it's the one I like the least.  The variety of guns is cool but the gameplay is a little too run-and-gun and Cap the Point for my tastes.

ArmA III.  I played the crap out of this when it first came out.  I took a break for a few years and recently tried getting back into it.  It's still fun but there are just so many mods out there now that feel almost necessary that I felt a bit overwhelmed and went back to Ready Or Not.

[al_infierno]

I agree with pretty much all of your takes, although I wouldn't really include the Insurgency games in a milsim/tactical shooter thread since as you mentioned, it's really more of a run-n-gun shooter a la Counter-Strike.

Ready or Not is definitely my personal favorite on this list, though I'm biased because I played the crap out of Swat 3/4 back in the 2000s.  I also never really got into Squad, and I enjoyed making scenarios in Arma 3 but not a lot else. 

I should give Ground Branch a shot if you recommend it, I recall trying it and being rather unimpressed by the AI.  I have a screenshot on Steam that I titled "Lemming Branch" where there's a literal pile of bodies in a small corridor where the entire AI team piled in one after the other, despite the existence of many other ways around.

[Jarhead0331]

My top contenders at the moment would be Ready or Not, Ground Branch, Arma 3 (and I suppose at this point Reforger) and the VR title Onward.

If I had to select one to rule them all? As a milsim, it would have to go to Arma. It is by far the most diverse, flexible and mature title of the bunch. I simply cannot wait to see how Arma 4 turns out.

I'm also very excited about Ready or Not. This one is really on track to be an exceptional game. The combat is excellent. The effects make it feel very violent and visceral.There is suspense around every corner and behind every door. Suspect AI is already fairly advanced and presents a real challenge. In a day and age where everything is so multiplayer focused, Ready or Not will provide a superb and credible single player experience.

Ground Branch is also filled with tremendous potential, but it is still pretty raw as compared to Ready or Not. The last major update was a big leap forward, so with a few more of those, it may be closer to a more complete combat experience. One thing that I think sets GB apart is the modular kit system. The gunsmithing options, character load out and everything from mag and utility pouches on plate carriers and vests can all be customized. Very unique and cool features.

Finally, I mention Onward because it truly was a revolutionary title in the milsim fps genre. In fact, it is the title that convinced me to buy my first VR headset. I heard about this game and saw some video and knew I had to try it out. Even in those early days, I was simply blown away and felt like it was the future of milsim gaming and actual combat training. This game brought me into an entirely new world and I have not looked back since. I know VR is not for everyone, but this game represents such an advancement in concept and immersion that it deserves to be mentioned...not just an evolution like Ready or Not, or even Reforger, but a true revolution that comes only a few times in a generation.

[Skoop]

I've been playing all the new content on ready or not....it's great.  The friendly AI and how easy it is to command them is nice.  I like ground branch too, but have been leaning more towards ready or not lately.  Only thing missing from ready or not would be the in-depth planning phase from the old Clancy sims along with a campaign and I'd be in 90s Tom Clancy shooter heaven.

[rustyshackleford]

I've played nearly every milsim/tac-shooter released in the past 20 years.

The only ones I've bothered to keep on my HD are:

Ghost Recon Gold (Desert Siege + Island Thunder with the Unleashed Heroes mod)
Rogue Spear

Yeah I'm old-school, but I love what I love. 

[Skoop]

Then you'll like ready or not.  It's got the old-school swat / rainbow6 vibe for sure, but with modern eye candy.