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Best Shooter games of 2003

The 17 best Shooter games released in 2003, ranked from 3,261 critic and player ratings.

The best Shooter game of 2003 is Call of Duty, with a critic score of 87/100 — updated November 2026.

How this ranking is built
  • Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
  • A game only enters the ranking with at least 30 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
  • Each game is ranked in one genre only, the one that defines it best, so the same title never tops two different genre charts.
  • Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
  • Release window covered: 2003.
  • 17 games are listed on this page, carrying 3,261 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 13 November 2026.

Top 17

Played them? Give your tier with the + next to each game. No account needed to try — create one to keep your tiers.

01 Call of Duty A Call of Duty 2003 · 856 ratings · 2 Tier votes · finished by 40% "Call of Duty" (2003) is the inaugural game in the acclaimed first-person shooter series developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. Set during World War II, it provides an intense, cinematic experience that takes players through key battles in the European Theater of Operations. The game features three interwoven campaigns, allowing players to fight as American, British, and Soviet soldiers. With a focus on realism and authenticity, "Call of Duty" introduces innovative gameplay mechanics, such as squad-based combat and the use of iron sights for aiming. Players participate in historic missions like the D-Day invasion, the Battle of Stalingrad, and the assault on Pegasus Bridge, each meticulously crafted to convey the chaos and camaraderie of wartime. The game's gripping narrative, combined with its atmospheric graphics and sound design, set a new standard for the genre and established "Call of Duty" as a landmark title in video game history. 87 /100
02 Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne 2003 · 1,076 ratings · finished by 41% Max Payne 2 is a third-person shooter, in which the player assumes the role of Max Payne, but also plays as Mona Sax in a few levels. Initially, the player's weapon is a 9mm pistol. As they progress, players access other weapons including other handguns, shotguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, and hand-thrown weapons. To move the game along, the player is told what the next objective is through Max's internal monologue, in which Max iterates what his next steps should be. 84 /100
03 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield 2003 · 51 ratings A tactical shooter with realistic properties, it adapts various features absent in previous installments of the franchise such as the ability to see one's weapon while in first-person view, many new weapons and upgrades, as well as a redesigned multiplayer. 82 /100
04 Day of Defeat Day of Defeat 2003 · 73 ratings · finished by 1% · 6 h to beat 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. 79 /100
05 Unreal 2: The Awakening Unreal 2: The Awakening 2003 · 76 ratings · finished by 9% You are John Dalton, an ex-Marine assigned to patrol the edge of human space as a Marshal for the Terran Colonial Authority. Unexpectedly, your monotonous life is shattered by a chilling distress signal, plunging you into an adventure beyond belief. Violent turmoil among the races has erupted on your watch. Thrust into a conflict that will determine the fate of the galaxy, you are humanity's only hope for salvation. Only you can prevent the Awakening. Not Your Average Mission - Command a team of marines defending a ravaged base. Infiltrate an enemy stronghold. Rescue the trapped survivor of an alien raid. With a demanding array of objectives, you have one overriding goal - survival. Be ready for anything. Unreal Graphics and Sound - Awe-inspiring graphics immerse you in a swarm of alien worlds full of breathtaking scenery and brutal action. 3D sound envelops you in hailstorms of bullets, mind-jarring explosions and the eerie chatter of alien tongues. From Your Mind to the Game - Use the included Unreal Editor software to create your own levels of Unreal play. Design your own game mods and challenge others to enter your personal Unreal Universe. 2003, Epic Games, Inc. All rights reserved. Epic, Epic Games, Unreal, and Unreal II are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. 75 /100
06 Tron 2.0 Tron 2.0 2003 · 41 ratings An unknown viral agent threatens the future of computer systems worldwide. Countermeasure programs have scanned the system and have wrongly identified you as the virus source. Your mission is to prevent the sinister conspiracy that threatens to corrupt one reality, and forever transform another. Over 35 levels of challenging gameplay -- Race at the speed of light, fight off computer Viruses and engage in violent digital combat. 74 /100
07 Vietcong Vietcong 2003 · 52 ratings Vietcong is an tactical FPS known for its realism focused gameplay and at the time, original Vietnam war setting. The game featured many early examples of later genre conventions such as iron sights and a cover system. In addition to the main story-driven campaign, the game also features a number of quick skirmish style missions for single player, as well as a fairly robust set of both cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes, including a downloadable set of coop missions entitled "Red Dawn" played from the perspective of Vietcong soldiers. 74 /100
08 XIII XIII 2003 · 145 ratings · finished by 12% XIII is a cel-shaded first-person shooter based on the popular Belgian cult comic created by Jean Van Hamme and illustrated by William Vance. The game is loosely based on the first five comics. The player unravels clues, trying to solve a conspiracy set in an environment that breathes a comic book ambiance. Footsteps and shots are visualized in text and actions: for example, headshots are shown in a series of still images. Aside from that, the game has all the typical FPS elements: both stealth and action, more than fifteen weapons (shotguns, crossbows, rifles, ...), interaction with environmental objects and plenty of enemies in levels spread all over the world. During the game, the player can learn a number of skills such as silent walking, lockpicking and dual weapons handling. 73 /100
09 Medal of Honor Allied Assault: Breakthrough Medal of Honor Allied Assault: Breakthrough 2003 · 61 ratings 72 /100
10 Resident Evil: Dead Aim Resident Evil: Dead Aim 2003 · 41 ratings Resident Evil: Dead Aim is a survival-horror game released exclusively for the PlayStation 2 under the Gun Survivor title, which was used for several games made for the Namco light gun controllers. The game is played in two camera angles: the player moves from a third-person perspective while walking, which changes to a first-person perspective while aiming the gun. You'll pick up several guns through the course of the game, including a magnum, a shotgun, and an assault rifle. But like in other Resident Evil games, zombies are difficult to put down permanently and ammo can be very scarce. 71 /100
11 Freedom Fighters Freedom Fighters 2003 · 134 ratings 70 /100
12 I.G.I. 2: Covert Strike I.G.I. 2: Covert Strike 2003 · 68 ratings 68 /100
13 Delta Force: Black Hawk Down Delta Force: Black Hawk Down 2003 · 76 ratings 68 /100
14 Medal of Honor: Rising Sun Medal of Honor: Rising Sun 2003 · 95 ratings 68 /100
15 Will Rock Will Rock 2003 · 30 ratings 67 /100
16 Postal 2 Postal 2 2003 · 308 ratings · finished by 16% 59 /100
17 Metal Slug 5 Metal Slug 5 2003 · 78 ratings 50 /100
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Other years

Best Shooter games of 2025Best Shooter games of 2024Best Shooter games of 2023Best Shooter games of 2022Best Shooter games of 2021Best Shooter games of 2020Best Shooter games of 2019Best Shooter games of 2018Best Shooter games of 2017Best Shooter games of 2016Best Shooter games of 2015Best Shooter games of 2014

Same year, other platforms

Best PC games of 2003Best PlayStation 2 games of 2003Best GameCube games of 2003Best Xbox games of 2003Best Mac games of 2003Best Game Boy Advance games of 2003

Nearby rankings

Best Shooter games of 2002Best Shooter games of 2004Best Platformer games of 2003Best RPG games of 2003Best Simulation games of 2003Best Strategy games of 2003

Catalog statistics

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best Shooter game of 2003?

Call of Duty currently tops the ranking with a score of 87/100 across 856 ratings. Ranking updated November 2026.

How is this ranking built?

Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.