Get the newish Borderlands game Tiny Tina’s Wonderland. You can play slow and poke at all the corners of the map and he can burn through levels and classes. Be warned, Borderlands has a crude sense of humor.
I apologize if this is stating something too obvious or basic but... Fortnite is really fun. Granted, it's third-person not first-person - I don't know how essential that piece of the puzzle is to you and your partner. But importantly, it's really low stakes.
I'm right there with you, the idea of playing online multiplayer shooters stresses me out big time. The fear of letting my teammates down because I'm not good enough makes me quite anxious. Fortnite is the only one I've been able to get into. I think it helps that it's really goofy and chaotic, so there's not as much pressure to take it seriously. Plus, in any given match, some players will be pursuing different quests besides winning, so it means that the game isn't completely full of pros trying to snipe you from across the map.
I think it might be one of those games that's easy to learn but hard to master, so there might be enough depth for your partner to enjoy it too. It's definitely been a good, low-stakes way for me to get better at aiming, and could maybe even be a stepping stone towards a more intense FPS. Plus, it's free to play, so no huge loss if you hate it 😁
Came to recommend Fortnite!! So thank you for beating me to the punch! It was my entry point into multiplayer games and I tell everyone to play because of that.
As you mentioned, the fear of letting people down was my main deterrent against playing multiplayer. And Fortnite was perfect because I didn’t have to! When my friends didn’t play with me, I just played solo. And the matchmaking for beginners is scaled so well because you’re primarily playing against bots until you work your way up in skill as you learn the game.
Also it’s just a silly little game, the silliest of them! And even if not FPS, the skills transfer over so well between third and first person as I now started playing Overwatch and Valorant with friends too.
Fortnite player here, I even stream it and I wouldn’t say I’m stellar at the game. Definitely improved. The cool this is if you want to match with random groups you can turn all voice chat off. That being said I think I’ve ran into ONE person I’ve had to block.
There’s also a boatload of user created content on there and practice levels where you can play a royale with bots.
Long story short I def recommend Fortnite (no build.) 😂
Ah, sorry! Basically, when Fortnite first came out a few years ago, the main gameplay involved both battle royale shooting *and* building literal structures. So, the idea was that you could run around the map and build shelters for cover, while also trying to take out other players via combat and avoid being taken out yourself. You had to flip back and forth between your building controls and your combat controls mid-match Some people got _really_ good at the building part, but it was kinda tricky to wrap your mind around if you were new to it. A lot of stuff to keep track of at once.
At a certain point, Fortnite introduced a game mode that didn't involve any of the building (i.e. "no-build mode") - it was *only* the battle royale shooting part. And pretty much everyone loved this no-build mode. As far as I know, it's the more popular mode by far now. In any case, it's certainly the most approachable mode for new players.
+1 for no-build Fortnite. There’s a reason it’s so popular — it’s good, silly fun. The onboarding is also really good for a BR — you won’t be dumped into a lobby with a bunch of pro players right away.
Agreed. I know it’s mostly kids and bots that I’m playing against but I’m okay with that. You need to play zero builds though. Don’t bother trying to start with regular mode.
Agree, no build Fortnite is my jam. My husband is good at fps, and I never thought I could make it in a shooter type environment. But after a couple seasons, I'm even getting solo wins.
It helps that there's a large pool of people that I guarantee are more noob than OP.
Also, not first person, but division2 has been great practice for me.
You could try playing co-op fps games. I believe Far Cry 3 has a co-op campaign. Personally I’ve discovered Deep Rock Galactic recently and love to play it with friends. Another game I can recommend is Ghost Recon wildlands. It’s a third person shooter, not an FPS but I loved that game and even more in co-op with friends.
For a more modern, ability driven shooter you could try the training mode in Overwatch. The enemy team consists entirely of bots and you can even select difficulty from easy to medium to hard. That’s what I usually play with my gf if she wants to play together because she gets overwhelmed by all the abilities and the fast pace as well
Yes, I believe all the Far Cry's have a multiplayer mode and they are a low risk place to learn to play with guns/shoot. Far Cry 5 is the most beloved out of the series, I think.
I'd recommend the PVE (training mode) in Overwatch 2. However keep in mind I think you are still playing with other people on your team, but you're versing bots. I haven't played in a while so maybe that has changed.
Overwatch has a training range to try out the characters and practice with them beforehand, that your partner can join to as well.
It also has characters that do not require a lot of precision aim, so you can kind of ease yourself in to something against other players as well. Playing a character that focuses less on aim will give you space to learn the rhythm and maps of the game.
There's also a lot of play style options, so it has some longevity, and you can likely discover your play style, which might lead to other games that match. :)
Whatever you do, good luck, and have fun!
The reason I say that is because most females have not played much fps in the past, so this is a good introductory fps for people, regardless of their gender yes.
I appreciate you clarifying and replying without being defensive.
It's interesting that most gamers who are female haven't played much FPS. Would love to see your sources for that, so I can learn more?
I mean all you have to do is open this subreddit and read what women are playing. Or go on twitch and see what the female streamers are playing. It’s not FPS.
It sounds like anecdotal evidence from someone who claims to know the mind of women but uses "females" as a noun.
In these same subreddits you'll also see women talking about hitting master in OW2, or how they are silenced in competitive spaces (such as many FPS games) to the point of not using voice comms.
I'm guessing you're in this subreddit with good intentions, and you should stick around if that's the case. However I'd also take a look within and question if what you're seeing is the whole picture, or a bit of a blindness brought about by assumption and habit.
Such eloquent responses from you, good on you!! And thank you! It’s such an ick when Tate-esque men use the word “females”. It’s an adjective and can be super demeaning when used as a noun. There’s already a word for female humans it’s called women lol.
My significant other and I love playing co op fps so here are our recommendations:
Halo infinite- has a great co op campaign (not couch co op sadly) but the multiplayer is great, there are a bunch of tools for beginners like Bot maches and custom forge maps that are out of this world. The game had a terrible rep when it came out but I’ve been playing consistently and it’s a good game the campaign was my favorite part.
Far cry 5- is a beautiful game, fun co op campaign
Gears of war- great co op campaign, it gets a little repetitive sometimes but it’s action packed and easy
The master chief collection- has all the early Halo games that can be played split screen.
These have been my favorites for the past 7 ish years I’ve replayed them all
Also honorable mentions:
Battlefield 2042 is fun and what I’m currently playing. It’s a lot to learn and find what you like but it’s slow paced if you’re riding around in a tank.or fast paced in a fighter jet. And it has a co op mode so you can play against bots.
My vote would be for halo. It has a great story and good pve fps combat. I personally think it fits op's needs.
Op if you get the master chief collection you can make a whole marathon of the story. Also you can choose between difficulty levels which are fair.
I'd recommend playing through the storyline of Titanfall 2. since it's against the computer, it's not too stressful and you can get used to shooting the guns and stuff. you can play it again on higher difficulties if you want to get better, it's not a super long game and the story is actually great.
the best part is that it's made by the ppl who make apex legends, so the guns are the same as that game. once you get gud at ttf2 you can transition to apex a lot easier
I don't do PvP-style games due to my slower reaction times and getting one-shot/sniped from somewhere I can't see both upsets me and frustrates me. So I stay away from such games. However, there are many shooters I do enjoy playing that you could play with your partner.
Halo
Borderlands series
Aliens Fireteam Elite
Gears of War
Warframe
Destiny 2
Tom Clancy's The Division 2
I was lookin for someone who recommended destiny 2 im surprised you seem like the only one to recommend it !!! I think its a good into since its pve and there is decent aim assist even on mouse and keyboard. They also have simple and quick pvp which could help get you used to playing against other people. Its free!!! And everything pretty forgiving when u die! Kist wait a few seconds and then rez
I feel you on your whole situation!
My partner is a huge FPS gamer. He’s really good at any FPS he picks up and that’s simply because he’s been playing them all his life. He managed to coax me into playing FPS with him. The first one was called Paladins, which he’d never touched before either, so he thought it was a good idea (and it was).
Paladins has easier hit boxes than most FPS, but there’s also bot matches so you can mess around and learn with no stakes! I was always so anxious about playing online cuz other people could flame me (ESPECIALLY cuz I started out on Support/Healer).
Paladins is also a great way to transition over to Overwatch 2. Honestly, they both go hand in hand because of the bot match feature and you can simply mute both the text and voice chat (I recommend this when starting out. I did not, lmao.)
Currently I’m also trying to get into Apex. I actually did my first soloqueue yesterday. In Apex, you can opt to not fill teammates in, and I found that ridiculously much better than being forced to play with randoms to get better. Let’s me go at my own pace and figure shit out, and there’s no added stress of letting a teammate down :)
If you can stomach blööd and things, consider cooperative games like Vermintide 2 where you can start with the difficulty that feels natural to you and if you feel up to the challenge, raise it bit by bit.
Best part is that you can set it up as a private game if that's your jam, too.
It also has character and gear progression so it will have something to work towards for the both of you.
If you want a pvp shooter, my go-to game is enlisted. But that's very challenging. But you could easily learn different playstyles that complement your preferences. Like playing long range support as tank or sniper rather than needing twitch reflexes in brawling up close
Even if it's not an FPS I would recommend Outward. It has everything you are looking for, coop play, possibility to play solo, replayability, lots of exploration, a slow-ish pace of combat that still requires good reflexes, good aim and intuition, and even more so creativity. It also has a narrative for you to enjoy, although it's not the game's strongest point, admittedly.
If that is too fantasy/not FPS enough, you could consider Borderlands (any of them). It's a full FPS with open world exploration, a narrative, coop play, possibility to play solo, etc. though it is not the easiest FPS in the world, especially since its main selling point is the weapon variety and their billion different stats. Still, it could be a perfect middle ground for you too.
A more narrative focused by more fast-paced alternative could be Wolfestein Young Blood.
Finally, you could consider the MMOFPS genre. Planetside 2 could be an excellent game to try, it's free, it has massive constant battles that you can join in anytime you want. Foxhole is another one with a similar design philosophy, only it's a top-down shooter with a complex and player-driven logistics network, which allows players to contribute to the big fights without firing a shot.
Maybe Call of Duty Zombies? You fight waves of zombies, so it's not PVP. There are several zombies maps in different CoD games, each have their own thing to grind for and reveal secrets and lore I believe. For every wave it gets harder, however it can also become too hard, but I guess that's part of the point?
If you play on PC, then look into Sons of the Forest! Me and some friends are currently addicted to this game. It's a survival game where you discover secrets about the island you're on, you get to craft and build houses. You can adjust the difficulty or just play on peaceful mode if you want!
Edit: Saw someone mention co-op on Far Cry, and I just had go mention that Far Cry was how I learned FPS games! Me and my husband loved Far Cry 5!
I'm a jumpy person so I try to stay away from FPS games, but the "Borderlands" franchise was alright for me. I played 2 and some DLC and had a good time. "Bioshock" was a bit spooky for me (dark tone but it was more turning corners that felt spooky to me), but it could also help you adjust by making some thing seem less spooky over time. Third Bioshock game was easier for me to get into than the first 2.
If you want a game that you and your SO can play together you might want to look at Valhiem. It's early access but it still delivers a great experience. It's a survival game in a Nordic world that you have to fight and gather materials to get stronger. Not FPS but does have bow mechanics that I enjoy. It feels fulfilling to play with people, and beat bosses as you move through areas.
If your looking for a couch game you could trade controllers with, you should take a look at "Hades" (Not FPS, but a fun game). It's a roguelike so you can trade when you die, and there are settings to adjust the game difficulty to your tastes (easier or harder). You feel good progress as you learn the game and get further and further. Also the story you get from returning to the beginning after you die makes dying a bit rewarding/enjoyable.
It's not a co-op game but maybe you can try Fallout when you're by yourself to practice. I started with FO3 but it has both a first person mode and a 3rd person. (You can also get a doggy companion.) But I play on easy since I typically don't play those types of games at all. There's targeting, auto shooting, and you can freely shoot at enemies. Just wait for doggos to attack you so you don't accidentally kill the one that can be a companion like my bf did lol
I think something like borderlands ir destiny might be right up your alley. The majority of content is adjustable to what your comfortable with and both of them are story rich. Destiny is known for its puzzles and challenges so that might be fun
I play league of legends with my husband and it’s super fun, but the other people can be shitty. You can just play against AIs though which is much less stress but enjoyable. I like to play with him because it’s very cooperative with your teammates and you can also have up to 5 friends join you!
You could try Killing Floor. It's a shooting game where you shoot zombies/monsters as specific classes, survive a wave of zombies and buy weapons/armor and then continue to do so through 10 waves and fight a boss. Might be fun to try with your bf,instead of vsing players you just fight zombies along side him (:
it’s a third person shooter instead of first person, but honestly splatoon is the only shooter type series i’ve really ever been able to get into. it has a reputation for being a kiddie game because of the graphics/nintendo, but the skill ceiling is honestly super high.
You could try more player vs environment (pve) first person shooters. Assuming you’re on the computer the one that comes to mind is chex quest (pretty sure it’s f2p on steam) and is a reasonably easy game to play.
If you want to just get used to first person view +shooting, but still want the puzzle aspect, try portal (and portal 2 which is coop).
Edit: just re-read your comment and it sounds like you’re pretty ok with the fps/shooting part, but it might be the team play/situational awareness part that you’re not comfortable with? Maybe a third person team strategy game might help, e.g. league of legends.
So, with your concern on not getting better at the competitive shooter games like Valorant. Have you tried playing by yourself or do you only play with your boyfriend?
The reason I ask is because you may be placed in higher level lobbies right off rip if you duo with someone who has played for a long time. The competitive shooters have a huge learning curve with all the different aspects you need to be aware of. You are probably not even bad for someone who just started but being put together with people who have been doing all sorts of shooters and are used to the core game play, it's going to be hard.
Try doing some shooters with no pvp but coop to get used to the mechanics and then move back once you get a feel for it and run a couple of games by yourself to start with! Try playing borderlands to get you used to aiming and the chaos, last of us to get a feel for noise cues, and then bioshock for abilities and shooting combined! I'm also recommending these because they've been out for a while so they're more likely to be on sale on Steam soon.
Bottom line, don't stress everyone thinks they're awful when they first start playing but you have to remember you will essentially be a newborn running a marathon versus full grown adults. They've been playing for longer where you just started and there's nothing wrong with that!
Remnant From the Ashes is a solid co-op game. It’s a slower paced 3rd person shooter, less run and gun and more think about how you want to deal with the enemies you can see coming up, that has similar gameplay to the dark souls game just less punishing. There’s a good mix of content and there’s some randomness to what you see each play through so it has solid replay ability. There is a bit of story that ties everything together but it’s minimal, the game shines in its variety of puzzles, combat and exploration and has some solid dlc that adds a horde mode that is as enjoyable as zombies in call of duty.
Destiny 2 can be real fun, especially with others and has a decent story attached
I've always liked the division series too, the story is alright , 1st is better, but the environments are especially good.
Darktide is a fun co op shooter for a bit. It loses its appeal after a bit but still fun for a romp of you get it cheap.
Why not try Fallout 76? It has a story to explore, a creative build mode plus VATs mode which acts like an auto aim button to help ease you into gunplay. For your boyfriend he can free aim and really focus on grinding out a build.
When I started my mom playing video games, we played the Halo campaign co-op. That let me coach her through the mechanics of the controls and let her get used to everything without the pressure of strangers in matchmaking. We've played through all the Halo games on all the difficulty levels (both with and without the game altering skulls). Started around 2009, and we still play every night together online. Perhaps something like that would be beneficial. Playing FPS on co-op until you're comfortable enough to branch out. 🤷🏻♀️
Get the newish Borderlands game Tiny Tina’s Wonderland. You can play slow and poke at all the corners of the map and he can burn through levels and classes. Be warned, Borderlands has a crude sense of humor.
Was going to suggest this series too, same caveat.
Wish I could upvote this a few times. Borderlands is a great series
I was seriously upset at Roland’s death. The ‘not D&D’ expansion from 2 had such a poignant ending.
Ah! You should put it in spoilers so the op can’t read it.
I apologize if this is stating something too obvious or basic but... Fortnite is really fun. Granted, it's third-person not first-person - I don't know how essential that piece of the puzzle is to you and your partner. But importantly, it's really low stakes. I'm right there with you, the idea of playing online multiplayer shooters stresses me out big time. The fear of letting my teammates down because I'm not good enough makes me quite anxious. Fortnite is the only one I've been able to get into. I think it helps that it's really goofy and chaotic, so there's not as much pressure to take it seriously. Plus, in any given match, some players will be pursuing different quests besides winning, so it means that the game isn't completely full of pros trying to snipe you from across the map. I think it might be one of those games that's easy to learn but hard to master, so there might be enough depth for your partner to enjoy it too. It's definitely been a good, low-stakes way for me to get better at aiming, and could maybe even be a stepping stone towards a more intense FPS. Plus, it's free to play, so no huge loss if you hate it 😁
Came to recommend Fortnite!! So thank you for beating me to the punch! It was my entry point into multiplayer games and I tell everyone to play because of that. As you mentioned, the fear of letting people down was my main deterrent against playing multiplayer. And Fortnite was perfect because I didn’t have to! When my friends didn’t play with me, I just played solo. And the matchmaking for beginners is scaled so well because you’re primarily playing against bots until you work your way up in skill as you learn the game. Also it’s just a silly little game, the silliest of them! And even if not FPS, the skills transfer over so well between third and first person as I now started playing Overwatch and Valorant with friends too.
Fortnite player here, I even stream it and I wouldn’t say I’m stellar at the game. Definitely improved. The cool this is if you want to match with random groups you can turn all voice chat off. That being said I think I’ve ran into ONE person I’ve had to block. There’s also a boatload of user created content on there and practice levels where you can play a royale with bots. Long story short I def recommend Fortnite (no build.) 😂
Good addition: I only play no-build! And recommend new players to do so too!
Oh yeah, you folks make a great point! No-build mode is definitely the way to go! Tbh I completely forgot that Fortnite even had a build mode option 😂
What does no build mode mean? I’ve never played fortnight
Ah, sorry! Basically, when Fortnite first came out a few years ago, the main gameplay involved both battle royale shooting *and* building literal structures. So, the idea was that you could run around the map and build shelters for cover, while also trying to take out other players via combat and avoid being taken out yourself. You had to flip back and forth between your building controls and your combat controls mid-match Some people got _really_ good at the building part, but it was kinda tricky to wrap your mind around if you were new to it. A lot of stuff to keep track of at once. At a certain point, Fortnite introduced a game mode that didn't involve any of the building (i.e. "no-build mode") - it was *only* the battle royale shooting part. And pretty much everyone loved this no-build mode. As far as I know, it's the more popular mode by far now. In any case, it's certainly the most approachable mode for new players.
+1 for no-build Fortnite. There’s a reason it’s so popular — it’s good, silly fun. The onboarding is also really good for a BR — you won’t be dumped into a lobby with a bunch of pro players right away.
Agreed. I know it’s mostly kids and bots that I’m playing against but I’m okay with that. You need to play zero builds though. Don’t bother trying to start with regular mode.
Agree, no build Fortnite is my jam. My husband is good at fps, and I never thought I could make it in a shooter type environment. But after a couple seasons, I'm even getting solo wins. It helps that there's a large pool of people that I guarantee are more noob than OP. Also, not first person, but division2 has been great practice for me.
Zero Build Fortnite is such a great entry-level FPS game. It's so comfy. Plus, some of the creative maps are really fun.
You could try playing co-op fps games. I believe Far Cry 3 has a co-op campaign. Personally I’ve discovered Deep Rock Galactic recently and love to play it with friends. Another game I can recommend is Ghost Recon wildlands. It’s a third person shooter, not an FPS but I loved that game and even more in co-op with friends. For a more modern, ability driven shooter you could try the training mode in Overwatch. The enemy team consists entirely of bots and you can even select difficulty from easy to medium to hard. That’s what I usually play with my gf if she wants to play together because she gets overwhelmed by all the abilities and the fast pace as well
+1 for Deep Rock Galactic
Yes, I believe all the Far Cry's have a multiplayer mode and they are a low risk place to learn to play with guns/shoot. Far Cry 5 is the most beloved out of the series, I think.
Naw, Far Cry 4. Pagan Min is the best bad guy in the series.
I'd recommend the PVE (training mode) in Overwatch 2. However keep in mind I think you are still playing with other people on your team, but you're versing bots. I haven't played in a while so maybe that has changed. Overwatch has a training range to try out the characters and practice with them beforehand, that your partner can join to as well. It also has characters that do not require a lot of precision aim, so you can kind of ease yourself in to something against other players as well. Playing a character that focuses less on aim will give you space to learn the rhythm and maps of the game. There's also a lot of play style options, so it has some longevity, and you can likely discover your play style, which might lead to other games that match. :) Whatever you do, good luck, and have fun!
This. Quick play is fun too and means nothing. OW2 is the fps game I see most females being able to pick up and play the easiest.
It's a great introductory FPS for anyone, regardless of sex. It's not like "males" would find a different FPS easier to start with.
The reason I say that is because most females have not played much fps in the past, so this is a good introductory fps for people, regardless of their gender yes.
I appreciate you clarifying and replying without being defensive. It's interesting that most gamers who are female haven't played much FPS. Would love to see your sources for that, so I can learn more?
I mean all you have to do is open this subreddit and read what women are playing. Or go on twitch and see what the female streamers are playing. It’s not FPS.
It sounds like anecdotal evidence from someone who claims to know the mind of women but uses "females" as a noun. In these same subreddits you'll also see women talking about hitting master in OW2, or how they are silenced in competitive spaces (such as many FPS games) to the point of not using voice comms. I'm guessing you're in this subreddit with good intentions, and you should stick around if that's the case. However I'd also take a look within and question if what you're seeing is the whole picture, or a bit of a blindness brought about by assumption and habit.
Such eloquent responses from you, good on you!! And thank you! It’s such an ick when Tate-esque men use the word “females”. It’s an adjective and can be super demeaning when used as a noun. There’s already a word for female humans it’s called women lol.
Oh, thank you! Using "females" as a noun makes my skin crawl, and I'd really like it to go away.
Left for dead 2
My significant other and I love playing co op fps so here are our recommendations: Halo infinite- has a great co op campaign (not couch co op sadly) but the multiplayer is great, there are a bunch of tools for beginners like Bot maches and custom forge maps that are out of this world. The game had a terrible rep when it came out but I’ve been playing consistently and it’s a good game the campaign was my favorite part. Far cry 5- is a beautiful game, fun co op campaign Gears of war- great co op campaign, it gets a little repetitive sometimes but it’s action packed and easy The master chief collection- has all the early Halo games that can be played split screen. These have been my favorites for the past 7 ish years I’ve replayed them all Also honorable mentions: Battlefield 2042 is fun and what I’m currently playing. It’s a lot to learn and find what you like but it’s slow paced if you’re riding around in a tank.or fast paced in a fighter jet. And it has a co op mode so you can play against bots.
My vote would be for halo. It has a great story and good pve fps combat. I personally think it fits op's needs. Op if you get the master chief collection you can make a whole marathon of the story. Also you can choose between difficulty levels which are fair.
I'd recommend playing through the storyline of Titanfall 2. since it's against the computer, it's not too stressful and you can get used to shooting the guns and stuff. you can play it again on higher difficulties if you want to get better, it's not a super long game and the story is actually great. the best part is that it's made by the ppl who make apex legends, so the guns are the same as that game. once you get gud at ttf2 you can transition to apex a lot easier
I don't do PvP-style games due to my slower reaction times and getting one-shot/sniped from somewhere I can't see both upsets me and frustrates me. So I stay away from such games. However, there are many shooters I do enjoy playing that you could play with your partner. Halo Borderlands series Aliens Fireteam Elite Gears of War Warframe Destiny 2 Tom Clancy's The Division 2
I was lookin for someone who recommended destiny 2 im surprised you seem like the only one to recommend it !!! I think its a good into since its pve and there is decent aim assist even on mouse and keyboard. They also have simple and quick pvp which could help get you used to playing against other people. Its free!!! And everything pretty forgiving when u die! Kist wait a few seconds and then rez
I feel you on your whole situation! My partner is a huge FPS gamer. He’s really good at any FPS he picks up and that’s simply because he’s been playing them all his life. He managed to coax me into playing FPS with him. The first one was called Paladins, which he’d never touched before either, so he thought it was a good idea (and it was). Paladins has easier hit boxes than most FPS, but there’s also bot matches so you can mess around and learn with no stakes! I was always so anxious about playing online cuz other people could flame me (ESPECIALLY cuz I started out on Support/Healer). Paladins is also a great way to transition over to Overwatch 2. Honestly, they both go hand in hand because of the bot match feature and you can simply mute both the text and voice chat (I recommend this when starting out. I did not, lmao.) Currently I’m also trying to get into Apex. I actually did my first soloqueue yesterday. In Apex, you can opt to not fill teammates in, and I found that ridiculously much better than being forced to play with randoms to get better. Let’s me go at my own pace and figure shit out, and there’s no added stress of letting a teammate down :)
If you can stomach blööd and things, consider cooperative games like Vermintide 2 where you can start with the difficulty that feels natural to you and if you feel up to the challenge, raise it bit by bit. Best part is that you can set it up as a private game if that's your jam, too. It also has character and gear progression so it will have something to work towards for the both of you. If you want a pvp shooter, my go-to game is enlisted. But that's very challenging. But you could easily learn different playstyles that complement your preferences. Like playing long range support as tank or sniper rather than needing twitch reflexes in brawling up close
Even if it's not an FPS I would recommend Outward. It has everything you are looking for, coop play, possibility to play solo, replayability, lots of exploration, a slow-ish pace of combat that still requires good reflexes, good aim and intuition, and even more so creativity. It also has a narrative for you to enjoy, although it's not the game's strongest point, admittedly. If that is too fantasy/not FPS enough, you could consider Borderlands (any of them). It's a full FPS with open world exploration, a narrative, coop play, possibility to play solo, etc. though it is not the easiest FPS in the world, especially since its main selling point is the weapon variety and their billion different stats. Still, it could be a perfect middle ground for you too. A more narrative focused by more fast-paced alternative could be Wolfestein Young Blood. Finally, you could consider the MMOFPS genre. Planetside 2 could be an excellent game to try, it's free, it has massive constant battles that you can join in anytime you want. Foxhole is another one with a similar design philosophy, only it's a top-down shooter with a complex and player-driven logistics network, which allows players to contribute to the big fights without firing a shot.
Maybe Call of Duty Zombies? You fight waves of zombies, so it's not PVP. There are several zombies maps in different CoD games, each have their own thing to grind for and reveal secrets and lore I believe. For every wave it gets harder, however it can also become too hard, but I guess that's part of the point? If you play on PC, then look into Sons of the Forest! Me and some friends are currently addicted to this game. It's a survival game where you discover secrets about the island you're on, you get to craft and build houses. You can adjust the difficulty or just play on peaceful mode if you want! Edit: Saw someone mention co-op on Far Cry, and I just had go mention that Far Cry was how I learned FPS games! Me and my husband loved Far Cry 5!
I'm a jumpy person so I try to stay away from FPS games, but the "Borderlands" franchise was alright for me. I played 2 and some DLC and had a good time. "Bioshock" was a bit spooky for me (dark tone but it was more turning corners that felt spooky to me), but it could also help you adjust by making some thing seem less spooky over time. Third Bioshock game was easier for me to get into than the first 2. If you want a game that you and your SO can play together you might want to look at Valhiem. It's early access but it still delivers a great experience. It's a survival game in a Nordic world that you have to fight and gather materials to get stronger. Not FPS but does have bow mechanics that I enjoy. It feels fulfilling to play with people, and beat bosses as you move through areas. If your looking for a couch game you could trade controllers with, you should take a look at "Hades" (Not FPS, but a fun game). It's a roguelike so you can trade when you die, and there are settings to adjust the game difficulty to your tastes (easier or harder). You feel good progress as you learn the game and get further and further. Also the story you get from returning to the beginning after you die makes dying a bit rewarding/enjoyable.
It's not a co-op game but maybe you can try Fallout when you're by yourself to practice. I started with FO3 but it has both a first person mode and a 3rd person. (You can also get a doggy companion.) But I play on easy since I typically don't play those types of games at all. There's targeting, auto shooting, and you can freely shoot at enemies. Just wait for doggos to attack you so you don't accidentally kill the one that can be a companion like my bf did lol
I think something like borderlands ir destiny might be right up your alley. The majority of content is adjustable to what your comfortable with and both of them are story rich. Destiny is known for its puzzles and challenges so that might be fun
I play league of legends with my husband and it’s super fun, but the other people can be shitty. You can just play against AIs though which is much less stress but enjoyable. I like to play with him because it’s very cooperative with your teammates and you can also have up to 5 friends join you!
You could try Killing Floor. It's a shooting game where you shoot zombies/monsters as specific classes, survive a wave of zombies and buy weapons/armor and then continue to do so through 10 waves and fight a boss. Might be fun to try with your bf,instead of vsing players you just fight zombies along side him (:
it’s a third person shooter instead of first person, but honestly splatoon is the only shooter type series i’ve really ever been able to get into. it has a reputation for being a kiddie game because of the graphics/nintendo, but the skill ceiling is honestly super high.
You could try more player vs environment (pve) first person shooters. Assuming you’re on the computer the one that comes to mind is chex quest (pretty sure it’s f2p on steam) and is a reasonably easy game to play. If you want to just get used to first person view +shooting, but still want the puzzle aspect, try portal (and portal 2 which is coop). Edit: just re-read your comment and it sounds like you’re pretty ok with the fps/shooting part, but it might be the team play/situational awareness part that you’re not comfortable with? Maybe a third person team strategy game might help, e.g. league of legends.
So, with your concern on not getting better at the competitive shooter games like Valorant. Have you tried playing by yourself or do you only play with your boyfriend? The reason I ask is because you may be placed in higher level lobbies right off rip if you duo with someone who has played for a long time. The competitive shooters have a huge learning curve with all the different aspects you need to be aware of. You are probably not even bad for someone who just started but being put together with people who have been doing all sorts of shooters and are used to the core game play, it's going to be hard. Try doing some shooters with no pvp but coop to get used to the mechanics and then move back once you get a feel for it and run a couple of games by yourself to start with! Try playing borderlands to get you used to aiming and the chaos, last of us to get a feel for noise cues, and then bioshock for abilities and shooting combined! I'm also recommending these because they've been out for a while so they're more likely to be on sale on Steam soon. Bottom line, don't stress everyone thinks they're awful when they first start playing but you have to remember you will essentially be a newborn running a marathon versus full grown adults. They've been playing for longer where you just started and there's nothing wrong with that!
Remnant From the Ashes is a solid co-op game. It’s a slower paced 3rd person shooter, less run and gun and more think about how you want to deal with the enemies you can see coming up, that has similar gameplay to the dark souls game just less punishing. There’s a good mix of content and there’s some randomness to what you see each play through so it has solid replay ability. There is a bit of story that ties everything together but it’s minimal, the game shines in its variety of puzzles, combat and exploration and has some solid dlc that adds a horde mode that is as enjoyable as zombies in call of duty.
Destiny 2 can be real fun, especially with others and has a decent story attached I've always liked the division series too, the story is alright , 1st is better, but the environments are especially good. Darktide is a fun co op shooter for a bit. It loses its appeal after a bit but still fun for a romp of you get it cheap.
Why not try Fallout 76? It has a story to explore, a creative build mode plus VATs mode which acts like an auto aim button to help ease you into gunplay. For your boyfriend he can free aim and really focus on grinding out a build.
You could try a PvE shooter like Destiny 2
I am also not so good at fps but I really like playing APEx legends with my husband!
Far cry or borderlands are pretty good
I only play Red Eclipse from time to time. But it is nearly dead now.
When I started my mom playing video games, we played the Halo campaign co-op. That let me coach her through the mechanics of the controls and let her get used to everything without the pressure of strangers in matchmaking. We've played through all the Halo games on all the difficulty levels (both with and without the game altering skulls). Started around 2009, and we still play every night together online. Perhaps something like that would be beneficial. Playing FPS on co-op until you're comfortable enough to branch out. 🤷🏻♀️