Video games and shotguns go together like, well, we’re not actually sure any two things do go together better — although bread and butter have made it a close call. In fact, we like our short-range blasters so much that we’ve compiled a list of what we believe are the greatest shotguns in gaming. From twin-barrelled classics to automatic monsters, read on to discover the best shotguns video games have gifted unto us.
Super Shotgun - Doom II/ DOOM 2016
The only weapon on this list that warrants no explanation, Doom’s Super Shotgun is an absolute classic of the FPS genre. First introduced in Doom II, it took the staple weapon of Doomguy’s arsenal, stuck two barrels on it and more than doubled the firepower. The Super Shotgun earned its reputation through the blood of hundreds of Imps, Cacodemons and Pinkies slain by its hand. The weapons return in DOOM 2016 was every bit of satisfying and quickly took over from the default shotty as our weapon of choice.
The time challenges in DOOM 2016 gave the perfect opportunity to try out the weapon against the squishiest enemies around, but it remained effective and satisfying even up against the Barons of Hell. In a game packing a fantastic gauss rifle, a rocket launcher with manual detonation, and the frigging BFG, it says a lot that the super shotgun remains one of Doom’s most memorable weapons.
Felwinter’s Lie - Destiny 1
Felwinter's Lie made its way into Destiny with the Iron Banner and upset the entire meta through its absurd level of damage. It was one of the few shotguns that could hit incredibly high Impact levels, enough to one-shot another player. But what made it truly grotesque was its range value.
Felwinter's Lie had the longest range of any shotgun, turning it into a monster at taking down distant opponents. If you weren’t lucky enough to wield one, that was pretty much it — as you’d be constantly out-gunned when it came to duking it out with Special weapons.
Even better? Felwinter’s Lie could roll with some truly broken perks. If you managed to combine it with the spread reducing Shot Package and distance-boosting Rangefinder, you'd pretty much win every single encounter. Until the Matador 64 joined the party with The Taken King, it was the only shotgun you could reasonably use in the Crucible.
There was a saying in Destiny’s community at the time: Felwinter’s real Lie is that it's a sniper rifle, not a shotgun.
Model 1887s - COD: MW2
There was a time in Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer life that the Model 1887s dominated the game. You’d struggle to play a single match without two or three people charging through the map with a pari of these nasties in grasped in their mitts. The old-school, lever-action style, coupled with the fact that you could dual wield to do that flashy spinning reload, gave them an undeniable cool factor. It also helped that they were wildly overpowered. Despite being shotguns, these weapons were capable of killing at ridiculous range with only the vaguest sense of aim, making them feel even more broken than the game’s Commando perk. Okay, maybe they weren’t quite that bad, but they were pretty powerful all the same.
Activision eventually patched the guns, but in a rare case of not applying too firm a hand, the post-nerf akimbo Models remained perfectly usable, and retained a place in one of my loadout slots for the duration of my hours spent sprinting through the shacks of Favela, or clearing the snowy blocks of Sub Base. In a title obsessed with the keenest edge of military tech, wielding two of these outdated old weapons was just good old-fashioned fun.
Honorable mention here goes to the fully auto AA-12, a shotgun so fun in MW2 that we’re pretty sure it inspired this scene in The Expendables.
VK-12 Shotgun - F.E.A.R.
Ahh FEAR. It was hard not to fall in love with Monolith’s ludicrously acronymed shoot ‘n’ spook FPS. While it’s most fondly remembered for the leg sweeps, action slides and karate kicks you could pull off on the many squads of military goons, the weapons on offer were an equally strong showing, and none provided more pleasure than the VK-12 Shotgun. Combined with slow motion, dismemberment, and John Woo-inspired action, the VK-12 was an absolute masterclass of design.
Unleashing this beast in a packed office block would send sparks, computers, chairs and yes, even your enemies flying — if they weren’t simply reduced to a fine, red mist. Taking down most grunts in a single shot, the VK-12 sent soldiers spiralling backwards, firing their gun wildly into the air. Slow motion action may have been done before in the Max Payne series, but FEAR was the first title to truly perfect it in the FPS format, and the VK-12 was the perfect showcase for it.
Riot Gun - Resident Evil 4
A turning point that marked a shift to action-centric gameplay which lasted right up until last year’s excellent Resident Evil 7, Resi 4 also happened to be one of the best games the franchise had ever seen. The countless graphic ways in which protagonist Leon could be killed shocked us at the time, but fortunately the shotguns on offer gave us the chance to return the damage in spectacular style.
It’s tough to pick a favourite from the three on offer, and while the Striker may boast the best stats, the mid-tier Riot Gun arrived at the perfect time to help us blitz through Resi 4’s best chapter: The Castle. Aside from turning zombie (sorry, Las Plagas infected human) heads into mist, the Riot Gun was ideally suited for obliterating dogs, bugs and those pesky shields the castle’s inhabitants were fond of hefting around.
M90 CAWS - Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo might be best known for its Battle Rifles and Energy Swords, but there’s a special place in our heart for the homely M90 shotgun. It’s far from the best weapon on offer in the game, but the chunky *thunk* of the pump action reload is extremely gratifying. Bungie did a great job of sustaining the feel of each weapon between subsequent titles, but the M90 really comes to life in Combat Evolved’s closing stages, after you release the Flood. The Zombie-like horde is perfectly countered by Halo’s basic shotgun, and it transforms what can otherwise be a quite frustrating combat section into a real blast. With just how effective other weapons proved in online multiplayer (Halo: CE’s pistol is a prime culprit), the M90 was often overlooked, but we feel it comfortably earns its place on this list.
The Schockhammer - Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus
Wolfenstein 2’s Schockhammer already snuck its way into our list of 2017’s best gaming guns, so it’s really no surprise to see it crop up here too. With a rotating barrel and two different firing modes, the Schockhammer is a real work of beauty, and one that’s worth celebrating for many more years to come.
While a version appeared in 2014’s The New Order, Wolfenstein 2’s edition of the gun improved every aspect, from animations and audio to the physical kickback you'd feel when firing. Those rotating barrels just add something, y’know? Of course, in true Wolfenstein style you can dual-wield the weapon, and with one of these in each hand you’ll be popping Nazi heads like there’s no tomorrow. We think you’d be hard pressed to find a more cathartic method to relieve stress while gaming — and yes, we’ve played Flower.
ZICS-C Shotgun - Shadow Warrior 2013
2013’s Shadow Warrior reboot took us by complete surprise when it turned out to be really flipping good. FPS games don’t often do melee well, so it was especially unexpected that hacking through hordes of demons with a katana as Lo Wang felt so damned good. Considering how special the sword was, any weapon that could tear our attention away for more than a few minutes deserves some credit. The ZICS-C Shotgun turned out to be only weapon to reliably achieve that feat and then some. Shadow Warrior’s two-barrel beasty was satisfying enough on its own, but one of the gun’s upgrades doubled its output to four unholy barrels of death. One stage further and you could unload the whole package at once, demolishing any demon foolish enough to get in your way. Tasty.