This post has not been edited by the GamesBeat staff. Opinions by GamesBeat community writers do not necessarily reflect those of the staff.

At Bitmob, we're a bit concerned that the first- and third-person-shooter genres may be a little underrepresented, especially at industry showcase events like E3, which just took place earlier this month. We're simply not seeing enough opportunities to shoot stuff.

In an effort to bring more attention to this sadly neglected category, we present to you each staff member's top three shooters of E3….

 

Dan Hsu, editor and co-founder

  1. BioShock: Infinite
    Rus used the perfect word to describe the Infinite demo that we saw together: "That was exhilarating." Rus is also insane for not listing this game number one below, so I'm not sure if we should really listen to him or not. Nothing else at E3 even came close. Forget "Best Shooter" — BioShock: Infinite is "Best in Show," hands down.
     
  2. Prey 2
    The biggest surprise of the show, Prey 2 mixes Mirror's Edge-style movement and RPG-like missions with a very cool Blade Runner aesthetic. I'm not sure what this game has to do with the original, but I don't care — I can't wait to get my hands on it.
     
  3. Gears of War 3
    The third edition redefines co-op play with a heavily upgraded Horde 2.0 (see how it compares to Modern Warfare 3's new Spec Ops) and Beast mode (a "reverse Horde" where you play as the invading Locust, trying to take out a small team of A.I. COG soldiers).

Demian Linn, editor and co-founder

  1. BioShock: Infinite
    Calling this game a shooter is a little misleading — it's also a flying-through-the-air, jumping-from-rail-to-rail game about blowing your mind. I mean, you've seen the trailer above, right? The demo was about 100 times crazier than that.
     
  2. Battlefield 3
    This is the first chance I've had to play Battlefield 3 and…wow. I'm going to need to upgrade my PC for this. Call of what now?
     
  3. Prey 2
    I'm not sure why this game bears this name; it takes place in what looks like a close approximation of the Blade Runner universe and seems to have nothing to do with the first Prey from what I've heard so far. It's like a grittier Mass Effect, and I approve.

Rus McLaughlin, writer

  1. Battlefield 3
    Developer Dice always did at least one amazing thing in each game they touched, but it finally feels like they're putting it all together in one package. Everything felt so smooth, and the urban warfare map I played felt real and alive. Put another way, it seemed more like a place than a map. The sound design envelops you and puts you right in the middle of that world, even if it's just gunfire off in the distance. Trust me, it'll get louder as you get closer. I'm in love already, and I haven't even gotten to tool around with vehicles yet.
     
  2. BioShock: Infinite
    Battlefield's shaping up as one of the best military shooters of the year (if not the best), but if Irrational Games spins out what we experienced in the behind-closed-doors, hands-off demo to a full 8-10 hours, BioShock: Infinite is, at bare minimum, front-runner for Game of the Year. Several Bitmobbers went back to see it a second time…and you never have time to see something twice at E3.
     
  3. Far Cry 3
    When the trailer first came up, I saw jungle and thought, "Oh, it's Far Cry." The further it went and the more brutal it got, I started doubting that assessment. "That can't be Far Cry…." The kind of branching gameplay hinted at could really elevate this one into a very different experience.

Mike Minotti, writer

  1. BioShock: Infinite
    This game looks almost too good to be real. The interactions between the mysteriously powered Elizabeth and the main character really add some emotional weight to all of the over-the-top action.
     
  2. Prey 2
    Where the hell did this come from? You basically play as a bounty hunter, who just so happens to be a master of parkour, in an alien city. Who doesn't want to play that game?
     
  3. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
    It's more Uncharted! More action! More explosions! More one-liners!

Ryan Perez, intern

  1. Prey 2
    It doesn't resemble its predecessor in the slightest, and that's its best quality. I was expecting nothing more than the original Prey with a new coat of paint, but instead I saw a completely different setting, new gameplay mechanics, and an art style that fans of Blade Runner will enjoy. I like having my preconceptions completely shattered, especially when it comes to games.
     
  2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
    I love stealth gameplay, but the best of it is confined to stealth-only games. The ability to act covertly has always been an afterthought in first-person shooters and role-playing games alike. The stealth in Human Revolution, however, is so unexpectedly deep, it almost seems like Eidos Montreal had a separate team working on it. They actually might have, for all I know.
     
  3. Rage
    The last thing I ever expected id Software to do was create a shooter with a quirky setting, ripe with color and personality. I will always love the Doom series, but its art style has never been the most intriguing of its kind. Rage is another one of those pleasant surprises that few companies bother risking.

Omri Petitte, writer

  1. Battlefield 3
    Dice's maximalist military shooter nabs my top pick because of three simple words: Frostbite 2 engine. Gorgeous graphics, destructible environments, and an award-winning sound system powering the true sequel to the amazing Battlefield 2? Sold.
     
  2. BioShock: Infinite
    You know developer Irrational knocked one out of the park when each consecutive demonstration of Detective Booker DeWitt's romp within the air-city of Columbia kept swelling in capacity, even beyond seating limits. If rips in time and a metallic monstrosity named Songbird doesn't win you over, consider the city's numerous skyline rails which act as both a transportation system and a roller coaster, except with lots of guns everywhere.
     
  3. The Darkness 2
    Finding a fault in The Darkness 2's mixture of solid shooter action and twistedly gory executions is a difficult task. It's not every day a game gives you demonic tentacles for extra arms and an impish sidekick who urinates on your victims.

Jasmine Rea, writer

  1. Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
    Refreshingly, this is not at all the Left 4 Dead clone I feared it would be. Zombies are more tools than enemies.
     
  2. Inversion
    Being able to control and shift gravity is a crazy idea — I just hope it works.
     
  3. Trenched
    World War II. Mechs. Things blow up really well.

Ryan Rubis, front-end developer

  1. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
    It's a shooter, sure: The game is in first person, it features guns, and you shoot things. Stat freaks, twitch-gamers, and sneaky stealth-types will all find lots to like here. It redefines "open."
     
  2. Prey 2
    Shocker of the show for me. I haven't seen a character duck, run, and weave through the surroundings so fluidly since Mirror's Edge!
     
  3. Rage
    A shooter sans the extra baggage the genre has picked up over the years. I love the gritty visuals and how darn straightforward the game is.