Serious Sam 4 Thousands of enemies, one trigger finger

The whole game runs on one idea: more enemies than bullets should reasonably fix, so the guns have to be absurd. You start with a pistol and work up to the double-barreled shotgun, the minigun, an auto shotgun, a chainsaw launcher and the iconic cannon. Upgrades push them further, and the lock-on rocket launcher and laser beam of death do exactly what their names promise. There is no crouching behind walls here. You circle-strafe, backpedal and blast, switching weapons as fast as the horde changes shape. When the arena fills up, gadgets like mini-nukes and black holes clear the screen, and the shooting itself is the part people keep coming back for.

The campaign keeps throwing new toys at you. Skill points unlock perks that change how you fight: dual-wielding big guns, one-punching large enemies, or briefly turning certain monsters into mounts. That means you can charge into battle on a werebull, or grab a Khnum and use it against its own side. Later levels go wide and open, where you cover long distances on a motorcycle through the French countryside, pilot a mech, or mow down enemies under a tractor and harvester. Side missions and hidden passages with traps, gear and secrets reward poking around, if you can spare the ammo time.

The campaign supports 4-player online co-op, and this is where the game fits best with friends in the room or on the mic. One of you holds the minigun, one backpedals with the shotgun, and somehow the horde still gets through. It is social, straightforward chaos: join a lobby, pick your loadout, and see how long the four of you last when the kamikazes start screaming.