Gaming’s Best Bows

The good old bow n’ arrow has come back into fashion in the video games industry recently. Take a look at some of the biggest trailers from this year’s E3. Tomb Raider, Assassin’s Creed 3 and Crysis 3 all got their archery on. The crossbow has even been cropping up quite a bit recently too, with Skrim’s Dawnguard joining the act. We are not sure as to why these weapons have been making a comeback as of late, but it has given us an excuse to look back at the best bows in gaming.

Deus Ex:

We are talking the old school Deus Ex for the PC here, not Human Revolution. When you are trying to be deadly and quiet a crossbow is great. Not only can you take down enemies silently but you can also replenish your own ammo. Problems arise when you realise that walking anywhere with a crossbow in-hand makes you look like an absolute psychopath. Eidos thought of this and introduced the mini-crossbow to Deus Ex. The small bow straps onto the users wrist and can fire off bolts, tranquillizers and even flares. Sneaky yet practical.

Zelda games (all of them):

This list really could not have been made without Link on here. I mean the series even had a game called Link’s Crossbow Training! Not only do you constantly use Link’s bow in different Zelda games, but you even defeat Ganon with it. In both The Legend of Zelda and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past you take out the Ganon, the final boss, using a silver arrow which has been designed specifically to kill him. As much as gamers love to hate motion controls, Zelda: Skyward Sword was a lot of fun and aiming manually with the Wii remote and nunchuck was a blast. I could go on about Zelda’s vast arsenal of bows, but it would be essay length.

Any game with Hawkeye (Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Spiderman: The Videogame and many more)

A good bow is nothing without having a great man (or woman) behind it. When you have a game that has the greatest fictional archer ever then you generally have to include him on a list about bows. That does not mean that Hawkeye’s weapon of choice is not warranted on this list though. His vast array of arrows can poison, trap and stun enemies. Not to mention that he can open the heavens and rain down arrows on his enemies.

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath:

Probably the most inventive bow on the list, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath has some of the best weapons to grace consoles. Instead of picking up mundane arrows or bolts to fire at enemies our hero only named as “Stranger” uses live ammunition. Literally alive. By picking up some of the game’s animals you can load up your crossbow and cause havoc. These little critters have special capabilities too such as electrical surges and explosions. When used correctly you can navigate through an enemy base with ninja-like stealth.

Half Life 2:

The crossbow has once again been utilised for sneaking here in Half Life 2. This scoped, single shot weapon is one of the most deadly weapons in Gordon Freeman’s arsenal. With just one shot he can kill enemies. Even better is what happens to enemies after you have shot them. If you manage to nail a foe in a building or by some sort of structure they will often be left hanging from the bolt implanted into the wall. As Freeman travels through the game he leaves a trail of bodies nailed to surfaces, striking terror into the hearts of his enemies. What a sadistic bastard…

Resident Evil 5:

Now I know what you are thinking, “Hey, Kiron you jackass, there’s no bow in Resident Evil 5!” If you are that person then I’m afraid that you are wrong. In fact the bow was one of the strongest weapons to appear in the game. Playing in the Mercenaries mode of the game you could test your archery skills with Tribal Sheva. At first this seems clumsy as you lose your aiming reticule but this is a trade off for sheer power. Arrows decimate waves of enemies taking out your average zombie with just one shot. Get good enough and you can keep your score combo pretty high. Baddie Krauser even had his own bow which appeared in Resident Evil 5 and the Mercenaries spin-off for the 3DS. Unfortunately Sheva wins this one just for her flattering ensemble.

Tags: Assassin's Creed, crysis, Deaus Ex, Half Life 2, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, Resident Evil 5, Tomb Raider, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Zelda

About the Author

Kiron Ramdewar The mad-man behind this website has an unhealthy devotion to video games. Since playing Doom at the age of five he has an unstable fixation on control pads, shooting things and chainsaws.