In First Person Shooters, no matter how many super-powerful weapons the player has at their disposal, they will always tend to use their shotgun. There are several different reasons for this, though not all of them are always the case: However, perhaps the simplest explanation of this trope is that shotguns are just Badass, especially when shortened. Your Mileage May Vary though....maybe you prefer Revolvers Are Just Better or Katanas Are Just Better? Or perhaps you would rather try a heavy machine gun?