In the 90s, many worthwhilefirst-person shooterswere released that would change the industry forever. Maybe it was their graphics, maybe it was their combat or maybe it was their story or some unique innovation. Whatever it was, games had become more than just about running across a pixelated screen chasing colorful barrels. Now, those colorful barrels are fully rendered and packed with blood and guts.
10 First-Person Shooters That Deserve Remakes
Come get some. It’s time to check out the best FPS games deserving of being remade.
To run them, all you needed was a decent console or aPCwith a floppy disk capable of storing over 1.4 megabytes. Nowadays, you’re lucky if you may get a game to run that’s less than 40 gigabytes before downloading the 50-gig patch. But this isn’t about what’s wrong with gaming – this is about what it got right.
This list will only cover games released before the 2000s.
10Wolfenstein 3D
Starting With the Basics
Wolfenstein 3D
Though it wasn’t the first game in theWolfensteinseries, Wolfenstein 3D was the first to take it in a whole new direction. You are B.J. Blazkowicz, an American spy who’s been captured and taken to Castle Wolfenstein. Upon breaking free, it’s up to you to complete your mission and take out any Nazi that gets in your way.
Released in 1992, Wolfenstein 3D was a pioneer of the FPS genre. Many of the mechanics and ideas used in shooters today can be traced back to here. Having the freedom of a full 3D field of view to rotate and explore; fast-paced action as you battle rooms filled with enemies; starting with a weak weapon as you gather better equipment from exploring and fighting foes. It all sounds basic on paper, but even the basics had to be invented somewhere, and you can thank Wolfenstein 3D for that.
Bringest Them Oneth
Branded a heretic for resisting the Serpent Riders, you are an elf who sets out on a quest for vengeance. Some players consider Heretic to be DOOM with a new coat of paint and set in a fantasy realm, but it’s more than that. For starters, your character can actually look up and down, instead of just left to right. Seems simple now, but this was huge for gaming back then.
Even better, Heretic was the first FPS to feature an inventory system. Instead of just running over power-ups and using them, you’re able to store them to activate later during combat, like the Tome of Power, which upgrades the power of all your weapons, or the Wings of Wrath, which enables you to fly. Combine that with the array of unique fantasy weapons and a fantastic selection of monsters, and it’s no secret why Heretic spawned three more sequels.
8Shadow Warrior (1997)
A Game That’s a Cut Above the Rest
Shadow Warrior (1997)
Shadow Warrioris like if you made a first-person shooter about Marvel’s Deadpool. That’s not too far off given that your arsenal features a katana and dual-wielding Uzis. Shadow Warrior is not meant to be taken seriously. It’s about guns, violence and intentionally corny humor as it attempts to capture the style of a cheesy kung fu film.
Horrible creatures are loose in Japan and only master swordsman/marksman Lo Wang can stop them. To do so, he’ll need a large arsenal of weapons, from shurikens to sticky bombs. Shadow Warrior also features vehicles and turrets that the player can use in combat, which makes it one of the first FPS games to do that. Despite their age, the environment designs still look impressive, encouraging exploration as they are front-loaded with secrets. Just don’t expect it to be easy. Shadow Warrior’s difficulty ranges from challenging to unforgivable at times.
7GoldenEye 007
The Best Tie-In Movie Game Ever
GoldenEye 007
Making a game based on a movie is like trying to play the lottery. Most end up being duds, but when something successful comes along, it’s like hitting the jackpot. During the time of theNintendo 64, Rare was developing what would become one of thebest games in the James Bond franchise, based on the hit film starring Pierce Brosnan.
Though it was made for a console featuringonejoystick,GoldenEye 007showed players that FPS games on consoles were not only possible, but incredible. Each level faithfully follows the movie, with you completing objectives as the legendary James Bond, equipped with an arsenal of weapons and gadgets for every situation. The game even popularized split-screenmultiplayer, with up to four players battling it out in deathmatch, and man was it fun – except for those cheaters who played using Oddjob. You know who you are.
6Duke Nukem 3D
“Nobody Steals Our Chicks… And Lives!”
Duke Nukem 3D
He’s an action hero who was born to be wild. A movie-quoting, butt-kicking, world-saving icon namedDuke Nukem. Of all his games, Duke Nukem 3D is considered his greatest adventure, a time capsule of action and humor that feels as if the ’80s and ’90s fused into one epic package.
Those dang aliens are back and they’ve overrun Los Angeles, capturing women for their nefarious use. Besides the incredible arsenal of guns and unique items – from jetpacks to steroids – what made Duke Nukem 3D stand out was the amount of detail and interactivity crafted into the level design. You weren’t just running through a colorful map, you could enter buildings and play around, like turning on movie projectors, singing into a microphone and so much more. It’s silly, but an absolute blast.
Old-School Boomer Shooter
Show of hands: who here remembers ifQuakehas a story? That’s okay. This was one of those games where the main story takes a backseat in favor of gameplay and presentation. You’re thrown into a world that blends science fiction with fantasy, fighting monsters to save Earth from the invading forces.
Even by modern standards, the combat still feels great as you blast through anything in your way, searching for secrets, ammo, guns and power-ups. Then there’s the graphics. After all this time, they still look great. This was one of the features that blew players away. Remember, most PC players were accustomed to fighting flat sprites, so imagine how they felt upon seeing a fully-rendered object with a 360-degree visual. It was like when they first introduced color to TV.
Things that Go BOOM in the Night
Blood was like playing aHorrorgame, except instead of running away from the monsters, you’re throwing dynamite in their faces. Though its name is simple, Blood is anything but. As one of the first games to be developed byMonolith Productions, you assume the role of Caleb, one of the most unhinged gunslingers ever seen in the FPS genre.
10 Best Monolith Games, Ranked
As a farewell to Monolith Productions, we present their topmost iconic games. Rest In Pixels.
You’re not out to save the world. You’re out for revenge, and be it human or demon, you’ll gun down anything in your way to achieve it. Besides having one of the fastest-reloading shotguns in gaming, your arsenal varies from Tommy Guns to magic-infused items like Voodoo dolls. And if you’re a fan of Duke Nukem 3D for its use of references and action one-liners, Blood is full of those too, only it leans more toward the Horror genre.
3System Shock 2
The Sci-Fi Cult Classic
System Shock 2
Though it blends Survival Horror withrole-playingelements, System Shock 2 is still a first-person shooter – and an important one. Most PC games at the time were content to stick with one genre, but System Shock 2 attempted to be the first hybrid game set in a moody atmosphere with an incredible story.
In the year 2114, you’re a soldier with amnesia, awaking aboard a starship that’s become infected by a biological hive mind known as The Many. The combat might be awkward compared to other fast-paced shooters, but it’s the variety that makes the gameplay so fun and impactful. Besides the numerous sci-fi weapons you can use, you also level up your skills in Tech and Combat, while also using an Attribute system to determine your character stats. There are so many ways to play that each playthrough will always feel different.
2Half-Life
Prepare For Unforeseen Consequences
You’re not an unstoppable soldier or wisecracking action hero. You are Gordon Freeman, a scientist who’s been thrust into an unwinnable position after an experiment gone wrong. Armed with your HEV suit and crowbar, survive the alien invaders and opposing forces in the FPS that putValveon the gaming map.
Starting with what is, without a doubt, thebest opening ever seen in a video game, Half-Life redefined gaming with its creative use of immersion, pacing and storytelling. The gameplay doesn’t stop to shove a cutscene or block of text onto your screen – you’re always in control. To this day, Half-Life’s gunplay and puzzle-solving still feels fun and refreshing until it all falls apart when you reach Xen at the end. Still, Half-Life remains one of the most innovative games of the ’90s.
1DOOM (1993)
The Origins of the Doom Slayer
Doom (1993)
Developed byid Software, DOOM was the release that started one of the greatest franchises in gaming. Not only is DOOM consideredone of the best games of all time, but for years, many FPS games that came out after were referred to asDOOM Clonesbefore the industry invented the term First-Person Shooter to replace it.
What can be said about DOOM that hasn’t already been said? It has violence, demons, blood, huge guts, metal music and lots of guns. You are the Doom Marine, a fledgling Doom Slayer trapped on a base crawling with the armies of Hell and it’s your job to send them back. After so much time has passed, DOOM is still being played by gamers of all generations and the franchise is still going strong to this day.
Every DOOM Game, Ranked
Prepare to fight like Hell! We’re diving into one of the best first-person shooter series in gaming!
