DOS was in use ever since the year 1980 but only grew popular during the early ’90s, becoming depreciated with Windows XP. Naturally, the platform became the ground where first-person shooters really became a genre of their own. As computers grew popular in themid and late ’90s, the genre flourished.
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When DOS began falling out of use, coinciding with the release of Windows 1995, PC shooters were already extremely popular. Most famously, the shareware version ofDOOMhas been said to have been installed on more machines than Windows itself. Surprisingly,a genre only born in 1991, either with id Software’sHovertank 3DorCatacombs 3D, managed to release so many titles before the DOS became unpopular.
10Wolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3Dmight be the granddaddy of all first-person shooters (except perhaps for the dungeon crawler/shooter hybridCatacombs 3D), but it’s still as enjoyable as any of its successors. The slow pacing and awkward controls that were the result of now-antiquated tech have gone full circle, feeling novel again.
Wolfenstein 3Dis most well known as the originator of MachineGames’ 2015 reboot of the series, but not many know that the original was a reboot itself. 1981Castle Wolfensteinis a clear inspiration for id Software’s classic shooter, from the maze-like castle to the integration of light stealth mechanics.
9Heretic
Hereticis the rare fantasy shooter, a genre that has remained underserved to this day, besidestheHereticseries itself. Even now, the idea of playing as an elf wizard with a staff-machine gun seems like a parody.Hereticdecides to take this setup completely straight and ends up a more self-serious game thanDOOMorWolfenstein 3D.
Owing to the tradition of dungeon crawlers and RPGs, the levels inHereticfeel complex and labyrinthian, at least when compared to the murder corridors of its contemporaries. They also take more care to look like realistic spaces first and combat arenas second.
8Rise Of The Triads
Rise of the Triadswasn’t always the cult classic it is today. In 1995, the year of its full release, the market was saturated withDOOMclones. Audiences were similarly lukewarm. Though it’s unexpected,Rise of the Triadsand its playful approach to 3D shooters might be easier to appreciate now than it was back then.
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Rise of the Triadswas developed on a modified version of theWolfenstein 3Dengine and was intended to be an expansion of id Software’s title. That’s probably why the game, otherwise set in modern times, has so manyWorld War 2 references, from SS-inspired enemies to the omnipresence of the MP 40 submachine gun.
7Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri
Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauriis a unique shooter from unique developer Looking Glass Studio, ofThiefandSystem Shockfame. There is plenty that makesTerra Novaunique: it’s a mech game that’s not too much of a simulation, atactical shooterwith convincing AI, and an early story-focused entry in the FPS genre.
Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauriis truly like nothing else on the market. Even later entries in the mech battle simulator genre, likeBattle Engine AquilaorGun Metal, don’t inspire the same feeling of being part of a thinking whole, with AI partners that are fundamental to finding success.
6BLOOD
BLOODmight be the weirdest of the MS-DOS shooter releases. Not because it’s an odd game, though it certainly is, but because it was a 1997 DOS exclusive using the Build engine fromDuke Nukem 3D. Within a year from release,BLOODwould find its competitors in the likes ofQuake 2,UnReal,and the originalHalf-Life.
BLOODwas a late title for DOS, but it made good use of those extra years of experience with the system. It’s certainly one of the busiest shooters of its time, with unique special effects and an unrivaled amount of blood and gore. It’s also one of the few that manages to create a truly oppressive atmosphere.
5Descent
Descentis a 3D shooter in every sense of the word. It has fully realized, explorable 3D spaces. Its 3D models are made of polygons, not 2D sprites oriented towards the camera. Even its movement, the most noticeable aspect, is the most 3D it could ever be: players control not a soldier on the ground, but a small spacecraft in space, which moves with360 degrees of control.
Descentmight take place in space, technically, but its levels bear a striking resemblance to the shooting corridors of its FPS contemporaries. And while the movement is very complex, it’s not overwhelming. Even without gravity, there is an up and down inDescent. Conveniently, down is usually where players are supposed to go first.
4Duke Nukem 3D
IfDOOMrevolutionized shooters from a technological standpoint,Duke Nukem 3Danticipated the natural design evolution that was to come. Instead of fighting aliens on a random military base, somewhere on one of the moons of Mars, players are taking the fight to the street of a named location, the city of Shrapnel.
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Duke Nukem 3Dis the first FPS with a living, breathing protagonist. He speaks in action movie quotes and often interacts with the environment, serving as the point of view character the whole way through. But giving voice to the walking macho-man stereotype has the drawback of having to listen to him and explore the world through his eyes, a drawback that, depending on the player, goes from slightly annoying to actually unsettling.
3Quake
Quakeis remembered for many reasons. For one, it’s the first shooter that popularized polygonal graphics, cementing id Software as the greatest FPS developer of its time. The presentation, a mix of medieval, gothic, and Lovecraftian elements set to music by Nine Inch Nails managed to capture the spirit of the decade like few other things.
Most famously,Quakeis where online multiplayer was first popularized. In 1996, internet connections were still limited, and online services weren’t taken for granted. On top of making a polished multiplayer shooter, id Software had to clear the way for some of the earliest matchmaking tools ever made like QuakeSpy, later renamed GameSpy.
2Star Wars: Dark Forces
LucasArtsisn’t just adventure gamesand bad platformers. In 1996, right in the middle of the FPS craze of the ’90s, the time was right to make it clear. Far from being aDOOMclone,Star Wars: Dark Forcesintroduced story cutscenes and large, explorable levels to the FPS formula. Its name might be confusing, but this is the first title in the popularJedi Knightseries of Star Wars shooters.
Star Wars: Dark ForcesmarksLucasArts’s foray into the FPS genre, even if it didn’t usher in a new era of story-focused PC shooters. It did introduce an audience of Star Wars and adventure games fans to the world of first-person shooters.
1DOOM
DOOMdoesn’t need any special introduction. It doesn’t even need to be justified as the greatest FPS on the MS-DOSsystem and an essential step for the whole genre. It’s the spirit of early ’90s teen angst as delivered through sheer talent. Not only isDOOMa gem of design, but it’s also a technical marvel and makes extremely clever use of its cutting-edge technology.
DOOMmight not be true 3D but the world it simulates feels much more real than id’s next shooter,Quake. Chapter 1 in particular, the levels distributed as shareware, use clever design and some creative skyboxes to give a sense of realism.DOOMisn’t perfect: the story is barely anything, and finding three keycards per level gets repetitive by Chapter 3. Still, the core gameplay is plenty of fun to entertain FPS fans to this day.
