Do you know what I like? First-person shoot 'em ups. Or, at least, I did. There was a time when I'd get every FPS that was released, because I loved that sense of being-there.
These days, I can't escape a feeling of having seen it all before when I play a first-person shooter - I mean, in Call of Duty: WW2 I have literally been there before, having now stormed the beaches of Normandy in no fewer than four hundred different games.
If you ask me, the golden era of the the FPS was its first decade - wherein we got Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Duke Nukem 3D and Dark Forces.
However, that wasn't the end of the 1990s FPS story. Here's a list of ten further decent, but cruelly forgotten, shooters from that decade.
These days, I can't escape a feeling of having seen it all before when I play a first-person shooter - I mean, in Call of Duty: WW2 I have literally been there before, having now stormed the beaches of Normandy in no fewer than four hundred different games.
If you ask me, the golden era of the the FPS was its first decade - wherein we got Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Duke Nukem 3D and Dark Forces.
However, that wasn't the end of the 1990s FPS story. Here's a list of ten further decent, but cruelly forgotten, shooters from that decade.
REDNECK RAMPAGE
Redneck Rampage was not a popular game, but in an era where first-person shooters came in but two flavours - sci-fi or horror - it offered an antidote to the endless me-too landfill shoot 'em ups.
I appreciated the tongue-in-cheek humour, but I never felt that the backwoods rural setting (if you ignored the aliens-cloning-rednecks stuff) got the plaudits it deserved. It was genuinely atmospheric - buzzing flies, chirruping cicadas, coughing chickens - and completely different to everything else on offer.
Also, it remains potentially the only game to date which had a downloadable update - The Cuss Pack - which added additional swearing to the game. Everybody likes swearing don't they? It's the coolest form of language!
"I cuss you bad!"
Ha ha. Do you get that reference? DO YOU?!
I appreciated the tongue-in-cheek humour, but I never felt that the backwoods rural setting (if you ignored the aliens-cloning-rednecks stuff) got the plaudits it deserved. It was genuinely atmospheric - buzzing flies, chirruping cicadas, coughing chickens - and completely different to everything else on offer.
Also, it remains potentially the only game to date which had a downloadable update - The Cuss Pack - which added additional swearing to the game. Everybody likes swearing don't they? It's the coolest form of language!
"I cuss you bad!"
Ha ha. Do you get that reference? DO YOU?!
HERETIC
Heretic - and its sort-of-sequel Hexen, and its actual sequel Heretic 2, and the Hexen sequel Hexen 2 - were hyped so hard that it ruptured their colons! Not really: video games don't have colons, unless they're the Halo series, which is literally ALL colon.
Nevertheless, it's odd that you rarely hear mention of Hexen or Heretic today.
Basically, they were a fantasy take on Doom - but offering the player the then-remarkable ability to look up-and-down. You know: like dogs can't do.
The fact it was so highly derivative of Doom - it was even published by iD Software - might be why it hasn't had the same sort of back-end legacy.
Ha ha: back-end (bottom)!
Nevertheless, it's odd that you rarely hear mention of Hexen or Heretic today.
Basically, they were a fantasy take on Doom - but offering the player the then-remarkable ability to look up-and-down. You know: like dogs can't do.
The fact it was so highly derivative of Doom - it was even published by iD Software - might be why it hasn't had the same sort of back-end legacy.
Ha ha: back-end (bottom)!
SHADOW WARRIOR
There must be about a dozen unconnected games called Shadow Warrior, but this one was the first-person shoot 'em up one.
Basically, it was a ninja vs demons, and featured a character called - amusingly - Lo Wang. There have been a couple of unremarkable sequels, and an unremarkable remake, but the original - created by Duke Nukem developers 3D Realms - had a similar over-the-top sense of humour to Duke.
Oh... oh yes. With that in mind, Lo Wang was probably intentional. Grow up.
Basically, it was a ninja vs demons, and featured a character called - amusingly - Lo Wang. There have been a couple of unremarkable sequels, and an unremarkable remake, but the original - created by Duke Nukem developers 3D Realms - had a similar over-the-top sense of humour to Duke.
Oh... oh yes. With that in mind, Lo Wang was probably intentional. Grow up.
BLOOD
A gothic horror Duke Nukem 3D, Blood's USP was its extreme levels of gore, which made it feel a bit like playing through an interactive 1980s heavy metal album cover.
It was also one of the first shooters to feature that staple of the genre - levels set within a series of organic corridors, where the walls, ceiling and floor are made of guts. At the time, we hadn't seen it all before.
Why do so many shooters have corridors made of guts? What's that about? How many movies have had corridors made out of guts? If you got one movie which had a corridor made out of guts, do you think all the other movies would copy it, or would they say "Oh... Jaws 7 had a corridor made of guts, so we'd better come up with something else"?
Here's an idea: corridors made out of cake. What's the matter? Not edgy enough for you? Yeah, well... what if they're cakes made out of poo?!?!
Yeah. Now you're interested.
It was also one of the first shooters to feature that staple of the genre - levels set within a series of organic corridors, where the walls, ceiling and floor are made of guts. At the time, we hadn't seen it all before.
Why do so many shooters have corridors made of guts? What's that about? How many movies have had corridors made out of guts? If you got one movie which had a corridor made out of guts, do you think all the other movies would copy it, or would they say "Oh... Jaws 7 had a corridor made of guts, so we'd better come up with something else"?
Here's an idea: corridors made out of cake. What's the matter? Not edgy enough for you? Yeah, well... what if they're cakes made out of poo?!?!
Yeah. Now you're interested.
SiN
Sin - irritatingly stylised as SiN - actually put a bit of effort into its storyline and setting, rather than just go the usual resurrected-guy-killing-demons-or-aliens that most of the genre adopted.
Set in a post-police future world, it begins with the player foiling a bank robbery, and blossoms into a corporate conspiracy to turn ordinary citizens into mutants.
Nowadays, most games let you fanny around with computer terminals and lavatories to your heart's content, but the joy of SiN was its interactive environments - a rare treat in those days. I played SiN again recently, and though its chunky visuals haven't aged terribly well, I was impressed at how epic and cinematic it still feels.
Also: a distinct lack of corridors made out of guts.
Set in a post-police future world, it begins with the player foiling a bank robbery, and blossoms into a corporate conspiracy to turn ordinary citizens into mutants.
Nowadays, most games let you fanny around with computer terminals and lavatories to your heart's content, but the joy of SiN was its interactive environments - a rare treat in those days. I played SiN again recently, and though its chunky visuals haven't aged terribly well, I was impressed at how epic and cinematic it still feels.
Also: a distinct lack of corridors made out of guts.
REBEL MOON RISING
Set on a lunar colony, in the midst of a civil war, Rebel Moon Rising was overshadowed due to being released around the same time as Quake. Which was a shame, as Rebel Moon Rising was quite good, and Quake wasn't as good as everyone remembers. And if you disagree with that assessment, I will literally fight you.
Unfortunately, you can thank Rebel Moon Rising for introducing that bane of the FPS genre - escort missions. Even more annoying, each level begins with the player possessing a limited supply of oxygen - effectively putting a time limit on your success.
Nevertheless, with an emphasis on stealth, and some neat gadgets and weapons, Rebel Moon Rising at least tried to do something a bit different.
Unfortunately, you can thank Rebel Moon Rising for introducing that bane of the FPS genre - escort missions. Even more annoying, each level begins with the player possessing a limited supply of oxygen - effectively putting a time limit on your success.
Nevertheless, with an emphasis on stealth, and some neat gadgets and weapons, Rebel Moon Rising at least tried to do something a bit different.
OUTLAWS
I've said it before, but Outlaws is one of the most underrated games of all time. Developed by LucasArts, it was an Old West-set shooter, with a tremendous feeling of being-there.
It also introduced the sniper rifle to the genre - and perfected it pretty much from the off. It might not have been the best-looking game of the era, and weirdly mixed textured polygons with hand-drawn animation, but few could match it for sheer hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck atmosphere.
It also gave me one of my favourite gaming memories of all time; pinned down in a fort, surrounded by enemies calling my name, with just one bullet left in my gun... its testament to how much I was enjoying it that I didn't just give up, despite reloading my save game a good two dozen times.
It also introduced the sniper rifle to the genre - and perfected it pretty much from the off. It might not have been the best-looking game of the era, and weirdly mixed textured polygons with hand-drawn animation, but few could match it for sheer hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck atmosphere.
It also gave me one of my favourite gaming memories of all time; pinned down in a fort, surrounded by enemies calling my name, with just one bullet left in my gun... its testament to how much I was enjoying it that I didn't just give up, despite reloading my save game a good two dozen times.
MARATHON
Developed by Bungie, Marathon could be seen as a precursor to both the Halo and Destiny series. It boasted a similar intricate sci-fi mythology, overbearing, po-faced plot, and nameless protagonist working for a far-future military organisation.
It was originally released only for the Mac, making it the closest that system had to its own Doom.
It was originally released only for the Mac, making it the closest that system had to its own Doom.
EXHUMED
Known as PowerSlave elsewhere in the world, but called Exhumed in the UK - presumably so as not to upset the pop group Iron Maiden - this was notable for being released initially for the Sega Saturn.
Basically your average Doom clone, albeit with Metroidvania collectible items which opened up new areas, and an Ancient Egyptian re-skin, Exhumed is best remembered as being on the frontline of the debate over whether the Saturn or the PlayStation was the better console.
Weigh into this debate.... NOW.
Basically your average Doom clone, albeit with Metroidvania collectible items which opened up new areas, and an Ancient Egyptian re-skin, Exhumed is best remembered as being on the frontline of the debate over whether the Saturn or the PlayStation was the better console.
Weigh into this debate.... NOW.
UNREAL
We all know about the Unreal Engine, but it's often forgotten that it began here - with the game Unreal. It was famous for being incredibly demanding of PCs - indeed, it sent mine into a blue screen void from which it never recovered - but if you could get it running, it was something rather special.
Beginning with an evocative prison ship crash, the player finds themselves stranded on a strange alien world in an opening, which - there's no way of pretending otherwise - influenced the original Halo.
Halo's a bit rubbish really.
Beginning with an evocative prison ship crash, the player finds themselves stranded on a strange alien world in an opening, which - there's no way of pretending otherwise - influenced the original Halo.
Halo's a bit rubbish really.
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