RANK-TRO/"BOOMER" SHOOTERS
My cut-off for this list is Half-Life, since I think that marked the end of that era. I'm only including the episodes that came with the game, e.g. no Thy Flesh Consumed for DOOM and no Cryptic Passage for Blood. If you have any suggestions for games I should play from this era, let me know, I might play them later and add them to the list. I have no nostalgia nor outside bias for any of these games. These are all based on current, original opinions.
8 Games
Rating: 3/10
Difficulty: Both Tiny Grasshopper and I Have No Fear
How I played: Classic Redux
Sorry, Mr. Wang. This is the only game on the list I straight up gave up on, I just could not get into the level design, weapons, or overall vibe. The whole game just looks muddy in comparison to the other games on the list, the weapons don't feel satisfying to use, and Lo's shtick got old real quick for me. There's a reason Duke only talked every now and then, if he did it constantly, he'd end up just being annoying. And, elephant in the room, yes the game is very racist. That's not my major problem with it, but it's really hard to ignore it. Overall, I didn't hate what I played, but it pushed me away too quick to want to come back to it. The katana was nice, though.
Difficulty: Both Tiny Grasshopper and I Have No Fear
How I played: Classic Redux
Sorry, Mr. Wang. This is the only game on the list I straight up gave up on, I just could not get into the level design, weapons, or overall vibe. The whole game just looks muddy in comparison to the other games on the list, the weapons don't feel satisfying to use, and Lo's shtick got old real quick for me. There's a reason Duke only talked every now and then, if he did it constantly, he'd end up just being annoying. And, elephant in the room, yes the game is very racist. That's not my major problem with it, but it's really hard to ignore it. Overall, I didn't hate what I played, but it pushed me away too quick to want to come back to it. The katana was nice, though.
Rating: 4/10
Difficulty: Bring 'em on! for Episode 1, Don't hurt me for Episodes 2 and 3
How I played: ECWolf
Look, man, I can appreciate this game for what it did, and hell, for the time, this is pretty impressive. Dynamic bullet damage depending on distance is neat, and not picking up health items when you're full on HP is a QoL feature that some modern games don't even have. However, unlike its children, Wolf3D hasn't aged well at all. Everything just feels like a dry run for DOOM, with nothing gameplay-wise that lets this stand on its own. The sound effects are decent, the bosses are funny, and the graphics are even good for the time, but I can't really see anything that would make me want to come back to it. I would've given it a 5/10 if not for the annoying-ass zombie enemies.
Difficulty: Bring 'em on! for Episode 1, Don't hurt me for Episodes 2 and 3
How I played: ECWolf
Look, man, I can appreciate this game for what it did, and hell, for the time, this is pretty impressive. Dynamic bullet damage depending on distance is neat, and not picking up health items when you're full on HP is a QoL feature that some modern games don't even have. However, unlike its children, Wolf3D hasn't aged well at all. Everything just feels like a dry run for DOOM, with nothing gameplay-wise that lets this stand on its own. The sound effects are decent, the bosses are funny, and the graphics are even good for the time, but I can't really see anything that would make me want to come back to it. I would've given it a 5/10 if not for the annoying-ass zombie enemies.
Rating: 6/10
Difficulty: Hurt Me Plenty
How I played: Steam
This was a really hard game to rate. On one hand, the good parts of this easily blow the original DOOM out of the water. On the other, the bad parts make me agree with Civvie on Sandy Petersen earning himself a flogging. Now, I'll admit that the usage of the map editor is very clever, having huge, sprawling cities and puzzling labyrinths instead of the typical corridors from the predecessor. I give the developers credit for their ambition, but as a player, I'm not very fond of them. It led to more walking in circles, backtracking, and reluctantly pulling up guides than I tend to enjoy. The super shotgun is very fun, and the final boss battle is really unique and memorable, if a little finnicky, but overall, this game doesn't hold enough weight for me to rank it above the original. However, I feel that opinion might change as time goes on and I play them both more, but for now, it remains below the first.
Difficulty: Hurt Me Plenty
How I played: Steam
This was a really hard game to rate. On one hand, the good parts of this easily blow the original DOOM out of the water. On the other, the bad parts make me agree with Civvie on Sandy Petersen earning himself a flogging. Now, I'll admit that the usage of the map editor is very clever, having huge, sprawling cities and puzzling labyrinths instead of the typical corridors from the predecessor. I give the developers credit for their ambition, but as a player, I'm not very fond of them. It led to more walking in circles, backtracking, and reluctantly pulling up guides than I tend to enjoy. The super shotgun is very fun, and the final boss battle is really unique and memorable, if a little finnicky, but overall, this game doesn't hold enough weight for me to rank it above the original. However, I feel that opinion might change as time goes on and I play them both more, but for now, it remains below the first.
Rating: 7/10
Difficulty: Let's Rock
How I played: eduke32
Well, I am shocked to have liked this as much as I did. It's definitely a more consistent package than some other games on the list, but what it has in consistency it lacks in replayability. Once I was done with each level, I kind of felt like "well, that's over, no need to go back." But, fun guns, mostly good enemies, and shockingly good level design kept me going, with Duke himself being a great bit of flavor whenever the game needed it.
Difficulty: Let's Rock
How I played: eduke32
Well, I am shocked to have liked this as much as I did. It's definitely a more consistent package than some other games on the list, but what it has in consistency it lacks in replayability. Once I was done with each level, I kind of felt like "well, that's over, no need to go back." But, fun guns, mostly good enemies, and shockingly good level design kept me going, with Duke himself being a great bit of flavor whenever the game needed it.
4
Rating: 7/10
Difficulty: Hurt Me Plenty
How I played: The Ultimate DOOM via Steam
Total classic, with fun weapons to use and a great soundtrack. However, I can only take so much of the same enemies before I lose interest. Not only that, but the third episode is pretty bad, with some shoddy level design; episodes 2 and 7 being particularly terrible. Alas, the strengths of the other two chapters, ESPECIALLY the first, keep it from sinking to the bottom of the list. I'd say it's earned its legacy in gaming.
Difficulty: Hurt Me Plenty
How I played: The Ultimate DOOM via Steam
Total classic, with fun weapons to use and a great soundtrack. However, I can only take so much of the same enemies before I lose interest. Not only that, but the third episode is pretty bad, with some shoddy level design; episodes 2 and 7 being particularly terrible. Alas, the strengths of the other two chapters, ESPECIALLY the first, keep it from sinking to the bottom of the list. I'd say it's earned its legacy in gaming.
3
Rating: 9/10
Difficulty: Normal
How I played: DarkPlaces (remaster is good but i prefer original look)
Now, THIS is what I'm talking about. Despite me thinking Half-Life is the better game, Quake just... sings to me, y'know? Or maybe that's just Trent Reznor's screaming. Really, this game almost seems tailor-made for me. Lovecraft inspired, industrial art style, fluid fast-paced movement, Nine Inch Nails soundtrack, what's not to like? The only thing keeping me back from giving this a 5 is Episode 4 being noticeably weaker than the other 3, mainly the inclusion of Vores and Spawns. But that really doesn't hamper the experience much, this is one of the best shooters you'll ever play and one that I can't recommend enough.
Difficulty: Normal
How I played: DarkPlaces (remaster is good but i prefer original look)
Now, THIS is what I'm talking about. Despite me thinking Half-Life is the better game, Quake just... sings to me, y'know? Or maybe that's just Trent Reznor's screaming. Really, this game almost seems tailor-made for me. Lovecraft inspired, industrial art style, fluid fast-paced movement, Nine Inch Nails soundtrack, what's not to like? The only thing keeping me back from giving this a 5 is Episode 4 being noticeably weaker than the other 3, mainly the inclusion of Vores and Spawns. But that really doesn't hamper the experience much, this is one of the best shooters you'll ever play and one that I can't recommend enough.
2
Rating: 9/10
Difficulty: Pink On The Inside
How I played: Fresh Supply
It is so hard to choose between this and Quake. Quake has the better mood and movement, but I find this to be more fun... consider it a tie. I just love so much about this game. Stephan Weyte's voice as Caleb, the dark humor, the dynamite, it's all just so, so good. The levels are huge and open like other games mentioned but exploring them doesn't feel like a chore since the combat is just fffffuckin' amazing. Not only is the combat amazing, but this might rival Quake for best sound design in any of these games. The satisfying BOOMs of TNT tosses and napalm shots, the clattering of casings from tommy gun spray, the oh-so-satisfying screams of zombies and cultists when you take them down, it just makes for such a blood-pumping experience tied with the combat and movement. Y'know what? Just talking about how awesome this game is, I'm bumping it above Quake. Please, please play this if you haven't, it's probably the least popular game on this list and it's the one that deserves the most love.
Difficulty: Pink On The Inside
How I played: Fresh Supply
It is so hard to choose between this and Quake. Quake has the better mood and movement, but I find this to be more fun... consider it a tie. I just love so much about this game. Stephan Weyte's voice as Caleb, the dark humor, the dynamite, it's all just so, so good. The levels are huge and open like other games mentioned but exploring them doesn't feel like a chore since the combat is just fffffuckin' amazing. Not only is the combat amazing, but this might rival Quake for best sound design in any of these games. The satisfying BOOMs of TNT tosses and napalm shots, the clattering of casings from tommy gun spray, the oh-so-satisfying screams of zombies and cultists when you take them down, it just makes for such a blood-pumping experience tied with the combat and movement. Y'know what? Just talking about how awesome this game is, I'm bumping it above Quake. Please, please play this if you haven't, it's probably the least popular game on this list and it's the one that deserves the most love.
Rating: 10/10
Difficulty: Normal
How I played: Original (i like Xen and On A Rail)
Okay, yeah, maybe it's cheating putting it on this list, but it really is so far beyond and above the other shooters at the time. Hell, it was above other games at the time, period. I won't bore you with how important this game is, and just talk about why it's great. The gameplay is deliberately difficult, but with a different tone: rather than you being the "super cool badass guy who beats tough bad guys!", you're just a scientist who got lucky to have a performance-enhancing suit, and the enemies you face want to kill you. They're not brainless zombies or demons, they're soldiers and intelligent alien races that deliberately want to kill you in particular. The way the story is told is so brilliant, like the scientist mentioning the "GPS in your suit", implying that you've been leading the soldiers to where all your scientist and guard friends have been hiding, or when you're in Xen and find Vortigaunts that ignore your presence, implying that they're more than just a violent alien race. It's all so good, and makes for an incredibly memorable experience. The soundtrack is great, the level progression is super fluid (with the exception of Interloper), the combat feels so tough but fun, it's really just fantastic in every regard. If you haven't play it, I won't hound you on playing Black Mesa versus the original first, but I would recommend you play the original at least once at some point, if only to admire how solid of a game Valve put out as their first work.
Difficulty: Normal
How I played: Original (i like Xen and On A Rail)
Okay, yeah, maybe it's cheating putting it on this list, but it really is so far beyond and above the other shooters at the time. Hell, it was above other games at the time, period. I won't bore you with how important this game is, and just talk about why it's great. The gameplay is deliberately difficult, but with a different tone: rather than you being the "super cool badass guy who beats tough bad guys!", you're just a scientist who got lucky to have a performance-enhancing suit, and the enemies you face want to kill you. They're not brainless zombies or demons, they're soldiers and intelligent alien races that deliberately want to kill you in particular. The way the story is told is so brilliant, like the scientist mentioning the "GPS in your suit", implying that you've been leading the soldiers to where all your scientist and guard friends have been hiding, or when you're in Xen and find Vortigaunts that ignore your presence, implying that they're more than just a violent alien race. It's all so good, and makes for an incredibly memorable experience. The soundtrack is great, the level progression is super fluid (with the exception of Interloper), the combat feels so tough but fun, it's really just fantastic in every regard. If you haven't play it, I won't hound you on playing Black Mesa versus the original first, but I would recommend you play the original at least once at some point, if only to admire how solid of a game Valve put out as their first work.