The Evolution of First-Person Shooter Games: From DOOM to Call of Duty

The evolution of the first-person shooter games genre has always been synonymous with the advancement of gaming as a whole. Over the years, we’ve seen countless first-person shooter titles break through into the mainstream. These titles define their generations, establishing eras of gaming that players today look back on fondly. Wolfenstein, Doom, Counter-Strike, and Call of Duty are all big names that continue to sway the gaming landscape.

But how did it all begin? What were the beginnings of the first-person shooter genre, and how did it grow to the juggernaut it is today? Who were the big players creating these incredibly immersive experiences? That’s what we’re looking to answer as we dive deeper into the evolution of first-person shooter games and how they’ve progressed over the years to the current day.

The First Shooters of the Early 1970s

While most people would tell you that the first actual FPS in gaming was DOOM, the truth is, the roots of the first-person shooter run much deeper. Going back to the 1970s, the world would get its first glimpse at an FPS through Maze War in 1973. Created by Steve Colley for the Imlac PDS-1 computers at NASA’s Ames Research Center, the technology was simple.

Maze War featured simple 3D wireframe graphics, just about all that technology of the time could muster. Players could traverse a simple 3D maze, though only one tile at a time. At the sight of other players, represented by eyeballs, you could shoot them down as you would any other game. Looking back now, it all seems rather primitive, but this would come to define the basis for most first-person shooters.

In 1974, Spasim (short for Space Simulator) was developed for PLATO computers. Like Maze War, the game was rendered with wireframe graphics, giving users control of their spaceship. Spasim gave players greater freedom of movement, along with simple obstacles. All of this, running at a painful crawl of one frame every second. It rendered the game practically unplayable but still functional.

While far from revolutionary, these games paved the path for the upcoming wave of arcade shooters. They would establish the basics of the genre that would be adopted and iterated upon as the years continued.

The Wave of Arcade First-Person Shooters in the 1980s

In the 1980s, practically every game was pushing towards the arcade gaming scene. While first-person shooters weren’t the most popular, the genre technically did not even truly exist yet; many interesting entries still heralded the genre. Among them, by far the most important and well-known was Atari’s Battlezone, from 1980. With vector graphics, the game puts players on a map of solid shapes, shooting at enemies.

Once again, Battlezone would be seen as primitive by today’s standards. Back in its heyday, however, there was nothing quite like it. Between the smoother gameplay, improved controls and greater accessibility, Battlezone opens the door for much greater things. The only true competitor to it would come years later, in the form of Taito’s Gun Buster in 1992.

While this was all happening, more significant developments were going on behind the scenes. The home computer market was ramping up, and with it, investment in its gaming abilities. Game developers wanted to bring the arcade experience to homes, while others saw it as an opportunity to innovate. Regardless, this would open the door to some of the biggest advancements in FPS development.

The Home Computer Market Injects Innovation into First-Person Shooters

Now, it’s essential to understand that as of the late 1980s, shooting games as a genre didn’t yet exist. It simply wasn’t established enough to be recognizable. Of course, plenty of people saw potential in the concept, but bringing it to life was a whole different story. Many developers were throwing their hats into the ring, but the rules of the ring were still being built.

As a result, the home computer and entertainment markets would lead to the creation of some of the most experimental and influential FPS games of all time. MIDI Maze, released for the Atari ST in 1987, would be the first proper home computer FPS. While it wouldn’t blow any minds with its visuals and gameplay, it did introduce the groundwork for what would become local deathmatch modes.

Using MIDI ports designed for sound and processing, the game could support 16 players at once locally, making for intense deathmatches. While having more than 4 players at once would make the game lag, it was still a monumental achievement. From here, home computers and consoles would get more powerful, which would catalyse even greater advancements for shooters.

With the increased power, devs could aim for the moon with their visuals and gameplay. The sky was the limit, and you could make it if you had an idea. This idea led to the creation of the blockbuster hit Wolfenstein 3D in 1992. Often heralded as the grandfather of the modern shooter, Wolfenstein 3D would rewrite the rules of first-person shooters, introducing advancements that stick around to this day.

Gone were the clunky feel of older titles, replaced with a smooth and slick movement system. The Labyrinthian map design was still here but now touched up with brick textures and lighting effects. Many different weapons to choose from, each with a different feel. Secret levels and easter eggs. Most importantly, visceral graphics and sound design give every action a satisfying result.

ID Software, the brains behind Wolfenstein 3D, hit gold with the release. It broke sales records for a game and rewrote the rules of the genre. But, at the end of the day, Wolfenstein 3D still seemed archaic, with many leftovers from the previous era of shooters. If ID were to revolutionize the genre, they’d need to bring something fresh to the table.

DOOM: The Father of the Modern First-Person Shooter

It’s difficult to overstate just how essential DOOM is to the establishment of the first-person shooter as a genre. Where there were plenty of shooters before DOOM, it stood above all others as a beacon of quality and innovation. Taking the Wolfenstein 3D engine, ID Software polished every single aspect of the game to unlock its greatest potential.

DOOM got rid of the labyrinthine design of previous shooters, now with far more dynamic map designs. Environments were no longer sterile, with the gates of hell never feeling more alive and immersive. More powerful computer systems increased the game’s fidelity, allowing the devs to properly visualize their ideas on screen.

Gameplay would be even faster, and weapons even deadlier. Despite its dark corridors and maps, advanced lighting systems bathed the game in a shiny lustre and glow. The enemies of DOOM, the demons and monsters of hell themselves, were rendered in beautiful sprite work. Finally, with a heavy metal-inspired soundtrack by Bobby Prince, everything rounded out to a perfect product.

DOOM became an instant smash hit, breaking multiple sales records and becoming acclaimed by critics and fans alike. It was here that the term first-person shooter would be coined. Its purpose is solely to categorize the sudden onslaught of games looking to replicate DOOM’s success.

The Influence of DOOM on the First-Person Shooter Market

Many companies saw the success of DOOM and wanted a slice of the pie. While many of these ended up being straight-up DOOM clones, some companies attempted to innovate. Games like Heretic in 1994, Rise of the Triad also in 1994, and Rogue Strife in 1996 would introduce small advancements to the DOOM engine. None of these games would revolutionize the industry the way DOOM did, but they didn’t need to.

Slowly, more developers would learn from DOOM, turning it into the blueprint of modern FPS games. 1994 would bring System Shock, boosting the engine’s immersion and combining it with a deep and satisfying narrative. Branching pathways, stunning visuals, and advanced storytelling changed the way people perceived the first-person shooter.

More games would release following the DOOM formula, with Duke Nukem 3D released in 1996. Instead of great vistas or immersive visuals, Duke Nukem 3D instead introduced the character into FPS games. Instead of a simple, nameless avatar, the Duke would be voiced by Jon St. John, giving birth to a wisecracking hero that would stick around for many sequels.

ID Software, not wanting to be outdone, released Quake in 1996 to great fanfare. ID Software became a household name in gaming by adding true 3D environments and reinvigorating the gameplay style. It’d take many years before any company would even come close to touching their dominance within the genre, but it’d come with time.

GoldenEye 007: The Advent of Console First-Person Shooters

While all this was happening in the home computer market, the console wars were heating up. On consoles, shooters were still waiting to receive their dues, as the mouse and keyboard were the reigning kings of shooter control schemes. Many developers struggled to achieve satisfying shooter gameplay on a controller, and while companies like Taito and Midway would give it their best, it simply did not click.

The first company to truly crack the code would be Rareware, with GoldenEye 007 (1997) on the Nintendo 64 home console. GoldenEye was revolutionary, not just for its achievements in graphics and level design on consoles, but because of how well it controlled with a controller. Like DOOM before it, GoldenEye’s advancements in FPS technology would elevate it into the blueprint for console FPS games.

Looking back, the shift from the first generation of shooters to the second was quite staggering. Where the genre struggled to find its footing early on, by the 1990s, it was rapidly evolving. Many genre mainstays would come from this period, with many of these games still holding up. From here, however, things would only get bigger, and even a tad more commercial.

Half-Life Reinvents First-Person Shooter Storytelling

In 1998, Valve Software would break into the video game market with their hallmark PC release, Half-Life. Created on the GoldSrc Engine, itself a heavily modified version of ID’s Quake engine, Half-Life would redefine how storytelling in first-person shooters could work. Its impact on the gaming industry as a whole is difficult to summarize, but it was undoubtedly a massive smash success for the company.

Instead of linear lines of text providing context for the story, Half-Life featured full voice acting and no cutscenes. Every piece of the story was delivered organically, be it through environmental cues or simple happenstance. Players would need to be invested in the world and game to catch the story, and it worked perfectly for the game’s effect.

To make this work, Valve invested heavily in carefully crafted worlds and interesting details within the game’s universe. Every environment is given heavy emphasis so that vigilant players would notice minor details affecting the world of the game at large. As players travel through its world, the world would react in kind, creating a living, breathing universe unlike anything ever seen.

Half-Life received critical acclaim from critics and was a hit with consumers everywhere. Perhaps most surprisingly, Half-Life would define a split between the direction that first-person shooters were taking. Some shooters would focus on speed and intensity, like DOOM and its contemporaries. Meanwhile, others would explore the deeper narrative elements afforded through the FPS genre’s greater focus on immersion.

Greater Experimentation, LAN Competitive Gaming, and Counter-Strike

With Half-Life’s success, developers began getting creative with what they could offer the genre. Some games would play around with movement systems. The Unreal Tournament in 1999 would blow the movement systems of previous games out of the water. Along with its greater focus on LAN play, it would become one of the most beloved competitive shooters of its generation.

LAN play would also form the backbone of many first-person shooters in this era. Being able to play against a group of friends in fast, frenetic action was generally a great time, and it quickly became a must-have for most shooters. Perhaps the most important online competitive title at this time was Counter-Strike, another smash hit for the burgeoning Valve catalogue.

Counter-Strike, affectionately referred to as CS by its fans, popularized more militaristic approaches to shooters. It was always a popular backdrop for first-person shooters, but Counter-Strike introduced a simple, toned down and modern way for it to work. Along with a slew of fun game modes, Counter-Strike began to define tactical shooters and how they played online.

On a completely different front, many developers saw Half-Life’s innovation and chose to try and reinvent the wheel. Instead of simply iterating on what worked, they’d introduce whole new mechanics into a first-person shooter context. Good examples of this include Alien: Resurrection from 1999, adding horror elements that would go on to define shooters like Dead Space in the future.

Of course, these were all the calm before the storm, as console shooters would finally take their place at the top soon enough. While not many saw it coming, the upcoming Xbox release would bring with it a new king of the shooter genre, successfully reinventing many aspects of the genre grandly.

Console First-Person Shooters Reinvented With Halo

If you follow first-person shooters in any way, you’re familiar with the Halo franchise. When its first game, Halo: Combat Evolved, was released back in 2001, it was an unprecedented phenomenon. Not only did it destroy sales charts, but it also single-handedly sold the Xbox everywhere. Halo was such a huge achievement in gaming in general that it kick-started a whole new generation of shooters.

Suddenly, war shooters were all the rage, along with sci-fi backdrops. These would persist throughout the years, with practically every console generation having a new one. But what truly set Halo apart from its competitors was its access to the internet and many, many different game modes. Simply put, there was enough in Halo to keep anyone entertained for hours on end.

Players could communicate with others on the platform, giving a sense of community. Even with the mass amounts of toxicity, it made for an incredibly fun experience. Halo’s campaign mode was also no slouch, giving players a massive, war-torn world to roam around in. Every mission felt epic, and this sense of scale was unmatched by anything else.

If you weren’t there to experience it, it’s hard to describe the Halo phenomenon. It became prevalent shockingly fast, and its popularity continued throughout the years as the franchise continued its grand tale. Its choices would inform the general direction of the FPS landscape, though other developers would inject their ideas into the mix.

The Rise of War Shooters in the FPS Space

Tides would shift once again as wireless internet became cheaper and more reliable. Despite a strong start and a heavy impact on the gaming scene, LAN gaming’s popularity was slowly beginning to wane. The rise of proper online console shooters contributed to this In a significant way, as the ability to play with your friends from any distance at any time was simply too convenient to pass up on.

Popular ongoing game franchises such as Halo and Call of Duty heralded this shift, putting the online play on a pedestal to great success. Halo would take the concept and run, adding different game modes and minigames to spice up online play. Call of Duty, on the other hand, would push forward, focusing on larger-scale, more epic battles based on realistic wars and gritty gunplay.

Battlefield’s rise as a competitor to Call of Duty would mark yet another big shift in how shooters presented themselves. By now, the fundamental principles of a shooter had been perfected on both console and PC. Basic shooters could no longer coast on just having better gameplay; they needed to offer something greater to entice players.

Battlefield and Call of Duty shared a similar aesthetic, but different features would set them apart. Call of Duty starred kinetic and focused gameplay with smaller maps. Battlefield meanwhile believed bigger was better, adding vehicles, huger maps and larger player caps. Both approaches had their benefits and fans, with the door open to more unique takes on the genre.

Rainbow Six: Vegas introduced incredibly nuanced and tactical gameplay to shooters. Infiltration and stealth were big factors, demanding more than just reactions from the player. Communication with teammates was vital to stand a chance. These differences struck a chord with many players, allowing the game to be a hit as an alternative to war shooters. Rainbow Six: Siege would later take this concept and polish it further, also becoming a huge smash hit.

The Evolution Of Mixed Genre First Person Shooters

Outside of the war shooter market, games were getting shockingly creative and ambitious. Developers looking to innovate further would begin mixing different genres with shooters. Metroid Prime added exploration and a vast sci-fi world along with different abilities for traversal to the first-person shooter experience to an incredible reception.

Newer titles continued to bring fresh concepts and innovative spins on preexisting ideas. Games like Destiny added a heavier emphasis on co-op play and fantastic settings, with players teaming up to deal with challenges and waves of foes. Borderlands did just about the same thing, but with an added tinge of stylish violence and humour, giving it its unique feel.

Valve, meanwhile was shifting out endless hits. Team Fortress 2 was released, adding platforming elements and various classes to the basic shooter formula. Meanwhile, the Portal series reinvented the concept of a first-person shooter, using the perspective solely for solving puzzles and gravity-shifting shenanigans. Everyone had something to prove, and now that PCs and consoles were both capable of playing HD games, devs no longer needed to distinguish between the two platforms.

Market Stagnation and Modern Day Hero Shooters

For a long time past this point, the first-person shooter market would begin to stagnate. Most, if not all, the ideas had already been done and perfected, leading to most games being retreads of old ideas.

Sequels ruled the roost, and first-person shooters would take a backseat to other genres. This would continue until 2016 when Blizzard announced their latest FPS, Overwatch.

Overwatch was a special sub-genre of FPS, nowadays deemed the hero shooter. Instead of complex tactical gameplay or straight-up movement-based shenanigans, Overwatch took a page out of fighting games and MOBAs, giving every character unique attributes and roles. This refreshing take on the genre, along with a nice coat of polish in quality and animations, skyrocketed Overwatch’s popularity.

Before long, many other developers were beginning attempts to get a slice of the pie. Perhaps the most well-known and long-lasting would be Hirez Games’ Paladins, which leaned harder into the MOBA aspect of hero shooters. Many other hero shooters would arise and fall during the period, though none stuck the landing quite like Overwatch.

Battle Royales and the Evolution of the Hero Shooter

During the FPS slump, a new genre rose to become the new hot topic in gaming, that being battle royales. While most battle royales didn’t fit into the FPS genre, a few notable ones did. Unfortunately, most of these had no true staying power due to their shallow and unpolished gameplay. However, things changed when developers Respawn threw their hat in the ring.

Respawn were well respected for their work on their previous franchise, Titanfall 2. It was a critical darling but sold average numbers, and Respawn were looking to bolster things with their next effort. So, they decided to take all the trendiest options available and combine them with their existing Titanfall 2 engine to create a brand-new game. The result was Apex Legends, a huge smash hit that persists to this day.

Apex hit a perfect intersection between what most players craved in a shooter. It had the characters and abilities that made Overwatch so popular, the mainstream appeal of battle royale games, and the powerful movement engine of Titanfall 2. On top of all this, it was free to play, meaning anyone could pick it up and play at any time.

At the same time, Riot Games, known for League of Legends and not much else, announced their latest project, a hero shooter focused on tactical gameplay. Abilities would be limited, but the appeal of a new game from Riot was enough to draw people in.

Valorant and the Future of First-Person Shooters

Riot’s Valorant would blow up in the best way for the company. It was the first huge first-person shooter launch in a long time, and it continues to draw in droves of people to play it. Valorant and Apex Legends together managed to reignite the fire for quality FPS games, and over time, more and more companies have begun to push new, innovative ideas forward.

Unfortunately, the market for shooters is quite saturated, but that doesn’t mean quality games can’t be released. 2021’s Doom: Eternal was a huge hit, despite being primarily a simple action shooter. Other big franchises like Counter-Strike are also getting a second wind off of Valorant’s success, as Valve has finally announced Counter-Strike 2 to great reception.

As with any gaming genre, first-person shooters will have their highs and their lulls, but it’s been more fortunate than many other genres in that regard. There has never been a drought regarding FPS games, only slight downward trends and an occasional lack of groundbreaking titles. The future for the genre is now bright once again, and we’re eager to see where things go from here.