First-person shooters have changed quite a bit over the years. Things are quite different now from 1993 whenDoomfloppy disks first started circulatingwithin schools, offices, and tech-inclined kids. Sometimes, it’s hard to understand just how different those times were. Thankfully, we now have a solution: comparing the originalDoomand its 2016 reboot.
Few things make the passage of time so clear as looking at the evolution of a single thing. In the case of video games, especially when talking about two different times, that evolution often comes in the form of a remake or a reboot. And while the first tries to stick close to the original, even if just a little bit, areboot is often a completely different game, the only commonality being the basic premise.
7Perfect Dark Zero (2005)
Reboot Of: Perfect Dark (2000)
Perfect Dark Zeroreimagines the series’ protagonist, Joanna Dark, as a skilled bounty hunter instead of the promising new operative she was before. This foreshadows the reboot’s newfound interest in first-person combat. In this pursuit,Perfect Dark Zeroabandons the original’s objective-driven structure, a style that developer Rare employed in bothPerfect DarkandGoldeneye 007.
Perfect Dark Zeroshakes up its first-person roots by cleverly shifting to the third person when taking cover during combat. This mix, likely a result of the popularity of cover shooters, would laterinspire other first-person gamesto go that same route. Years later,Deus Ex: Human Revolution,another shooter with optional stealth, would end up using this same mechanic for shooting as well as sneaking.
The 2008Turokreboot doesn’t seem to be beloved by fans much, unlike the 1997 original. That might be becauseTurok: Dinosaur Hunteris a classic Nintendo 64 shooter. It might be because it came out at a time when any decent shooter on the console was sure to make the rounds. The newTurokdidn’t have that luxury.
Even then, the 2008 reboot has its fans. It also had a troubled development, and while it was a commercial success, it understandably didn’t spawn a sequel. Perhaps part of the problem was completely abandoning its roots. Not only is this a new protagonist in a new setting, but it’s full of now-abandoned features that would start to creep into action games around this time. Features like weirdly placed flying sections or lackluster stealth don’t really use the IP to its best.
The originalShadow Warriorcould be considered outdated on many fronts. First, there’s the obvious: it’s a 1997 shooter made with the Build engine, which most famously powersDuke Nuke 3D. Then there’s the more thorny subject of the game’s humor, which is quite famously full of racial stereotypes and tacky sexual innuendos. To no one’s surprise, the new game’s developer, Flying Wild Hog, went with a reboot instead of a sequel.
The 2013Shadow Warriorreboot’s most noteworthy decision is probably the addition of afairly in-depth melee combat system. Unlike the original game, the protagonist’s sword is more than something to fall back on once ammunition becomes scarce. And while the game’s humor rarely sticks the landing, this time, there’s a bit more to the story beyond one-liners.
The originalDeus Exmight not have been a dedicated shooter, butDeus Ex: Human Revolutioncertainly is. There is certainly more going on than just shooting: this is a prequel and light reboot of one of the most beloved PC games of all time, after all. Theshooting is accompanied by a great stealthsystem, multiple solutions to every problem, and even some role-playing elements.
Trying to playDeus Exas a straightforward shooter would be terrible, as it is, first and foremost, an RPG, though some prefer the name Immersive Sim. The same could be said for trying to play the new series,Deus Ex: Human RevolutionandMankind Divided, as an RPG and not a shooter with light role-playing elements.
Like many other games played from the first person, the originalSystem Shockis bumped into the shooter genre simply by virtue of having a gun. But unlike its predecessor, the recentSystem Shockremake actually earns this title. One example could be the Sparqbeam: in the original, the player used a slider to select how much energy to put into this gun. The remake forgoes the slider for a three-stage firing mode, each using more energy to inflict more damage.
What felt like a repurposed civilian use taser in 1994’sSystem Shockhas become a straightforward sci-fi gun in the remake. Something similar happened to the leaning mechanics. Looking Glass’ original game allowed for expressive but complex control over the protagonist’s body, controlling vertical and horizontal movement. The remake, in comparison, still allows players to accurately lean around corners but without deviating too much from classic FPS mechanics.
Doommight be the oldest, still popular FPS series ever made, and that’s mostly thanks to the 2016 reboot. The popularity of the series took a serious hit afterDoom 3failed to meet expectations. It got worse as the years passed, and no new game came out. Only a few years ago,Doomseemed like just a relic, a legendary series that couldn’t be relevant in the modern video game landscape.
Doom (2016)changed everything. Almost overnight,Doomwas popular again. And unlikeDoom 3, the series’ original rip-and-tear philosophy remained intact. The story, certainly more present than in the original, took a back seat to constant action. Thetypical RPG-like progression, something that in 2016 was forcibly attached to any and all games, was cut to a minimum.Doomwas back, and it seemed like it would stay here for a while.
WhenCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfarecame out in 2007, video games were changed forever. The series’ fast-pacedmultiplayer deathmatch mode, a feature that has long been synonymous with theCall of Dutybrand, is pretty much modeled after the fourth game in the series.
The originalModern Warfaresold more copies than many series make in their entire lifetime, moving seven million units in just about three months and 17 in a few years. The 2019Call Of Duty: Modern Warfaresold over 30 million copies in about a year. It’s hard to overstate how much the original game dominated the first-person shooter world, and while the reboot might not be as influential, it somehow managed to be even more successful.
