Summary
Steamadded a new “Boomer Shooter” category for its lineup of games. While the jokey title pokes fun at fans of more traditional-style shooters onSteam, the category is a legitimate addition that highlights a unique style.
In 2023,Steam broke its own recordfor most games released in a year, as it added over 14,000 of them in the span of 12 months. As a result of the platform’s massive offering of titles, Steam has a robust categorization system that helps users sift through the storefront to find their kind of game. Recently, Steam added a new category that is sure to help fans of classic shooters find their preferred titles.
Steam added its newBoomer Shootercategory, which includes games that resemble 1993DOOM’s classic approach. These titles often include fast-paced and violent gameplay centered around a wide array of unique enemies, while supplying the user with beefed-up weapons like super shotguns and grenade launchers. The gameplay mechanics in these games often exclude a sprint feature, yet still allow for skillful movement through other actions like jumping. Currently, there are nearly 150 games that are a part of this new category, with the more popular ones including titles likeUltrakill,Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun,Dusk, andTurbo Overkill.
This category has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity lately, with plenty ofhigh-quality Boomer Shooters being released. As the years march on, many gamers have begun to miss this classic style of shooter games. Fortunately for fans who are just discovering this genre, they have a plethora of well-received games to try out.
Boomer Shooter Game Examples
As one of the more recent Boomer Shooter releases,Warhammer 40,000: Boltguncontinued this trendwith great success, as it currently sits at a 91% rating on Steam. It features pixelated yet detailed graphics and an addictive combat loop that recaptures the magic of 1990s shooters. Not only can fans enjoy new takes on this genre, but they can also enjoy updated versions of some of their favorite games.
Someclassic 1990s shooters have received HD portsthat improve visuals and performance, and also add new features. Some of these titles are ambitious reimaginings of the original games, likeBlack Mesa. This game paid respect to the originalHalf-Lifeby vastly improving its visuals, in addition to adding new voice acting and level improvements. It might seem like a risky move to take on the remastering of a legendary game likeHalf-Life, butBlack Mesa’s development team seems to have pulled it off.
Steam
Steam is a digital video game storefront and program developed by Valve that allows gamers to purchase, play, and mod their titles all through one convenient program.
