{{Short description|Video game genre}} {{Distinguish|Light gun shooter|Rail shooter|Shooting gallery game}} {{Other uses}} {{Redirect|Doom clone|the modern revival|Boomer shooter|the Drake song|First Person Shooter (song)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
[[File:S.T.A.L.K.E.R.- Call of Pripyat.jpg|thumb|A screenshot of ''[[S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat]]'' showcasing the first-person perspective]] [[File:Ultrakill Gameplay.jpg|thumb|''[[Ultrakill]]'', a fast-paced PvE shooter]] {{Video FPS}} A '''first-person shooter''' ('''FPS''') is a [[video game genre|video game]] focused on weapon-based combat seen from a [[First-person (video games)|first-person perspective]], with the player experiencing the action directly through the eyes of the [[player character|main character]].<ref name="routledge chp31"/> This genre shares multiple common traits with other [[shooter video games|shooter games]], and in turn falls under the [[action game]]s category. Since the genre's inception, advanced [[3D computer graphics|3D]] and [[2.5D|pseudo-3D]] graphics have proven fundamental to allow a reasonable level of immersion in the [[three-dimensional space|game world]], and this type of game helped pushing technology progressively further, challenging hardware developers worldwide to introduce numerous innovations in the field of [[graphics processing units]]. [[Multiplayer video game|Multiplayer gaming]] has been an integral part of the experience and became even more prominent with the diffusion of internet connectivity in recent years.
Although earlier games predate it by 20 years, ''[[Wolfenstein 3D]]'' (1992) was the highest-profile archetype upon which most subsequent first-person shooters were based. One such game, considered the progenitor of the genre's mainstream acceptance and popularity, was ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'' (1993), often cited as the most influential game in this category; for years, the term "'''''Doom'' clone'''" was used to designate this type of game, due to ''Doom''{{'}}s enormous success.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.techtimes.com/articles/154622/20160504/the-five-best-doom-clones-ever-released.htm|title=The 5 Best 'Doom' Clones Ever Released|last=Schneider|first=Steven |date=May 4, 2016|work=Tech Times|access-date=January 26, 2018|language=en|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126185052/http://www.techtimes.com/articles/154622/20160504/the-five-best-doom-clones-ever-released.htm|archive-date=January 26, 2018}}</ref> Another common name for the genre in its early days was "corridor shooter", since processing limitations of that era's computer hardware meant that most of the action had to take place in enclosed areas, such as corridors and small rooms.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Preview: Quake |magazine=[[Sega Saturn Magazine]] |issue=22|publisher=[[Emap International Limited]] |date=August 1997|page=38|url= https://archive.org/stream/Official_Sega_Saturn_Magazine_022/Official_Sega_Saturn_Magazine_022_-_august_1997_UK#page/n38/mode/2up |access-date=November 25, 2018}}</ref>
During the 1990s, the genre was one of the main cornerstones for technological advancements of computer graphics, starting with the release of ''[[Quake (video game)|Quake]]'' in 1996. ''Quake'' was one of the first real-time 3D rendered video games in history, and quickly became one of the most acclaimed shooter games of all time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gordon |first=David |date=February 6, 1999 |title=The 50 Best Video games: A Legend In Your Own Living-Room |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/the-50-best-video-games-a-legend-in-your-own-livingroom-1068932.html |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 100 Greatest Games Of All Time |url=http://www.empireonline.com/100greatestgames/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515221956/http://www.empireonline.com/100greatestgames/ |archive-date=2011-05-15 |access-date=2023-04-30 |website=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]}}</ref> [[Graphics card|Graphics accelerator]] hardware became essential to improve performances and add new effects such as full [[texture mapping]], [[computer graphics lighting|dynamic lighting]] and [[particle system|particle processing]] to the 3D [[game engine|engines]] that powered the games of that period, such as the iconic [[Quake engine|id Tech 2]], the first iteration of the [[Unreal Engine]], or the more versatile [[Build (game engine)|Build]]. Other seminal games were released during the years, with ''[[Marathon (1994 video game)|Marathon]]'' enhancing the narrative and puzzle elements,<ref name="marathon">{{cite web | url=https://www.ign.com/articles/4-ways-marathon-influenced-modern-games | title=IGN: How Marathon influenced modern games | date=May 26, 2023 }}</ref><ref name="quantum"/><ref name="ign100">[http://uk.top100.ign.com/2005/061-070.html IGN's Top 100 Games] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209013124/http://uk.top100.ign.com/2005/061-070.html |date=February 9, 2009 }}, ''IGN,'' July 25, 2005, Accessed February 19, 2009</ref> ''[[Duke Nukem 3D]]'' introducing voice acting, complete interactivity with the environment, and city-life settings to the genre, and games like ''[[Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (video game)|Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six]]'' and ''[[Counter-Strike (video game)|Counter-Strike]]'' starting to adopt a realistic and tactical approach aimed at simulating real life counter-terrorism situations. ''[[GoldenEye 007 (1997 video game)|GoldenEye 007]]'', released in 1997, was a landmark first-person shooter for [[Video game console|home consoles]], while the critical and commercial success of later titles like ''[[Perfect Dark]]'', ''[[Medal of Honor (1999 video game)|Medal of Honor]]'' and the ''[[Halo (series)|Halo]]'' series helped to heighten the appeal of this genre for the consoles market, straightening the road to the current tendency to release most titles as cross-platform, like many games in the ''[[Far Cry]]'' and ''[[Call of Duty]]'' series.
==Definition== First-person shooters are a type of [[shooter game]]<ref name="fundamentals">{{cite book|last=Rollings |first=Andrew |author2=Ernest Adams |title=Fundamentals of Game Design |publisher=Prentice Hall |year=2006 |url=http://wps.prenhall.com/bp_gamedev_1/54/14053/3597646.cw/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217232801/http://wps.prenhall.com/bp_gamedev_1/54/14053/3597646.cw/index.html |archive-date=February 17, 2009 }}</ref> that relies on a [[first person (video games)|first-person]] point of view with which the player experiences the action through the eyes of the [[player character|character]]. They differ from [[third-person shooter]]s in that, in a third-person shooter, the player can see the character they are controlling (usually from behind, or above). The primary design focus is combat, mainly involving firearms or other types of long range weapons.<ref name="geektrivia"/>
A defining feature of the genre is "player-guided navigation through a three-dimensional space." This is a defining characteristic that clearly distinguishes the genre from other types of shooting games that employ a [[First person (video games)|first-person perspective]], including [[light gun shooter]]s, [[rail shooters]], [[shooting gallery game]]s, or older shooting [[electro-mechanical game]]s.<ref name="routledge chp31">{{cite book | title = The Routledge Companion to Video Game Studies | editor-first = Bernard | editor-last = Perron | publisher = [[Taylor & Francis]] | date = 2014 | isbn = 978-1-136-29050-3 | chapter = Chapter 31: Shooting | first = Gerald | last= Voorhees | pages=251–258 }}</ref> First person-shooter games are thus categorized as being distinct from light gun shooters, a similar genre with a first-person perspective which uses dedicated [[light gun]] peripherals, in contrast to the use of conventional input devices.<ref name="concepts">Casamassina, Matt, [http://uk.cube.ign.com/articles/653/653867p1.html Controller Concepts: Gun Games] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713004359/http://uk.cube.ign.com/articles/653/653867p1.html |date=July 13, 2011 }}, ''IGN,'' September 26, 2005, Accessed February 27, 2009</ref> Light-gun shooters (like ''[[Virtua Cop]]'') often feature "on-rails" (scripted) movement, whereas first-person shooters give the player complete freedom to roam the surroundings.
The first-person shooter may be considered a distinct genre itself, or a type of shooter game, in turn a subgenre of the wider [[action game]] genre.<ref name="Rollings">{{cite book |last=Rollings |first=Andrew |author2=Ernest Adams |title=Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design |publisher=New Riders Publishing |year=2003 |pages=290–296 |url=http://my.safaribooksonline.com/1592730019/ch09?portal=adobepress#ch09 |access-date=March 4, 2009 |archive-date=March 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331161214/http://my.safaribooksonline.com/1592730019/ch09?portal=adobepress#ch09 }}</ref> Following the release of ''Doom'' in 1993, games in this style were commonly referred to as "''Doom'' clones";<ref name="clones"/><ref name="britannica">[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/932958/Doom Doom] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609195511/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/932958/DOOM |date=June 9, 2008 }}, ''Encyclopædia Britannica,'' Accessed February 25, 2009</ref> over time this term has largely been replaced by "first-person shooter".<ref name="britannica"/> ''Wolfenstein 3D,'' released in 1992, the year before ''Doom'', has been often credited with introducing the genre, but critics have since identified similar, though less advanced, games developed as far back as 1973.<ref name="geektrivia"/> There are occasional disagreements regarding the specific design elements which constitute a first-person shooter. For example, titles like ''[[Deus Ex (video game)|Deus Ex]]'' or ''[[BioShock]]'' may be considered as first-person shooters, but may also fit into the [[role-playing video game|role-playing game]]s category, as they borrow extensively from that genre.<ref name="levine">Perry, Douglass C., [http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/733/733157p2.html BioShock: Ken Levine Talks First-Person Shooters] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091023104925/http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/733/733157p2.html |date=October 23, 2009 }}, ''IGN,'' September 15, 2006, Accessed February 25, 2009</ref> Other examples, like ''[[Far Cry (video game)|Far Cry]]'' and ''[[Rage (video game)|Rage]]'', could also be considered [[Action-adventure game|adventure game]]s, because they focus more on exploration than simple action, they task players with multiple different objectives other than just killing enemies, and they often revolve around the construction of complex cinematic storylines with a well defined cast of [[Non-player character|secondary characters]] to interact with. Furthermore, certain puzzle or platforming games are also sometimes categorized as first-person shooters, in spite of lacking any direct combat or shooting element, instead using a first-person perspective to help players immerse within the game and better navigate 3D environments (for example, in the case of ''[[Portal (video game)|Portal]]'', the 'gun' the player character carries is used to create portals through walls rather than fire projectiles).<ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://www.gamesradar.com/portal-is-the-most-subversive-game-ever/ | title = Portal is the most subversive game ever | first = Joe | last = McNeilley | date = December 7, 2007 | access-date = September 17, 2018 | magazine = [[Games Radar]] | archive-date = May 16, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190516210531/https://www.gamesradar.com/portal-is-the-most-subversive-game-ever/ | url-status = live }}</ref> Some commentators also extend the definition to include [[combat flight simulator]]s and [[space combat|space battle]] games, whenever the cockpit of the aircraft is depicted from a first-person point of view.<ref name="quantum"/><ref name="geektrivia"/>
==Game design== [[File:AA33 Pipeline AssaultDefend Failed 20130123 720p.ogv|thumb|A gameplay video of ''[[America's Army|America's Army 3]]'']] Like most shooter games, first-person shooters involve an [[Avatar (computing)|avatar]], one or more ranged weapons, and a varying number of enemies.<ref name="Rollings" /> Because they take place in a 3D environment, these games tend to be somewhat more realistic than [[Shoot 'em up|2D shooter]] games, and have more accurate representations of gravity, lighting, sound and collisions.<ref name="fundamentals"/> First-person shooters played on [[personal computer]]s are most often controlled with a combination of a [[computer keyboard|keyboard]] and [[Mouse (computing)|mouse]]. This system has been claimed as superior to that found in console games,<ref>Beradini, Cesar A., [http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/6918/Play-Halo-on-Xbox-with-a-Keyboard-Mouse/ Play Halo on Xbox with a Keyboard & Mouse] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221090806/http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/6918/Play-Halo-on-Xbox-with-a-Keyboard-Mouse/ |date=February 21, 2009 }}, ''Team Xbox,'' October 4, 2004, Accessed February 23, 2009</ref><ref>Schiesel, Seth, [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/arts/television/03kill.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq= Balletic Finesse Amid the Science-Fiction Carnage] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229055559/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/arts/television/03kill.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq= |date=December 29, 2016 }}, ''The New York Times'', March 2, 2009, Accessed March 7, 2009</ref> which frequently use two [[analog stick]]s: one used for running and sidestepping, the other for [[Free look|looking and aiming]].<ref name="noviceguide">Treit, Ryan, [https://web.archive.org/web/20080617060822/http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/tips/noviceguides/firstpersonshooters.htm Novice Guides: First Person Shooter], ''Xbox.com,'' Accessed February 23, 2009</ref> It is common to display the character's hands and weaponry in the main view, with a [[Heads-up display (video games)|heads-up display]] showing health, [[ammunition]] and location details. Often, it is possible to overlay a map of the surrounding area.<ref>Lahti, Martti, "As We Become Machines: Corporealized Pleasures in Video Games", Wolf, Mark J. P. & Perron, Bernard (eds.), ''The Video Game Theory Reader'', Routledge, p. 161</ref>
===Combat and power-ups=== First-person shooters generally focus on action gameplay, with fast-paced combat and dynamic firefights being a central point of the experience, though certain titles may also place a greater emphasis on narrative, problem-solving and logic puzzles.<ref name="guidetofps"/> In addition to shooting, [[Melee phase|melee]] combat may also be used extensively. In some games, melee weapons are especially powerful, as a reward for the risk the player must take in maneuvering his character into close proximity to the enemy.<ref>Hong, Tim, [https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/shoot-to-thrill-bio-sensory-reactions-to-3d-shooting-games Shoot to Thrill: Bio-Sensory Reactions to 3D Shooting Games], ''GamaSutra,'' December 2, 2008, Accessed February 23, 2009</ref> In other games, instead, melee weapons may be less effective but necessary as a last resort.<ref name="quakewars">[http://uk.guides.ign.com/guides/884680/page_8.html Quake Wars Guide], ''IGN'', Accessed March 10, 2009 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100809065209/http://uk.guides.ign.com/guides/884680/page_8.html |date=August 9, 2010 }}</ref> "[[Tactical shooter]]s" tend to be more realistic, and require the players to use teamwork and strategy in order to succeed;<ref name="noviceguide"/> the players can often command a squad of characters, which may be controlled by the [[artificial intelligence in video games|A.I.]] or by human teammates,<ref name="rainbow">{{Cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/action/tomclancysrainbowsix/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review |title=Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Review |last=Dunkin |first=Alan |date=September 9, 1998 |website=GameSpot |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120604092937/http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/action/tomclancysrainbowsix/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review |archive-date=June 4, 2012 |access-date=February 19, 2009}}While generally better than Spec Ops, Rainbow Six carries its own baggage, especially where the conflict of realism versus gameplay rears its ugly head.</ref> and can be given different tasks during the course of the mission.
First-person shooters typically present players with a vast arsenal of weapons, which can have a large impact on how they will approach the game.<ref name="fundamentals" /> Some games offer realistic reproductions of actual existing (or even historical) firearms, simulating their rate of fire, magazine size, ammunition amount, recoil and accuracy. Depending on the context, other first-person shooters may incorporate some imaginative variations, including futuristic prototypes, alien-technology or magical weapons, and/or implementing a wide array of different projectiles, from lasers, to energy, plasma, rockets, and arrows. These many variations may also be applied to the tossing of grenades, bombs, spears and the like. Also, more unconventional modes of destruction may be employed by the playable character, such as flames, electricity, telekinesis or other supernatural powers, and traps.
In the early era of first-person shooters, often designers allowed characters to carry a large number of different weapons with little to no reduction in speed or mobility. More modern games started to adopt a more realistic approach, where the player can only equip a handheld gun, coupled with a rifle, or even limiting the players to only one weapon of choice at a time, forcing them to swap between different alternatives according to the situation. In some games, there is the option to trade up or upgrade weapons, resulting in multiple degrees of customization. Thus, the standards of realism are extremely variable.<ref name="fundamentals"/> The protagonist can generally get healing and equipment supplies by means of collectible items such as [[first aid kit]]s or ammunition packs, simply by walking over, or interacting with them.<ref name="cliches">Staff, [http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/953/953636p1.html The Wednesday 10: First-Person Shooter Cliches] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216002953/http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/953/953636p1.html |date=February 16, 2009 }}, ''IGN,'' February 11, 2009, Accessed February 23, 2009</ref> Some games allow players to accumulate [[experience point]]s in a role-playing game fashion, that can generally be used to unlock new weapons, bonuses and skills.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200803/N08.0305.1634.21173.htm?Page=2 |title=The Art Of FPS Multiplayer Design |magazine=Game Informer |date=May 3, 2008 |access-date=February 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080525134030/http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200803/N08.0305.1634.21173.htm?Page=2 |archive-date=May 25, 2008 }}</ref>
===Level design=== First-person shooters may be structurally composed of [[level (video gaming)|levels]], or use the technique of a continuous narrative in which the game never leaves the first-person perspective.<ref name="quantum"/> Others feature large [[Nonlinear gameplay|sandbox]] environments, which are not divided into levels and can be explored freely.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200705/R07.0323.1414.37101.htm |title=S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl |magazine=Game Informer |date=May 2007 |access-date=February 23, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080401032528/http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200705/R07.0323.1414.37101.htm |archive-date=April 1, 2008 }}</ref> In first-person shooters, protagonists interact with the environment to varying degrees, from basics such as using doors, to problem solving puzzles based on a variety of interactive objects.<ref name="quantum"/> In some games, the player can damage the environment, also to varying degrees: one common device is the use of barrels containing [[explosive material]] which the player can shoot, harming nearby enemies.<ref name="cliches"/> Other games feature environments which are extensively destructible, allowing for additional visual effects.<ref>Reed, Kristan, [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/p_black_ps2x Black] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106141548/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/p_black_ps2x |date=January 6, 2016 }}, ''EuroGamer,'' June 2, 2005, Accessed February 23, 2009</ref> The game world will often make use of science fiction, historic (particularly [[World War II]]) or [[Modern warfare|modern military]] themes, with such [[antagonist]]s as [[Extraterrestrials in fiction|aliens]], [[monster]]s, [[Terrorism|terrorists]] and soldiers of various types.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200806/N08.0605.1635.16706.htm?Page=1 |title=FPS Field Guide: A Look At Common Enemies |work=GameInformer |date=May 6, 2008 |access-date=February 23, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080731162901/http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200806/N08.0605.1635.16706.htm?Page=1 |archive-date=July 31, 2008 }}</ref> Games feature multiple difficulty settings; in harder modes, enemies are tougher, more aggressive and do more damage, and power-ups are limited. In easier modes, the player can succeed through reaction times alone; on more difficult settings, it is often necessary to memorize the levels through trial and error.<ref>Boutros, Daniel, [https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/difficulty-is-difficult-designing-for-hard-modes-in-games Difficulty is Difficult: Designing for Hard Modes in Games], ''GamaSutra'', September 16, 2008, Accessed March 10, 2009</ref>
===Multiplayer=== [[File:Euskal encounter 2004 1.jpg|thumb|right|More 21st century first-person shooters utilize the Internet for multiplayer features, but local area networks were commonly used in early games.]] First-person shooters may feature a [[multiplayer]] mode, taking place on specialized levels. Some games are designed specifically for multiplayer gaming, and have very limited single player modes in which the player competes against game-controlled characters termed "bots".<ref name="bf2"/> [[Massively multiplayer online first-person shooters]] like those in the ''[[PlanetSide]]'' series allow thousands of players to compete at once in a [[persistent world]].<ref name="MMOFPS">[http://uk.games.ign.com/articles/400/400835p1.html The Worlds First MMOFPS is nearly complete] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713005112/http://uk.games.ign.com/articles/400/400835p1.html |date=July 13, 2011 }}, ''IGN,'' May 5, 2003, Accessed February 23, 2009</ref> Large scale multiplayer games allow multiple squads, with leaders issuing commands and a commander controlling the team's overall strategy.<ref name="bf2">Kosak, Dave, [http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/battlefield-2/626911p1.html Battlefield 2 (PC)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502042137/http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/battlefield-2/626911p1.html |date=May 2, 2009 }}, ''GameSpy,'' June 17, 2005, Accessed February 23, 2009</ref> Multiplayer games have a variety of different styles of match.
[[File:Xonotic gameplay.png|thumb|A player standing close to the blue flag in a "capture the flag" round of the 2023 game ''[[Xonotic]]'']] The classic types are the [[deathmatch (video games)|deathmatch]] (and its team-based variant) in which players score points by killing other players' characters; and [[capture the flag]], in which teams attempt to penetrate the opposing base, capture a flag and return it to their own base whilst preventing the other team from doing the same. Other game modes may involve attempting to capture enemy bases or areas of the map, attempting to take hold of an object for as long as possible while evading other players, or deathmatch variations involving limited lives or in which players fight over a particularly potent [[power-up]]. These match types may also be customizable, allowing the players to vary weapons, health and power-ups found on the map, as well as victory criteria.<ref>[http://uk.guides.ign.com/guides/15922/page_7.html Halo Guide], ''IGN'', Accessed March 10, 2009 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100810145528/http://uk.guides.ign.com/guides/15922/page_7.html |date=August 10, 2010 }}</ref> Games may allow players to choose between various [[Character class|classes]], each with its own strengths, weaknesses, equipment and roles within a team.<ref name="quakewars"/>
=== Free-to-play === {{main|Free-to-play}} There are many free-to-play first-person shooters on the market now, including ''[[Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory]]'', ''[[Apex Legends]]'', ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'', ''[[PlanetSide 2]], and [[Halo Infinite|Halo Infinite Multiplayer]].''<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/best-free-first-person-shooters/|title=Wage war on a budget with 10 fun and free first-person shooters for PC and Mac|date=February 14, 2018|work=Digital Trends|access-date=April 17, 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=April 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417192355/https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/best-free-first-person-shooters/|url-status=live}}</ref> Some games are released as free-to-play as their intended business model and can be highly profitable (''League of Legends'' earned $2 billion in 2017),<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/2018/01/30/league-of-legends-top-free-to-play-revenue-charts-in-2017/|title=League of Legends Tops Free-to-Play Revenue Charts in 2017|website=Comicbook.com|access-date=April 17, 2018|language=en|archive-date=April 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418031601/http://comicbook.com/gaming/2018/01/30/league-of-legends-top-free-to-play-revenue-charts-in-2017/|url-status=live}}</ref> but others such as ''[[Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade]]'' begin their life as paid games and become free-to-play later to reach a wider audience after an initially disappointing reception.<ref name="twinfinite.net">{{Cite web|url=http://twinfinite.net/2017/03/warhammer-40k-eternal-crusade-goes-free-to-play/|title=Warhammer 40K: Eternal Crusade Goes Free to Play|website=twinfinite.net|language=en-US|access-date=April 17, 2018|date=March 18, 2017|archive-date=April 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418031542/http://twinfinite.net/2017/03/warhammer-40k-eternal-crusade-goes-free-to-play/|url-status=live}}</ref> Some player communities complain about freemium first-person-shooters, fearing that they create unbalanced games, but many game designers have tweaked prices in response to criticism, and players can usually get the same benefits by playing longer rather than paying.<ref name="twinfinite.net"/>
==History== {{For|the history of light gun shooter, rail shooter and shooting gallery games that employ a first-person perspective|Shooter game#History|Light gun shooter#History}} {{Overly detailed|section|details=Far too much detail on individual games without expressing their importance to the FPS genre development.|date=July 2024}}
===Origins: 1970s–1980s=== [[File:Bradley Trainer screenshot.png|right|thumb|Before the popularity of first-person shooters, the first-person viewpoint was used in [[vehicle simulation game]]s such as [[Battlezone (1980 video game)|''Battlezone'']].]]
The earliest two documented first-person shooter video games are ''[[Maze War]]'' and ''[[Spasim]].'' ''Maze War'' was originally developed in 1973 by Greg Thompson, Steve Colley and Howard Palmer, high-school students in a [[NASA]] work-study program trying to develop a program to help visualize [[fluid dynamics]] for spacecraft designs. The work became a maze game presented to the player in the first-person, and later included support for a second player and the ability to shoot the other player to win the game. Thompson took the game's code with him to [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]], where with help from [[Dave Lebling]] to create an eight-player version that could be played over [[ARPANET]], computer-run players using artificial intelligence, customizable maps, online scoreboards and a spectator mode.<ref name="pcgamer history">{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamer.com/the-history-of-the-first-person-shooter/ | title = The history of the first person shooter | first = Edwin | last = Evans-Thirlwell | date = October 20, 2017 | access-date = September 17, 2018 | work = [[PC Gamer]] | archive-date = September 18, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180918012341/https://www.pcgamer.com/the-history-of-the-first-person-shooter/ | url-status = live }}</ref> ''Spasim'' had a documented debut at the [[University of Illinois]] in 1974 on the PLATO mainframe system. The game was a rudimentary [[space flight simulator]] for up to 32 players, featuring a first-person perspective.<ref name="geektrivia">Garmon, Jay, [http://www.techrepublic.com/article/geek-trivia-first-shots-fired/5710539 Geek Trivia: First shots fired] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616131909/http://www.techrepublic.com/article/geek-trivia-first-shots-fired/5710539 |date=June 16, 2011 }}, ''TechRepublic'', May 24, 2005, Accessed February 16, 2009</ref> Both games were distinct from modern first-person shooters, involving simple [[Tile-based video game|tile-based movement]] where the player could only move from square to square and turn in [[Right angle|90-degree]] increments.<ref name="IE2009">{{citation|title=IE2009: Proceedings of the 6th Australasian Conference on Interactive Entertainment |author=Malcolm Ryan |publisher=Australasian Conference on Interactive Entertainment |isbn=978-1-4503-0010-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SYEzMIBe57kC |access-date=April 20, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625023443/https://books.google.com/books?id=SYEzMIBe57kC |archive-date=June 25, 2016 |date=December 17, 2009 }}</ref> Such games spawned others that used similar visuals to display the player as part of a maze (such as ''[[Akalabeth: World of Doom]]'' in 1979), and were loosely called "rat's eye view" games, since they gave the appearance of a rat running through a maze.<ref name="pcgamer history"/> Another crucial early game that influenced first-person shooters was ''[[Wayout]]''. It featured the player trying to escape a maze, using [[ray casting]] to render the environment, simulating visually how each wall segment would be rendered relative to the player's position and facing angle. This allowed more freeform movement compared to the grid-based and cardinal ''Maze War'' and ''Spasim''.<ref name="pcgamer history"/> Among PLATO games, Witz and Boland's 1977 ''Futurewar'', a dystopian 3D first-person dungeon shooter, has been argued to be the first true FPS.{{Citation Needed|date=May 2026}} This is due to the combination of a fully perspective-shifting 3D maze with enemies ahead, and what may be the earliest representation of weapons appearing in perspective in front of the player.{{Better source needed|reason=|date=May 2026}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Futurewar |url=https://howtomakeanrpg.com/r/l/g/futurewar.html |website=How to Make an RPG |access-date=6 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Witz |first1=Erik |title=Futurewar Restoration Project |url=http://www.future-war.com/ |access-date=6 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Dear |first1=Brian |title=The Friendly Orange Glow |date=2017}}</ref>
A slightly more sophisticated first-person shooting mainframe game was ''[[Panther (1975 video game)|Panther]]'' (1975), a [[Vehicle simulation game|tank simulator]] for the [[PLATO system]]. Atari's first-person tank shooter [[arcade video game]] ''[[Battlezone (1980 video game)|Battlezone]]'' (1980), modeled closely after PLATO Panther, was released for [[Video arcade|arcades]] and presented using a [[vector graphics]] [[Vector display|display]], with the game designed by Ed Rotberg. It is considered to be the first successful first-person shooter video game, making it a milestone for the genre. It was primarily inspired by Atari's top-down arcade [[shooter game]] ''[[Tank (video game)|Tank]]'' (1974).<ref name="auto">{{cite book |last1=Wolf |first1=Mark J. P. |title=Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming |date=2012 |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |isbn=978-0-313-37936-9 |volume=1 |pages=68–9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=deBFx7QAwsQC&pg=PA68 |access-date=May 6, 2021 |archive-date=May 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506082843/https://books.google.com/books?id=deBFx7QAwsQC&pg=PA68 |url-status=live }}</ref> The original [[arcade cabinet]] also employed a [[periscope]] viewfinder similar to [[submarine]] shooting [[arcade games]] such as [[Midway Games|Midway]]'s video game ''[[Sea Wolf (video game)|Sea Wolf]]'' (1976) and [[Sega]]'s [[electro-mechanical game]] ''[[Periscope (arcade game)|Periscope]]'' (1966).<ref name="auto"/> ''Battlezone'' became the first successful mass-market game featuring a first-person viewpoint and [[Wire-frame model|wireframe]] [[Pseudo-3D|3D graphics]], with a version later released for home computers in 1983.<ref name="educational">Shahrani, Sam, [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2674/educational_feature_a_history_and_.php?page=1 Educational Feature: A History and Analysis of Level Design in 3D Computer Games - Pt. 1] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060629172105/http://gamasutra.com/features/20060425/shahrani_01.shtml |date=June 29, 2006 }}, ''GamaSutra'', April 26, 2006, Accessed March 7, 2009</ref>
===Early first-person shooters: 1987–1992===
''[[MIDI Maze]]'', a first-person shooter released in 1987 for the [[Atari ST]],<ref name="ign midi">[https://ign.com/games/midi-maze/st-695431 MIDI Maze: Atari ST] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102082645/http://www.ign.com/games/midi-maze/st-695431 |date=November 2, 2012 }}, IGN, Accessed September 2, 2012</ref> featured [[List of maze video games|maze-based gameplay]] and character designs similar to ''[[Pac-Man]]'', but displayed in a first-person perspective.<ref>{{cite web|title=25 years of Pac-Man |publisher=MeriStation |date=July 4, 2005 |url=http://www.meristation.com/v3/des_articulo.php?pic=DC&id=cw42b7458f0dfc7&idj=&idp=&tipo=art&c=1&pos=7 |access-date=May 6, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929150234/http://www.meristation.com/v3/des_articulo.php?pic=DC&id=cw42b7458f0dfc7&idj=&idp=&tipo=art&c=1&pos=7 |archive-date=September 29, 2011 }} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.meristation.com%2Fv3%2Fdes_articulo.php%3Fpic%3DDC%26id%3Dcw42b7458f0dfc7%26idj%3D%26idp%3D%26tipo%3Dart%26c%3D1%26pos%3D7&sl=es&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8 Translation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424060750/https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.meristation.com%2Fv3%2Fdes_articulo.php%3Fpic%3DDC%26id%3Dcw42b7458f0dfc7%26idj%3D%26idp%3D%26tipo%3Dart%26c%3D1%26pos%3D7&sl=es&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8 |date=April 24, 2017 }})</ref><ref name="gamesradar midi">{{cite web|url=https://gamesradar.com/f/gamings-most-important-evolutions/a-20101008102331322035/p-5|title=Gaming's Most Important Evolutions|page=5|publisher=[[GamesRadar]]|date=October 8, 2010|access-date=April 27, 2011|archive-date=November 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107084257/https://www.gamesradar.com/gamings-most-important-evolutions/|url-status=live}}</ref> Later ported to various systems—including the [[Game Boy]] and [[Super NES]] under the title ''[[Faceball 2000]]''—it featured the first network multiplayer [[Deathmatch (gaming)|deathmatches]], using a [[MIDI]] interface.<ref name="1UP-Faceball"/><ref name="gamesradar midi"/> Despite the inconvenience of connecting numerous machines together, it gained a cult following; [[1UP.com]] called it the "first multi-player 3D shooter on a mainstream system" and the first "major LAN action game".<ref name="1UP-Faceball">Parish, Jeremy, [https://web.archive.org/web/20160228065304/http://www.1up.com/features/faceball-2000 The Essential 50: Faceball 2000], ''1UP,'' Accessed April 24, 2009, Archived from the [https://web.archive.org/web/20110513234001/http://www.1up.com/features/faceball-2000 original] on February 28, 2016, at the [[Wayback Machine]]</ref>
In 1986, MacroMind released a version of the game for the Apple Macintosh titled Maze Wars+, which was playable on the AppleTalk local network by up to 30 players. The game featured five different character avatars, including an eyeball similar to that found in the Xerox version of the game, four different types of robot players, additional maze features such as teleporters, and walls made of lines rather than blocks.
Id Software's ''[[Hovertank 3D]]'' pioneered [[ray casting]] technology in May 1991 to enable faster gameplay than 1980s vehicle simulators,<ref name="educational"/> though it was preceded by 3 years by the FPS ''[[The Colony (video game)|The Colony]]'' in doing so and ''[[Catacomb 3-D]]'' introduced another advance, [[texture mapping]], in November 1991. The second game to use texture mapping was ''[[Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss]]'', a March 1992 [[action role-playing game]] by [[Looking Glass Technologies]] that featured a first-person viewpoint and an advanced graphics engine. In October 1990, id developer John Romero learned about texture mapping from a phone call to Paul Neurath. Romero described the texture mapping technique to id programmer [[John Carmack]], who remarked, "I can do that.",<ref name=salondoom>{{cite web|last=Au |first=Wagner |title=Masters of Doom |work=[[salon.com]] |date=May 5, 2003 |url=http://www.salon.com/2003/05/05/doom_2/ |access-date=May 5, 2003 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030094509/http://www.salon.com/2003/05/05/doom_2/ |archive-date=October 30, 2012 }}</ref> and would feel motivated by Looking Glass's example to do the same in ''Catacomb 3-D''.<ref name="educational"/> ''Catacomb 3-D'' also introduced the display of the protagonist's hand and weapon (in this case, magical spells) on the screen, whereas previously aspects of the player's avatar were not visible.<ref name="educational"/> The experience of developing ''Ultima Underworld'' would make it possible for Looking Glass to create the ''[[Thief (series)|Thief]]'' and ''[[System Shock]]'' series years later.<ref name="cavg_uuw">{{cite web|last=Mallinson |first=Paul |title=Games that changed the world: Ultima Underworld |work=CVG |publisher=[[ComputerAndVideoGames.com]] |date=April 16, 2002 |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/28003/features/games-that-changed-the-world-ultima-underworld/ |access-date=October 8, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212192612/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=28003 |archive-date=December 12, 2007 }}</ref>
===Rise in popularity: 1992–1993=== [[File:Wolf3d pc.png|thumb|right|Although it was not the earliest [[shooter game]] with a [[first person (video games)|first-person]] perspective, ''[[Wolfenstein 3D]]'' is often credited with establishing the first-person shooter genre and many of its staples.]] ''[[Wolfenstein 3D]]'' was the first episodic FPS game developed by [[id Software]], as a successor to the successful 1980s 2D infiltration video-games ''[[Castle Wolfenstein]]'' and ''[[Beyond Castle Wolfenstein]]'' from [[Muse Software]], and published by [[Apogee Software]] on 5 May 1992 in which the player had to explore mazes while battling [[Nazism|Nazis]] to find keys required to unlock doors to reach each floor's exit all while searching every wall for secret areas filled with treasures for a higher [[Score (game)|score]] until each episode's last floor's [[Boss (video games)|boss]] and was an instant success because of its first episode's distribution and spread as [[shareware]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-05-11 |title=Gamasutra - Features - 20 Years Of Evolution: Scott Miller And 3D Realms |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132501/20_years_of_evolution_scott_.php?page=6 |access-date=2024-07-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511170342/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132501/20_years_of_evolution_scott_.php?page=6 |archive-date=May 11, 2013 }}</ref> whereas the second and the third available after registration; and the three last prequel episodes available as a separate mission pack, to the point that it has since been credited for having single-handedly invented the [[concept]] of first-person-shooter as a genre of video-games.<ref name="quantum">Cifaldi, Frank, [https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/the-gamasutra-quantum-leap-awards-first-person-shooters The Gamasutra Quantum Leap Awards: First-Person Shooters], ''GamaSutra,'' September 1, 2006, Accessed February 16, 2009</ref><ref name="geektrivia" /> It was built on [[John Carmack]]'s [[Ray casting|ray casting technology]] already experimented into id's previous games ''[[Hovertank One]]'' and ''[[Catacomb 3-D|Catacomb 3D]]'' to create a new standard for first-person-shooter video-games widely emulated, improved, and still applied to this day.<ref name="quantum" /><ref name="geektrivia" /><ref name="guidetofps">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ugo.com/channels/games/features/firstpersonshooter/firstshotfired.asp |title=Guide to FPS |last=Hasselberger |first=Cheese |website=[[UGO Networks]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091207042033/http://www.ugo.com/channels/games/features/firstpersonshooter/firstshotfired.asp |archive-date=December 7, 2009 |access-date=February 16, 2009}}</ref> [[Tom Hall]] originally designed it to be a first-person infiltration game including stealth, hiding dead bodies, disguises and alarms, following the legacy of its predecessors, and the game engine does include these original features, however [[John Romero]] and [[John Carmack]] wanted a simple shooter and Tom Hall had to fight hard to even include the secret areas.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tom Hall: 5 key design lessons I learned directing Wolfenstein 3D |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/tom-hall-5-key-design-lessons-i-learned-directing-i-wolfenstein-3d-i- |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=www.gamedeveloper.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-09-20 |title=Tom Hall on Wolfenstein 3D {{!}} IncGamers |url=http://www.incgamers.com/Features/241/tom-hall-on-wolfenstein-3d/1 |access-date=2024-07-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920234147/http://www.incgamers.com/Features/241/tom-hall-on-wolfenstein-3d/1 |archive-date=September 20, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Edwards |first=Benj |date=2022-05-05 |title=Achtung! How Wolfenstein 3D Shocked the World, 30 Years Later |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/802248/how-wolfenstein-3d-shocked-the-world-30-years-later/ |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=How-To Geek |language=en}}</ref> Despite its violent themes, ''Wolfenstein'' largely escaped the controversy generated by the later ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'', although it was banned from [[Germany]] due to the use of [[Nazi]] [[Nazi symbolism|iconography]] which is a sensitive topic there where Wolfenstein has been forbidden until 2022<ref name="controversy">[http://uk.gamespot.com/features/6090892/p-3.html When Two Tribes Go to War: A History of Video Game Controversy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090911085940/http://uk.gamespot.com/features/6090892/p-3.html |date=September 11, 2009 }}, ''GameSpot,'' Accessed February 24, 2009</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Allen |first=Joseph |date=2022-09-16 |title=Wolfenstein 3D Available In Germany After 30 Years |url=https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/wolfenstein-3d-available-in-germany-after-30-years |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=TechRaptor |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-11-19 |title=Nearly 30 years later, "Wolfenstein 3D" unbanned in Germany |url=https://thesplintering.com/2019/11/19/world-war-ii-video-game-shooter-wolfenstein-3d-no-longer-banned-in-germany/ |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=The Splintering |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-08-10 |title=Germany lifts total ban on Nazi symbols in video games |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45142651 |access-date=2024-07-19 |language=en-GB}}</ref> and [[Nintendo]] too required id Software to remove [[blood]], gore, and all Nazi iconography as well as replace the enemy [[attack dog]]s with giant [[rat]]s to allow it to be released on [[SNES]] because of their anti-violence policy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0CE4DF123BF933A25756C0A9679C8B63 |title=Nintendo Grows Up and Goes for the Gross-Out |work=[[The New York Times]] |last=Kushner |first=David |date=May 10, 2001 |access-date=February 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110123446/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/10/technology/nintendo-grows-up-and-goes-for-the-gross-out.html |archive-date=November 10, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> id Software released a [[map editor]] to let players create and share online their own home-made [[Map (video game)|maps]] for the game which started the players' [[Modding|modding communities]] who blossomed with ''Doom'' and maintain their games alive continuously sustaining new content for them. During ''Doom''<nowiki/>'s development, id Software quickly developed a short extension for ''Wolfenstein 3D'' titled ''[[Spear of Destiny (computer game)|Spear of Destiny]]'' released on 19 September 1992 to tease the players with the Hell to come in ''Doom'' as ''Spear of Destiny'' concluded into Hell,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wolfenstein 3D: Spear of Destiny – Hardcore Gaming 101 |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/wolfenstein-3d-spear-of-destiny/ |access-date=2024-07-19 |language=en-US}}</ref> then two years later, ''Doom 2'' included two [[secret level]]s featuring ''Wolfenstein'' in Hell while re-using ''Spear of Destiny''<nowiki/>'s Hell final level's music to close the loop.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkjB8UgTcb8 |title=DOOM II: Hell on Earth Secret levels! (Wolfenstein & Grosse) PC/DOS, 1994 |date=2014-11-29 |last=Major Thriftwood |access-date=2024-07-19 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
[[Ken Silverman]] decided to develop his own [[game engine]] after he played ''[[Wolfenstein 3D]]'' in 1992. His first [[Video game|game]], that he named ''Walken'' as in "Ken's Walking simulator", was close to [[Wolfenstein 3D engine|Wolf3D engine]]. Then he improved his game with his friend Andrew Cotter, added [[narration]] to each [[Level (video games)|floor]], renamed it ''[[Ken's Labyrinth]]'', and released it on [[Internet]] as [[shareware]] under his brother's company [[Advanced Systems]] on 1 January 1993. The game was about escaping a bizarre dream labyrinth full of people shooting projectiles at the player while projectiles were more balls than bullets, meaning they had limited range and were slow enough to dodge them as opposite to ''Wolfenstein 3D'' whose weapons were [[hitscan]] [[firearm]]s, some walls reflected projectiles, killed enemies vanished without any death animation nor remnant body on the floor, and Ken himself voiced the [[protagonist]] and filled his game with pictures of himself which hurt the player if they dared to shoot them, which made his game personal. [[Epic MegaGames]], then ''Wolfenstein 3D''<nowiki/>'s [[Video game publisher|publisher]] [[Apogee Software]]'s main competitor, noticed it, saw potential, then signed a commercial agreement with Ken's father, as Ken was still minor. However, the original Advanced Systems' ''Ken's Labyrinth'' was made from Ken and Andrew's limited resources to the point that Ken made the [[sound effect]]s with his mouth, therefore Epic MegaGames made use of their resources to revamp the game, replaced the projectiles balls with [[Bubble gum|bubble gum balls]], [[Starburst (symbol)|starbursts]] which bounced off walls, and [[homing missile]]s, while collecting more of the same weapon increased their range and collecting [[thunderbolt]]s increased the range of all weapons at once, also replaced the original [[Final boss (video games)|final boss]] with Ken himself, added diverse monsters, temporary [[power-up]]s such as reflecting enemies' projectiles, kill enemies on contact, and invincibility, as well as treasures for buying these power-ups from [[Vending machine|vending-machines]] and for paying doors' toll, [[Slot machine|slot-machines]] to win [[coin]]s instead of finding treasures in secret areas, death-traps such as holes in floors which were the only way to get rid of some [[invulnerable]] enemies, water fountains which slowly restored health (much like in ''[[Duke Nukem 3D]]'' three years later), changed the goal from the original's merely escaping the labyrinth to rescue the player's abducted [[dog]] Sparky and save the world, added the requirement to have Sparky follow the player to the exit of each floor to be able to reach the next floor, which made the player have to pay attention to another character beside their own, and commercialized ''Ken's Labyrinth v2'' still as shareware on 21 March 1993.<ref name="Ken's Labyrinth Releases">{{Cite web |title=Ken's Labyrinth Releases |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/388/kens-labyrinth/releases/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=MobyGames |language=en}}</ref> All versions of ''Ken's Labyrinth'' got to be [[Source port|source-ported]] many times and even onto [[Nintendo Switch]] by a fan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ken's Labyrinth – Hardcore Gaming 101 |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/kens-labyrinth/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The official Ken's Labyrinth page |url=http://www.advsys.net/ken/klab.htm |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=www.advsys.net}}</ref> As soon as [[id Software]] showed off some previews of ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'' in the middle of its development, Ken Silverman started to develop his own game engine to rival with [[John Carmack]] once again, used a [[thesaurus]] to search [[synonym]]s for the word "[[construction]]", and named his new game engine "Build". Apogee Software wanted Build since id Software went their own way and did not want to license their new [[Doom engine]] (yet). Both Epic MegaGames and Apogee Software attempted to [[contract]] Ken Silverman who chose Apogee Software which he never explained his reasons however Epic Games expressed no [[regret]] since not relying on Ken Silverman [[Motivation|motivated]] them to develop their own technologies, which paid off.<ref name="Ken Silverman's Build Engine Page">{{Cite web |title=Ken Silverman's Build Engine Page |url=http://www.advsys.net/ken/build.htm |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=www.advsys.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=RGB Classic Games - Ken Silverman Interview |url=https://www.classicdosgames.com/interviews/kensilverman.html |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=www.classicdosgames.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-05-13 |title=Retroaction issue 2 by Neil Reive - Ken Silverman's interview |url=https://issuu.com/retroaction/docs/retroaction_issue_2/13 |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=issuu.com |language=en}}</ref>
Most shooters in this period were developed for IBM PC compatible computers. On the [[Macintosh]] side, [[Bungie]] released its first shooter, ''[[Pathways into Darkness]]'' in August 1993, which featured more adventure and narrative elements alongside first-person shooter gameplay. ''Pathways'' had been inspired by ''Wolfenstein 3D'', and born out of an attempt to take their previous top-down dungeon exploration game ''[[Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete]]'' into a 3D setting.<ref name="polygon bungie">{{cite web |last=Parish |first=Jeremy |date=September 17, 2018 |title=Destiny's roots can be traced long into Bungie's past |url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/9/17/17870928/destiny-lore-history-marathon-bungie |access-date=September 17, 2018 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref><ref name="img-making of">{{cite news |author=Deniz, Tuncer |date=December 1993 |title=The Making Of: Pathways Into Darkness |url=http://pid.bungie.org/IMGmakingofPID.html |work=[[Inside Mac Games]]}}</ref>
''[[ShadowCaster]]'', developed by [[Raven Software]] and published by [[Origin Systems]] on 27 October 1993, used a heavily modified version of [[Wolfenstein 3D engine|Wolf3D engine]] made by [[John Carmack]] during summer 1992 who offered it to Raven Software after he was impressed with their first [[Role-playing video game|RPVG]] [[Black Crypt]] because he was curious about how Raven would use his [[game engine]] to make a RPVG instead of a FPSG. ''ShadowCaster'' was the first commercial game released with classic "2.5D [[Doom engine]]" improvements such as distance fogging, non-orthogonal walls, textured ceilings and floors, etc. before [[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]] itself came out. It introduced some [[Role-playing game|RPG]] elements into a [[First-person shooter engine|FPS game engine]] as well as a customizable [[HUD (video games)|HUD]], an [[Automap|auto-map]], jumping, swimming, flying, [[shapeshifting]] with each metamorphosis featuring its own characteristics to adapt to each situation.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_7_October_1993 |title=PC Zone 7 (October 1993)}}</ref> Then it got enhanced with [[redbook audio]] [[narration]], voiced dialogues which replaced the text boxes, two new levels, and 3D rendered [[cutscene]]s, then re-released on [[CD-ROM]] in 1994.{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}}''ShadowCaster'' started a durable close friendship between id Software and Raven Software as id will always share their technologies with Raven who will continuously use and upgrade them.{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}}
[[Apogee Software]], the publisher of ''[[Wolfenstein 3D]],'' followed up its success and released another FPS game based on its [[Game engine|engine]] titled ''[[Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold]]'' from another developer Jam Productions 5 December 1993 which featured a [[sci-fi]] [[Setting (narrative)|setting]] about a [[British Empire|British]] [[secret agent]] named Blake Stone pursuing a [[mad scientist]] through his facilities like a sci-fi [[James Bond]], a similar Wolf3D's [[gameplay]] of exploring mazes while battling various foes to find [[Key Card|keycards]] required to unlock doors to reach each floor's exit all while searching every wall for secret areas filled with treasures for a higher [[Score (game)|score]] until each episode's last floor's [[Boss (video games)|boss]] but with a far wider diversity of enemies, and added textured floors and ceilings, switches to find and to press to open new areas, traps, an [[Automap|auto-map]], stats tracking, a grenade launcher, limited-use [[Vending machine|vending-machines]], [[teleporters]], enemies spawners, back-tracking to previous levels as well as some friendly [[Non-player character|NPCs]] in the form of scientists who would give the player hints and supplies provided the player did not kill them.<ref>{{Citation |last=Apogee Software |title=Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold |date=1993 |url=http://archive.org/details/blakestonealiensofgold_202201 |access-date=2024-07-19}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Jam Productions |title=Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold |date=1993 |url=http://archive.org/details/BlakeStoneAliensOfGold |access-date=2024-07-19 |publisher=Apogee Software}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-11-15 |title=Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold - Review - allgame |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=736&tab=review |access-date=2024-07-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115065910/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=736&tab=review |archive-date=November 15, 2014 }}</ref> The game was initially well-received but sales rapidly declined in the wake of the success of id's ''Doom'', released a week later.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/hyper-006 |title=Hyper 006 |date=May 1994}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/ElectronicEntertainment04Apr1994 |title=Electronic Entertainment 04 April 1994 |date=April 1994}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Handley |first=Zoey |date=2021-07-23 |title=Blake Stone was the best FPS until Doom released a week later |url=https://www.destructoid.com/blake-stone-was-the-best-fps-until-doom-released-a-week-later/ |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=Destructoid |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>Guifoil, John, [http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/the-old-shoebox-download-blake-stone-aliens-of-gold/ The Old Shoebox: Download Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708013028/http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/the-old-shoebox-download-blake-stone-aliens-of-gold/ |date=July 8, 2011 }}, ''Blast,'' August 1, 2008, Accessed February 16, 2009</ref> It still got a sequel ''[[Blake Stone: Planet Strike]]'' on 28 October 1994 which integrated the auto-map into the [[HUD (video games)|HUD]] as a rotating mini-map which revealed secret doors at the cost of consuming auto-mapper charges and added some enemies who [[Camouflage|camouflaged into the environment]] or were [[Cloaking device|cloaked]] to surprise the player though.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/ComputerPlayer09Feb1995 |title=Computer Player 09 February 1995 |date=February 1995}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/ElectronicEntertainment15Mar1995 |title=Electronic Entertainment 15 March 1995 |date=March 1995}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Blake Stone – Hardcore Gaming 101 |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/blake-stone/ |access-date=2024-07-19 |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Advances in 3D engines: 1993–1997 === ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'', released on 10 December 1993, refined ''Wolfenstein 3D's'' template by adding support for higher resolution, improved textures, variations in height (e.g., stairs and platforms the player's character could climb upon), more intricate level design (''Wolfenstein 3D'' was limited to a grid based system where walls had to be orthogonal to each other, whereas ''Doom'' allowed for any inclination) and rudimentary illumination effects such as flickering lights and areas of darkness, creating a more complex 3D environment than ''Wolfenstein 3D''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s levels, all of which had a flat-floor space and corridors.{{Better source needed|date=May 2026}}<ref name="gamespotgreatestever">{{Cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/features/the-greatest-games-of-all-time-doom-6143094/ |title=The Greatest Games of All Time: Doom |website=[[GameSpot]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011173849/http://uk.gamespot.com/features/the-greatest-games-of-all-time-doom-6143094/ |archive-date=October 11, 2012 |access-date=February 18, 2009}}</ref> ''Doom'' allowed competitive matches between multiple players, termed "deathmatches", and the game was responsible for the word's subsequent entry into the video gaming lexicon.<ref name="gamespotgreatestever" /> According to creator [[John Romero]], the game's deathmatch concept was inspired by the competitive multiplayer of [[fighting games]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Consalvo |first=Mia |year=2016 |title=Atari to Zelda: Japan's Videogames in Global Contexts |pages=201–3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tH3TCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA201 |publisher=[[MIT Press]] |isbn=978-0-262-03439-5 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215115759/https://books.google.com/books?id=tH3TCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA201 |archive-date=February 15, 2017 }}</ref> such as ''[[Street Fighter II]]'' and ''[[Fatal Fury]]''. ''Doom'' became so popular that its multiplayer features began to cause problems for companies whose [[Local area network|networks]] were used to play the game, causing frequent bandwidth reductions.<ref name="guidetofps" /><ref name="gamespotgreatestever" /> ''Doom'' has been considered the most important first-person shooter ever made.<ref name="nerd burglars">{{cite web|url=https://nerdburglars.net/importance-of-fps-in-video-games/|title=Importance of FPS In Video Games|first =Jenny|last=Davar|date=March 28, 2008 | access-date = March 29, 2008|archive-date=October 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024002314/https://nerdburglars.net/importance-of-fps-in-video-games/|url-status=live}}</ref> Multiplayer gaming, which is now integral to the first-person shooter genre, was first successfully achieved on a large scale by ''Doom''.<ref name="quantum" /><ref name="gamespotgreatestever" /> While its combination of [[graphic violence|gory violence]], [[dark humor]] and [[hell]]ish imagery garnered acclaim from critics,<ref name="gamespotgreatestever" /><ref>{{cite web|last =Perry|first= Douglass C.|url = http://uk.xboxlive.ign.com/articles/737/737139p1.html|title = Doom Review|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100809055733/http://uk.xboxlive.ign.com/articles/737/737139p1.html |archive-date=August 9, 2010 |work =IGN|date = October 3, 2006}}</ref> these attributes also generated criticism from religious groups and censorship committees, with many commentators labelling the game a "murder simulator".<ref>{{cite web|last =Silverman|first = Ben|archive-date= September 22, 2007|url = http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/controversial-games/530593 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070922155732/http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/controversial-games/530593 |title =Controversial Games|work =Yahoo! Games|date= September 17, 2007}}</ref> There was further controversy when it emerged that the [[Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold|perpetrators]] of the [[Columbine High School massacre]] were fans of the game; the families of several victims later unsuccessfully attempted to sue numerous video game companies - among them id Software - whose work the families claimed inspired the massacre.<ref name="controversy" /> John Carmack explained how he designed his Doom engine to [[Ken Silverman]] that he considered his only equal which inspired Ken who was in the process of developing his [[Build (game engine)|Build engine]].<ref name="Ken Silverman's Build Engine Page"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.advsys.net/ken/carmken.htm |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=www.advsys.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1999-10-15 |title=John Carmack Answers - Slashdot |url=https://slashdot.org/story/99/10/15/1012230/john-carmack-answers |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=slashdot.org |language=en}}</ref>
On 12 March 1994, the Japanese company Exact released ''[[Geograph Seal]]'' for the [[X68000]] home computer. It was an early example of a [[3D computer graphics|3D]] polygonal first-person shooter, with innovative [[platform game]] mechanics and [[open world|free-roaming]] outdoor environments.
''[[CyClones]]'' was an early post-Doom FPS by [[Raven Software]], releasing a year after Doom in November 1994. During development the company split into two groups: One worked with [[Id Software|id]]'s new [[Doom engine|DOOM engine]] to create ''Mage'', a fantasy action game, which would eventually evolve into the game [[Heretic (video game)|''Heretic'']]. The other team worked on CyClones. The game initially reused the ''ShadowCaster'' engine, but early into development the team found that they wanted to do more with the engine than they had done before. A new, 100% in-house engine was created that could handle moving platforms, catwalks, sloped areas, and transparent textures. The engine, by Carl Stika, was nicknamed STEAM. The game included [[Full-motion video|full-motion video sequences]]. ''CyClones'' allowed the player to use the mouse to aim without moving, unlike other FPS games from the time which bound the mouse to both aiming and moving simultaneously, with no turning. It also included vertical aiming, jumping, various missions objectives as well as one of the first training modes in a FPS game.{{Better source needed|date=May 2026}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=1999-12-07 |title=PC Gamer Online |website=[[PC Gamer]] |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/299.html |access-date=2024-07-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991207013525/http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/299.html |archive-date=December 7, 1999 }}</ref>
[[Apogee Software]]'s ''[[Rise of the Triad|Rise of the Triad: Dark War]]'', released on 21 December 1994, began as a sequel to ''Wolfenstein 3D'', but was soon altered and became a stand-alone game. The game included "ludicrous" gibs, bullet holes persisted, and sheets of glass could be shattered by shooting or running through them.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-05-11 |title=Gamasutra - Features - 20 Years Of Evolution: Scott Miller And 3D Realms |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132501/20_years_of_evolution_scott_.php?page=5 |access-date=2024-07-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511170340/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132501/20_years_of_evolution_scott_.php?page=5 |archive-date=May 11, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Rise of the Triad – Hardcore Gaming 101 |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/rise-of-the-triad/}}</ref>
[[Bungie|Bungie Software]] released the [[sci-fi]] FPS game ''[[Marathon (1994 video game)|Marathon]]'' on 21 December 1994 exclusively on [[Mac (computer)|Mac]], which streamlined concepts from their previous game ''Pathways Into Darkness'' by eliminating role-playing elements in favor of the shooter action spurred by ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]''<nowiki/>'s success. ''Marathon'' was highly successful, leading to two sequels ''[[Marathon 2: Durandal]]'' released on 24 November 1995 then ''[[Marathon Infinity|Marathon: Infinity]]'' released on 15 October 1996 to form the ''[[Marathon Trilogy]]'', and becoming the standard for FPS games on Mac which pioneered or was an early adopter of several new gameplay features such as default [[freelook]], [[Clip (firearms)|ammo clips]] and weapons reloading though not manually, forcing the player to keep an eye on their ammo clips to anticipate the next reloading, dual-wielded and dual-function weapons, a [[motion sensor]] to detect both enemies and allies in the area, gravity alterations, swimming, interactive environments such as healing stations, oxygen stations, [[save point]]s, teleporters, many [[computer terminal]]s spread all around the [[Level (video games)|levels]] as [[plot device]]s which provided messages, informations, various objectives and maps to the [[Player character|player's character]] as well as friendly defense drones and [[non-player character]]s (NPCs), versatile multiplayer modes (such as King of the Hill, Kill the Man with the Ball, and cooperative campaign) and a [[map editor]] for players to create and share their own maps for the games. The ''Marathon'' games also had a strong emphasis on storytelling in addition to the action, which revolved around evolving relationships between the human player's character and some [[AI]]s during a surprise invasion and subsequent war against a hostile alien [[Empire]] which already conquered and enslaved some other alien species, much like Bungie's future projects such as the ''[[Halo (franchise)|Halo]]'' and ''[[Destiny (video game)|Destiny]]'' series which took a lot from the Marathon trilogy<ref>{{cite web |last=Miller |first=Pat |date=May 16, 2006 |title=From '94 to Infinity: Before Halo |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_45/274-From-94-to-Infinity-Before-Halo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003200738/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_45/274-From-94-to-Infinity-Before-Halo |archive-date=October 3, 2012 |work=The Escapist}}</ref><ref name="polygon bungie" /> which is no more exclusive to Mac since Bungie Software [[Open source|open-sourced]] it in 2000 then released the original trilogy as [[freeware]] in 2005, some fans have [[Source port|source-ported]] it to Windows and Linux as well as [[remaster]]ed them using the open-source engine [[Aleph One (computer game)|Aleph One]] and have even been developing many new scenarios, total conversions, and multiplayer maps sustaining a still active community.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aleph One - Marathon Open Source |url=https://alephone.lhowon.org/ |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=alephone.lhowon.org}}</ref> Many sci-fi games both from Bungie themselves and from other studios have cited the Marathon trilogy as a huge influence on their stories and settings such as the series ''Halo'', ''Destiny'', ''[[Mass Effect]]'' and ''[[Warframe]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hadzaman |first=Alex |date=2023-05-30 |title=The Big Deal with Marathon: A History of Bungie's First Major Franchise |url=https://culturedvultures.com/marathon-bungie-history/ |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=Cultured Vultures |language=en-US}}</ref>
After having provided a modified [[Wolfenstein 3D engine|''Wolfenstein 3D'' engine]] to [[Raven Software]] for ''[[ShadowCaster]]'' and being impressed by the final result, [[id Software]] requested that Raven develop a medieval-themed/dark fantasy game using a modified version of id's [[Doom engine|''Doom'' engine]]. Raven considered themselves as typical ''[[Dungeons & Dragons|D&D]]'' fans and initially drafted the game with [[Role-playing game|role-playing]] elements. They then took instruction from id [[programmer]] [[John Carmack]] to simply "do it like ''Doom'', and add the fantasy flavor."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-11-05 |title=Raven Software Co-Founder Talks About the Origins of Heretic, the 'Medieval Doom' – IGN Unfiltered - IGN |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/raven-software-co-founder-talks-origins-heretic-the-medieval-doom-ign-unfiltered?amp=1 |access-date=2024-07-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105112925/https://www.ign.com/articles/raven-software-co-founder-talks-origins-heretic-the-medieval-doom-ign-unfiltered?amp=1 |archive-date=November 5, 2020 }}</ref> [[Raven Software]] then used and upgraded the [[Doom engine]] and released [[Heretic (video game)|''Heretic'']] on 23 December 1994 which introduced larger [[Level (video games)|maps]], vertical aiming, flying, [[Gib (video gaming)|gibs]], randomized ambient sound effects, interactive environments such as rushing water and winds which push the player along, an inventory system to store and select many different items which range from health potions to the "morph ovum" which transforms enemies into chickens and one of the most notable item that can be found is the "Tome of Power" which acts as a secondary firing mode for certain weapons, resulting in a much more powerful projectile for each weapon, some of which change the look of the projectile entirely,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Decker Publications |url=https://archive.org/details/electronic-games-1994-12/page/132/mode/2up |title=Electronic Games 1994-12 "Herecy Can Be Fun - Beyond Doom with Raven and id" |date=December 1994}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/hyper-016/page/n31/mode/2up |title=Hyper 016 Heretic review |date=March 1995}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_128/page/n105/mode/2up |title=Computer Gaming World Issue 128 "Heretic, Meet Your Doom! Heretic adds magic and more to id Software's Doom" |date=March 1995}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_Issue_025_1995-04_Dennis_Publishing_GB/page/n67/mode/2up?view=theater |title=PC Zone - Issue 025 (1995-04)(Dennis Publishing)(GB) Heretic review |date=April 1995}}</ref> then Raven added two more episodes and re-released it as ''[[Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders]]'' on 31 March 1996.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heretic Developer Interview – HereticHexen |url=https://www.heretichexen.com/heretic/interview/ |access-date=2024-07-23 |language=en-US}}</ref>
''[[Star Wars: Dark Forces]]'' was released on 6 February 1995after [[LucasArts]] decided ''[[Star Wars]]'' would make appropriate material for a game in the style of ''Doom''. However, ''Star Wars: Dark Forces'' improved on several technical features that ''Doom'' lacked, such as the ability to crouch, jump, or look and aim up and down.<ref name="clones">Turner, Benjamin & Bowen, Kevin, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120712042757/http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/december03/doom/clones/index.shtml Bringin' in the DOOM Clones], ''GameSpy,'' December 11, 2003, Accessed February 19, 2009</ref><ref name="guidetofps" /><ref>[http://www.tomshardware.com/picturestory/7-30-a-brief-history-of-star-war-games-part-1.html A Brief History of Star War Games, Part 1], ''Tom's Hardware,'' May 20, 2007, Accessed February 19, 2009</ref> ''Dark Forces'' also was one of the first games to incorporate 3D-designed objects rendered into the game's 2.5D graphics engine.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamesn.com/star-wars-dark-forces/dark-forces-remaster | title= Nightdive wants to remaster Dark Forces | first= Richard | last = Scott-Jones | date = January 16, 2019 | access-date = January 16, 2019 | work = [[PCGamesN]] | archive-date = January 17, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190117170039/https://www.pcgamesn.com/star-wars-dark-forces/dark-forces-remaster | url-status = live }}</ref> The game's success launched the ''[[Star Wars: Jedi Knight]]'' series, beginning with the direct sequel ''[[Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II]]''
''[[Descent (video game)|Descent]]'' released by [[Parallax Software]] on 17 March 1995, a game in which the player pilots a [[spacecraft]] around caves and factory ducts, was among the earliest truly three-dimensional first-person shooters. It abandoned [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]] and ray casting in favour of [[Polygon (computer graphics)|polygonal models]] and allowed movement through all of the [[six degrees of freedom|six possible degrees of freedom]].<ref name="quantum" /><ref name="guidetofps" />
On 28 April 1995, the Japanese company Exact released the successor to ''[[Geograph Seal]]'' for the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] console, called ''[[Jumping Flash!]]'', which placed more emphasis on its platform elements.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fahs |first=Travis |date=November 26, 2006 |title=Geograph Seal (X68000) |url=http://www.the-nextlevel.com/review/retro/geograph-seal-x68000/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129224512/http://www.the-nextlevel.com/review/retro/geograph-seal-x68000/ |archive-date=January 29, 2016 |website=The Next Level}}</ref>
[[Raven Software]] upgraded the [[Doom engine]] further and released ''[[Hexen: Beyond Heretic]]'' on 30 October 1995 which added jumping, more [[Immersion (virtual reality)|immersive]] environments with effects such as swirling [[leaves]] or scattering [[bat]]s upon the player's approach, weather effects, some destructible objects, scripted environmental changes such as earthquakes, different [[character class]]es to allow different playstyles as well as interconnected maps through hub maps instead of the standard linear succession of maps which granted a taste of [[Open world|open-world]] in a FPS game.<ref>{{Cite web |last=chrisstead |date=2016-09-12 |title=Id Software talks Heretic, Hexen and Commander Keen |url=https://www.findershopping.com.au/id-software-talks-heretic-hexen-and-commander-keen |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=findershopping.com.au |language=en-AU}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hexen Review |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/hexen-review/1900-2537441/ |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[Apogee Software]], then renamed [[3D Realms]], followed up with ''[[Duke Nukem 3D]]'' (sequel to the earlier [[Platform game|platformer]]s ''[[Duke Nukem (video game)|Duke Nukem]]'' and ''[[Duke Nukem II]]''), released as shareware on 29 January 1996, which ran on the then new [[Build (game engine)|Build engine]] developed by [[Ken Silverman]] with the support of [[John Carmack]].{{Better source needed |date=May 2026}}<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSVzn0F3pyQ |title=The History of Ken Silverman's Build Engine |date=2009-10-16 |last=CuteFloor |access-date=2024-07-18 |via=YouTube}}</ref> ''Duke Nukem 3D'' won acclaim for its humour based around stereotyped [[machismo]] as well as its adrenalinic gameplay and graphics. However, some found the game's (and later the whole series') treatment of women to be derogatory and tasteless.<ref name="guidetofps" /><ref name="controversy" /><ref>Soete, Tim, [https://archive.today/20120715203330/http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/action/dukenukem3d/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review Duke Nukem 3D Review], ''GameSpot,'' May 1, 1996, Accessed February 19, 2009</ref>
Shortly after the release of ''Duke Nukem 3D'', id Software released the much anticipated ''[[Quake (video game)|Quake]]'' on 22 June 1996. Like ''Doom'', ''Quake'' was influential and genre-defining, featuring fast-paced, gory gameplay, within a completely 3D game environment, and making use of real-time rendered polygonal models instead of sprites. It was centered on [[Online game|online gaming]] and featured multiple match types still found in first-person shooter games today. It was the first FPS game to gain a cult following of player [[Clan (computer gaming)|clans]] (although the concept had existed previously in ''[[MechWarrior 2]]'''s ''Netmech'', with its ''[[Battletech]]'' lore as well as amongst [[Multi-user dungeon|MUD]] players), and would inspire popular [[LAN party|LAN parties]] and events such as [[QuakeCon]].<ref name="ddreamers_a" /> The game's popularity and use of 3D polygonal graphics also helped to expand the growing market for [[video card]] hardware;<ref name="quantum" /><ref name="guidetofps" /><ref>{{cite web|last = Ward|first = Trent C.|url = http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/action/quake/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review |title = Quake Review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919100146/http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/action/quake/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary%3Bread-review |archive-date=September 19, 2011 |work = GameSpot UK|date = June 22, 1996}}</ref> and the additional support and encouragement for [[Mod (video gaming)|game modifications]] attracted players who wanted to tinker with the game and create their own modules.<ref name="ddreamers_a">{{Cite book|first1=Brad |last1=King |first2=John M. |last2=Borland |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CvxOAAAAMAAJ |title= Dungeons and Dreamers: The Rise of Computer Game Culture from Geek to Chic |publisher=[[McGraw-Hill|McGraw-Hill/Osborne]] |year=2003 |access-date=September 25, 2010 |isbn=978-0-07-222888-5 |ref=borlanddd |pages=111–125 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514122054/http://books.google.com/books?id=CvxOAAAAMAAJ |archive-date=May 14, 2013 }}</ref> According to creator John Romero, ''Quake''{{'}}s 3D world was inspired by the 3D fighting game ''[[Virtua Fighter]]''. ''Quake'' was also intended to expand the genre with ''Virtua Fighter'' influenced [[Beat 'em up|melee brawling]], but this element was eventually scrapped from the final game.<ref name="nextgen">{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=30|date=June 1997|pages=9–12|title=Does John Romero Still Enjoy Shooting People? |url=https://archive.org/stream/NextGeneration30Jun1997/Next_Generation_30_Jun_1997#page/n9/mode/2up}}</ref><ref name="edge">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |issue=45 (May 1997) |date=May 2, 1997 |title=An Audience with John Romero |pages=18–23 |url=https://archive.org/details/EDGE.N045.1997.05/page/n17/mode/2up |quote='''John Romero:''' My original idea was to do something like ''Virtua Fighter'' in a 3D world, with full-contact fighting, but you'd also be able to run through a world, and do the same stuff you do in ''Quake'', only when you got into these melees, the camera would pull out into a third-person perspective. It would've been great, but nobody else had faith in trying it. The project was taking too long, and everybody just wanted to fall back on the safe thing – the formula.}}</ref>
[[Shadow Warrior (1997 video game)|''Shadow Warrior'']], developed and published by [[3D Realms]] on 13 May 1997, introduced [[Voxel|3D voxels]] instead of [[Sprite (computer graphics)|2D sprites]] for weapons and inventory items as well as weapons' secondary firing mode, true [[room-over-room]] situations, transparent water.
=== Online and console games: 1997–2020 === Based on the [[James Bond]] [[GoldenEye|film]], [[Rare (company)|Rare]]'s ''[[GoldenEye 007 (1997 video game)|GoldenEye 007]]'' was released in 1997, and as of 2004 it was still the best-selling [[Nintendo 64]] game in the United States.<ref name="hollis-speech">{{cite web |url= http://www.zoonami.com/briefing/2004-09-02.php |title=The Making of GoldenEye 007 |publisher= Zoonami |author=Martin Hollis |date=September 2, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718160021/http://www.zoonami.com/briefing/2004-09-02.php |archive-date=July 18, 2011 |access-date=December 22, 2011|url-status= usurped |author-link=Martin Hollis (video game designer) }}</ref> It has been the first landmark first-person shooter for console gamers and was highly acclaimed for its atmospheric single-player campaign and well designed multiplayer maps. It featured a [[sniper rifle]], the ability to perform head-shots, and the incorporation of stealth elements<ref name="quantum" /><ref name="guidetofps" /><ref>{{cite web|last = Gerstmann|first = Jeff|url = http://uk.gamespot.com/n64/action/goldeneye007/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review |title = GoldenEye 007 Review|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715075641/http://uk.gamespot.com/n64/action/goldeneye007/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review |archive-date=July 15, 2012 |work =GameSpot UK|date = August 19, 1997}}</ref><ref>Berghammer, Billy, [http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3171143 A Rare Look at Rare] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605194920/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3171143 |date=June 5, 2016 }}, ''1UP,'' Accessed February 19, 2009</ref> (all of these aspects were also included in the game's spiritual sequel, ''[[Perfect Dark]]'') as well as some ''[[Virtua Cop]]''-inspired features such as weapon reloading, position-dependent hit reaction animations, penalties for killing innocents, and a newly designed aiming system that allowed players to aim at a precise spot on the screen.<ref name="hollis-speech" />
Though not the first of its kind, ''[[Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (video game)|Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six]]'' started a popular trend of [[tactical first-person shooter]]s in 1998. It featured a team-based, realistic design and themes based around [[counter-terrorism]], requiring missions to be planned before execution and in it, a single hit was sometimes enough to kill a character.<ref name="rainbow" /><ref name="gamecollector">{{cite web |title=Get your hands on the games you owe to yourself |url=http://www.gamespot.com:80/gamespot/features/pc/gamecollector/0907/ |website=GameSpot |access-date=February 19, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040907023005/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/pc/gamecollector/0907/ |archive-date=September 7, 2004 |page=1 |date=September 7, 2001 |quote=Welcome to another installment of Game Collector, where GameSpot hunts for great deals on games so that you don't have to. This week we present 10 great games focusing on warfare, from small-scale to epic-scale. Half of these are first-person shooters, while the other half are strategy games. Two popular PC gaming genres--one all-important, always-relevant subject. So if you're interested in modern or historical warfare and other military maneuverings, or if you just want some great games to add to your collection, then this week's Game Collector is for you. |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Medal of Honor (1999 video game)|Medal of Honor]]'', released in 1999, gave birth to a long running proliferation of simulative first-person shooters set during World War II.<ref name="guidetofps" />
[[Valve Corporation|Valve]]'s ''[[Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life]]'' was released in 1998, based upon ''Quake''{{'}}s graphics technology.<ref name="ddreamers_b" /> Initially met with only mild anticipation, it went on to become a commercial success.<ref name= "guidetofps"/><ref name="halflife10">{{cite web|last = Ocampo|first = Jason|url-status = live |url = http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/932/932067p1.html|title = Half-Life 10th Anniversary |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100810140325/http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/932/932067p1.html |archive-date=August 10, 2010 |work=IGN|date= November 19, 2008}}</ref> While most of the previous first-person shooters on the IBM PC platform had focused on visceral gameplay with relatively weak or irrelevant plots, ''Half-Life'' placed a far bigger focus on strong narrative; the game featured no [[cut scene]]s but remained in the first-person perspective at all times. It capitalized heavily on the concepts of [[Non-player character|non-enemy characters]] (previously featured in many other titles, such as the ''[[Marathon Trilogy|Marathon series]]'' and ''[[Strife: Quest for the Sigil|Strife]]'')<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/strife/review.html?tag=quicklinks%3Breviews Strife Review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107084259/https://www.gamespot.com/games/strife/ |date=November 7, 2021 }}, ''[[GameSpot]]'', June 27, 1996</ref> and wider in-game interactivity (as first introduced by the likes of ''Duke Nukem 3D'' and ''System Shock'') but did not employ [[power-up]]s in the traditional sense,<ref name="quantum"/> making for a somewhat more believable overall experience. The game was praised for its [[Game artificial intelligence|artificial intelligence]], selection of weapons and attention to detail and "has since been recognized as one of the greatest games of all time" according to GameSpot. Its sequel, ''[[Half-Life 2]]'', (released in 2004), was less influential though "arguably a more impressive game".<ref name="halflifegreatest">{{cite web |title=Greatest Games of All Time: Half-Life |url= http://uk.gamespot.com/features/greatest-games-of-all-time-half-life-6171044/ |website=GameSpot |access-date=February 19, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527131510/http://uk.gamespot.com/features/greatest-games-of-all-time-half-life-6171044/ |archive-date=May 27, 2012|page=1 |date=May 18, 2007}}</ref>
''[[Starsiege: Tribes]],'' also released in 1998, was a multiplayer online shooter allowing more than 32 players in a single match. It featured team-based gameplay with a variety of specialized roles, and an unusual [[jet pack]] feature. The game was highly popular and later imitated by many other titles such as the ''[[Battlefield (video game series)|Battlefield]]'' series.<ref name="quantum" /><ref name="ign100"/> Id's ''[[Quake III Arena]]'' and Epic's ''[[Unreal Tournament]],'' both released in 1999, became the real milestones for multiplayer gaming, thanks to their incredible graphics and frenetic, yet accessible and perfectly balanced online modes; on the other hand, both games only featured a very limited single player campaign designed for a more "disposable" [[arcade game|arcade]] approach.<ref name="guidetofps" /> ''[[Counter-Strike]]'' was also released in 1999, a ''Half-Life'' [[mod (video gaming)|modification]] with a counter-terrorism theme copied from ''Rainbow Six''. The game and later version ''[[Counter-Strike: Source]]'' (2004) went on to become the most popular multiplayer game modification ever, with over 90,000 players competing online at any one time during its peak.<ref name="guidetofps" /><ref name="ddreamers_b">{{Cite book|first1=Brad |last1=King |first2=John M. |last2=Borland |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CvxOAAAAMAAJ |title=Dungeons and Dreamers: The Rise of Computer Game Culture from Geek to Chic |publisher=[[McGraw-Hill|McGraw-Hill/Osborne]] |year=2003 |access-date=September 25, 2010 |isbn=978-0-07-222888-5 |ref=borlanddd |page=211 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514122054/http://books.google.com/books?id=CvxOAAAAMAAJ |archive-date=May 14, 2013 }}</ref>
At the [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3]] game show in 1999, [[Bungie]] unveiled a [[real-time strategy]] game called ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved|Halo]]''; at the following E3, an overhauled [[third-person shooter]] version was displayed. In 2000, Bungie was bought by [[Microsoft]]. ''Halo'' was then revamped and released as a first-person shooter; it was one of the [[Launch game|launch titles]] for the [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] console. It was a runaway critical and commercial success, and is considered a premier console first-person shooter. It featured narrative and storyline reminiscent of Bungie's earlier [[Marathon Trilogy|Marathon]] series but now told largely through in-game dialog and cut scenes. It also received acclaim for its characters, both the protagonist, [[Master Chief (Halo)|Master Chief]] and its [[Covenant (Halo)|alien antagonists]]. The sequel, ''[[Halo 2]]'' (2004), brought the popularity of [[Online game|online gaming]] to the console market through the medium of [[Xbox Live]], on which it was the most played game for almost two years.<ref name="guidetofps"/>
''[[Deus Ex (video game)|Deus Ex]]'', released by [[Ion Storm]] in 2000, featured a levelling system similar to that found in role-playing games; it also had multiple narratives depending on how the player completed missions and won acclaim for its serious, artistic style.<ref name="guidetofps"/> The ''[[Resident Evil]]'' games ''[[Resident Evil Survivor|Survivor]]'' in 2000 and ''[[Resident Evil: Dead Aim|Dead Aim]]'' in 2003 attempted to combine the [[light gun]] and first-person shooter genres along with [[survival horror]] elements.<ref>{{cite web |title=Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles Review |publisher=[[GameSpot]] |first=Ryan |last=Davis |date=November 15, 2007 |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/wii/action/residentevilseries/review.html |access-date=May 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429100856/http://uk.gamespot.com/wii/action/residentevilseries/review.html |archive-date=April 29, 2009 }}</ref> ''[[Metroid Prime]],'' released in 2002 for the [[GameCube]], a highly praised first-person shooter, incorporated [[Action-adventure game|action adventure]] elements such as [[jumping puzzle]]s and built on the ''[[Metroid]]'' series of [[2D computer graphics|2D]] [[Side-scrolling video game|side-scrolling]] [[Metroidvania|platform-adventures]].<ref name="guidetofps"/> Taking a "massive stride forward for first-person games", the game emphasized its adventure elements rather than shooting and was credited by journalist Chris Kohler with "breaking the genre free from the clutches of ''Doom''".<ref name="wired_influential">Kohler, Chris, [https://www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/12/the-15-most-influential-games-of-the-decade/all/1 The 15 Most Influential Games of the Decade] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110908015101/http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/12/the-15-most-influential-games-of-the-decade/all/1 |date=September 8, 2011 }}, ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'' December 24, 2009, Accessed September 10, 2011</ref>
Efforts to develop early [[handheld video game]]s with 3-D graphics have eventually led to the dawn of ambitious handheld first-person shooter games, starting with two [[Game Boy Advance]] ports of ''[[Back Track]]'' and ''Doom'' not long after the system was launched in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/11/02/backtrack |title=BackTrack – IGN |date=November 2, 2001 |access-date=November 6, 2021 |archive-date=August 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809124419/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/11/02/backtrack |url-status=live }}</ref> The GBA eventually saw the release of several first-person shooter games specifically tailored for it, including ''[[Duke Nukem Advance]]'', ''[[Ecks vs. Sever]]'' and ''[[Dark Arena]]'', with a sizable amount of them being praised for pushing the hardware to the limit while providing satisfying gameplay.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=37633&tab=review|title=Duke Nukem Advance Review|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115070609/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=37633&tab=review|access-date=November 9, 2021|archive-date=November 15, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/gameboy_advance/games/reviews/18500.shtml|title=Ecks vs. Sever Review|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041001123408/http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/gameboy_advance/games/reviews/18500.shtml|access-date=November 9, 2021|archive-date=October 1, 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200204/R03.0804.1137.51142.htm|title=Dark Arena Review|magazine=[[Game Informer]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080111002712/http://gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200204/R03.0804.1137.51142.htm|access-date=November 9, 2021|archive-date=January 11, 2008}}</ref> Despite their varying reception, they would demonstrate the viability of first-person shooters on handhelds, which became more apparent with new technological advances that accompanied future handheld systems.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/166/166406p1.html |title=Ecks vs. Sever |date=December 2001 |access-date=November 6, 2021 |archive-date=August 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821205953/http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/166/166406p1.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
''[[World War II Online]]'', released in 2001, featured a persistent and "massively multiplayer environment", although [[IGN]] said that "the full realization of that environment is probably still a few years away."<ref>Butts, Steve, [http://pc.ign.com/articles/165/165364p1.html World War II Online] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130205210/http://pc.ign.com/articles/165/165364p1.html |date=January 30, 2009 }}, ''IGN'', August 6, 2001, Accessed March 11, 2010</ref> ''[[Battlefield 1942]]'', another World War II shooter released in 2002, featured large scale battles incorporating aircraft, naval vessels, land vehicles and infantry combat.<ref name="guidetofps"/> In 2003, ''[[PlanetSide (video game)|PlanetSide]]'' allowed hundreds of players at once to compete in a persistent world,<ref>Bramwell, Tom, [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/article_46937 Sign-up for PlanetSide beta] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227184931/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/article_46937 |date=December 27, 2010 }}, ''EuroGamer'', November 4, 2002, Accessed March 10, 2010</ref> and was also promoted as the "world's first massively multiplayer online first person shooter."<ref name="MMOFPS"/> The ''[[Serious Sam]]'' series, first released in 2001, and ''[[Painkiller (video game)|Painkiller]]'', released in 2004, both emphasized fighting waves of enemies in large open arenas, in an attempt to hearken back to the genre's roots.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/506/506091p1.html | title = Painkiller Review | author = Steve Butts | publisher = IGN | date = April 12, 2004 | access-date = November 12, 2007 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080926111145/http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/506/506091p1.html | archive-date = September 26, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/serious-sam-the-first-encounter-review/1900-2701181/ | title = Serious Sam: The First Encounter Review | author = Greg Kasavin | publisher = Gamespot | date = April 26, 2001 | access-date = November 6, 2017 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171107061005/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/serious-sam-the-first-encounter-review/1900-2701181/ | archive-date = November 7, 2017 }}</ref>
''[[Doom 3]]'', released in 2004, placed a greater emphasis on horror and frightening the player than previous games in the series and was a critically acclaimed best seller,<ref>[http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/doom-3/ Doom 3 (PC)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160228070001/http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/doom-3/ |date=February 28, 2016 }}, ''GameSpy'', Accessed March 9, 2009</ref><ref>Fahey, Rob, [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ukcharts_170804 UK Charts: Doom 3 scores first 2004 No.1 for PC platform] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100806031028/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ukcharts_170804 |date=August 6, 2010 }}, ''EuroGamer'', August 17, 2004, Accessed March 9, 2009</ref> though some commentators felt it lacked gameplay substance and innovation, putting too much emphasis on impressive graphics.<ref name="levine"/> In 2005, a [[Doom (film)|film based on ''Doom'']] featured a sequence that emulated the viewpoint and action of the first-person shooter, but was critically derided as deliberately unintelligent and gratuitously violent.<ref>Lyttle, John, [http://www.newstatesman.com/200512050036 John Lyttle - Shoot 'em up], ''New Statesman'', December 5, 2005, Accessed March 7, 2009 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090303140130/http://www.newstatesman.com/200512050036 |date=March 3, 2009 }}</ref> In 2005, ''[[F.E.A.R. (video game)|F.E.A.R.]]'' was acclaimed<ref name="IGNevolution">{{cite web|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/906/906852p1.html |title=The Evolution of the Survival Horror Genre |date=September 1, 2008 |access-date=April 17, 2009 |publisher=IGN |author=Clara Barraza |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414213839/http://pc.ign.com/articles/906/906852p1.html |archive-date=April 14, 2009 }}</ref> for successfully combining first-person shooter gameplay with a [[Japanese horror]] atmosphere.<ref name="designerdiary">{{cite web|date=October 4, 2005 |url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/fear/news.html?sid=6134936&mode=previews |title=Music to your ''F.E.A.R.''s |work=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=October 4, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104205637/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/fear/news.html?sid=6134936&mode=previews |archive-date=January 4, 2007 }}</ref> Later in 2007, [[Irrational Games]]' ''[[BioShock]]'' would be acclaimed by some commentators as the best game of that year for its innovation in artistry, narrative and design,<ref>Fitzpatrick, Paul, "Bioshock", ''PlayStation Official Magazine UK'', December 2008 (issue 25), pp. 90-91</ref><ref>Cowen, Nick, [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3355401/The-top-10-video-games-of-2007.html The top 10 video games of 2007] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629195211/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3355401/The-top-10-video-games-of-2007.html |date=June 29, 2011 }}, ''The Telegraph'', December 6, 2007, Accessed March 8, 2009</ref><ref>Hoggins, Tom, [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3358016/Why-videogamers-are-artists-at-heart.html Why videogamers are artists at heart] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160228070007/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3358016/Why-videogamers-are-artists-at-heart.html |date=February 28, 2016 }}, ''The Telegraph'', November 10, 2008, Accessed March 8, 2009</ref> with some calling it the "[[spiritual successor]]" to Irrational's earlier ''[[System Shock 2]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/bioshock/707256p1.html |title=GameSpy: ''BioShock'' Preview |date=May 10, 2006 |access-date=November 4, 2007 |publisher=Gamespy |first=Li C. |last=Kuo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030124504/http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/bioshock/707256p1.html |archive-date=October 30, 2007 }}</ref>
Finally, the [[Crytek]] games ''[[Far Cry]]'' (2004) and ''[[Crysis]]'' (2007) as well as [[Ubisoft]]'s ''[[Far Cry 2]]'' (2008) would break new ground in terms of graphics and large, [[Open world|open-ended]] level design,<ref name="guidetofps"/><ref>Hurley, Leon, "Far Cry 2", ''PlayStation Official Magazine UK'', December 2008 (issue 25), pp. 98-100</ref> whereas ''[[Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare]]'' (2007), ''[[Resistance: Fall of Man]]'' (2006) and its sequel ''[[Resistance 2]]'' (2008) presented increasingly refined linear levels and narratives,<ref>Ditum, Nathan, "Resistance 2", ''PlayStation Official Magazine UK'', December 2008 (issue 25), pp. 79-82</ref> with the fast pace and linearity of the ''[[Call of Duty]]'' games bearing a resemblance to rail shooters.<ref name="Howarth">{{cite web|title=Call of Duty 4 First Impressions |date=November 8, 2007 |work=Voodoo Extreme |publisher=IGN |author=Robert Howarth |url=http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/35295/Call-of-Duty-4-First-Impressions |access-date=May 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114200710/http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/35295/Call-of-Duty-4-First-Impressions |archive-date=January 14, 2009 }}</ref> BLACK in 2006 was considered to be a leader in cinematic game design, with strong sound design and destructible environments.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jr |first=Xalavier Nelson |date=March 26, 2019 |title=The Burnout team's mold-breaking FPS deserves a better legacy |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/3/26/18270872/black-fps-game-criterion-gun-sound-design |access-date=November 3, 2022 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2007, ''[[Portal (video game)|Portal]]'' popularized the concept of puzzles mechanics in first-person perspective.{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}} In 2006, Gamasutra reported the first-person shooter as one of the biggest and fastest growing video game genres in terms of revenue for publishers.<ref name="attractive">Cifaldi, Frank, [https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/analysts-fps-most-attractive-genre-for-publishers Analysts: FPS 'Most Attractive' Genre for Publishers], ''GamaSutra,'' February 21, 2006, Accessed February 23, 2009</ref>
''[[Team Fortress 2]]'', originally a user-made mod for ''Quake'' but made into an official product by Valve by its release in 2007, launched a new type of team-based subgenre called [[hero shooter]]s, which consist of first-person and third-person shooters where players selected from one of several pre-made characters with existing weapons and skill sets, using those different characters effectively to complete objectives against their opponents.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wawro|first=Alex|title=Hero Shooters: Charting the (re)birth of a genre|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/271933/Hero_Shooters_Charting_the_rebirth_of_a_genre.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507142751/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/271933/Hero_Shooters_Charting_the_rebirth_of_a_genre.php|archive-date=May 7, 2016|access-date=December 20, 2020|website=www.gamasutra.com|date=May 6, 2016}}</ref> The hero shooter genre had significant growth following the release of ''[[Overwatch (2016 video game)|Overwatch]]'' in which refined the hero shooter formula by adding unique characters and larger narrative as they expanded the game in future updates.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamer.com/what-the-strange-evolution-of-the-hero-shooter-tells-us-about-the-genres-future/ | title = What the strange evolution of the hero shooter tells us about the genre's future | first = Austin | last = Wood | date = October 25, 2016 |access-date = July 6, 2021 | work = [[PC Gamer]] }}</ref>
The use of motion-detecting [[game controller]]s – particularly the [[Wii]]'s – "promised to make FPS controls more approachable and precise with an interface as simple as literally pointing to aim" and thus "dramatically reshape the first-person shooter." However, technical difficulties pertinent to functions other than aiming – such as maneuvering or reloading – prevented their widespread use among first-person shooters.<ref>{{cite web|title=Point and Shoot: Lessons In Wii FPS Control |first=Michael |last=Thomsen |date=March 30, 2010 |publisher=[[Gamasutra]] |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/point-and-shoot-lessons-in-wii-fps-control |access-date=May 5, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110509015707/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4311/point_and_shoot_lessons_in_wii_.php |archive-date=May 9, 2011 }}</ref> In 2007, peripheral developer Jason O. Johnson, of Split Fish Gameware, introduced a first of its kind, disruptive, Dual Mouse/Motion Nunchuck Combo controller series [[FragFx]] to improve accuracy of FPS gaming on consoles.<ref>https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2009/08/06/splitfish-launches-groundbreaking-peripheral-frevolution-x-at-gamescom-09/</ref> The [[Pointman (user interface)|Pointman]] user interface combines a motion-sensitive gamepad, head tracker and sliding foot pedals to increase the precision and level of control over one's avatar<ref name=Templeman_IITSEC>{{cite journal|last=Templeman|first=J.|author2=Denbrook, P. |title=Enhancing Realism in Desktop Interfaces for Dismounted Infantry Simulation|journal=Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC)|date=2012}}</ref> in military first-person shooter games.
[[File:Xonotic 0.8.2 rocket.jpg|thumb|2011 shooter ''[[Xonotic]]'']] In the late 2010s, first-person and third-person shooters enjoyed a surge in popularity with the rise of [[battle royale game]]s, in which many players battle for survival on a large map to be the last man or team standing through intense action-packed combat, and ''[[PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds]]'' (2017) reached the highest number of concurrent players ever to be recorded on [[Steam (service)|Steam]].{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} Its [[free-to-play]] [[mobile game]] version, ''[[PUBG Mobile]]'' (2018), reached over {{nowrap|1 billion}} downloads worldwide by early 2021<ref>{{cite news |last1=Li |first1=Pei |title=PUBG Mobile reports 1 billion accumulated downloads since 2018 launch |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tencent-videogames/pubg-mobile-reports-1-billion-accumulated-downloads-since-2018-launch-idUSKBN2BH0D1 |access-date=May 15, 2022 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=March 25, 2021}}</ref> and grossed over {{US$|8 billion|long=no}} by early 2022.<ref>{{cite news |title=PUBG Mobile Shoots Past $8 Billion in Lifetime Revenue |url=https://sensortower.com/blog/pubg-mobile-8-billion-revenue |access-date=May 15, 2022 |work=Sensor Tower |date=May 2022}}</ref>
=== Rise of VR technology: 2020–present === As [[virtual reality]] (VR) technologies are being developed, FPS games are being developed right alongside the various [[Virtual reality game|VR gaming platforms]]. The new immersive 3D environments using VR headsets and motion controllers enable some entirely unique experiences and mechanics for FPS games, such as physically ducking / dodging, precise control for throwing objects, and individual finger control, enhancing the interactivity with in-game wearables and other objects in the environment. VR Games naturally have a greater focus on the players' spatial presence and the 3D environment itself rather than the actual challenge / competitiveness of the game,<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Wan |first1=Claire K. |last2=Chiu |first2=Cih-Hao |date=2023-08-01 |title=A process perspective of immersive virtual reality user experiences: Transition dynamics and mechanisms during gameplay |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1071581923000460 |journal=International Journal of Human-Computer Studies |volume=176 |article-number=103037 |doi=10.1016/j.ijhcs.2023.103037 |s2cid=257791636 |issn=1071-5819|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2023-10-06 |title=VR Exploration Games vs Traditional Gaming: A Comparison - LvlCraft |url=https://lvlcraft.com/vr-exploration-games-vs-traditional-gaming-a-comparison/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231080218/https://lvlcraft.com/vr-exploration-games-vs-traditional-gaming-a-comparison/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=December 31, 2023 |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=lvlcraft.com |language=en-US}}</ref> which also extends to first-person shooters, especially in the horror subgenre.<ref name=":0" /> [[Half-Life: Alyx|Half-Life Alyx]], released in 2020, is to date (2023) the highest grossing VR first-person shooter and is usually considered the first [[AAA (video game industry)|AAA title]] in VR.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Skarredghost |date=2020-03-27 |title=Half-Life: Alyx full review: the first true AAA VR game |url=https://skarredghost.com/2020/03/27/half-life-alyx-review-vr/ |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=The Ghost Howls |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author1=Nicholas Sutrich |date=2020-04-01 |title=Half-Life: Alyx review — VR's defining shooter is deeper than you think |url=https://www.windowscentral.com/half-life-alyx-review |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=Windows Central |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-26 |title=Best VR Games Of All-Time: 25 Titles To Play (Summer 2023) |url=https://www.uploadvr.com/best-vr-games/ |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=UploadVR |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Top 10 VR Games By Revenue |url=https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/blog/top-10-vr-games-by-revenue |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=www.spglobal.com |language=en-us}}</ref> While there is much hype in the Virtual Reality arena, it is still an emerging technology, and it has yet to be determined if VR FPS titles will become mainstream competitive or how these platforms will influence the genre in the future.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Qu |first=Erhan |date=2018-05-10 |title=Do First-Person Shooters work in VR? |url=https://medium.com/@equ/do-first-person-shooters-work-in-vr-dfcc772b242 |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=Medium |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Here's What's Stopping Virtual Reality From Going Mainstream [New Data] |url=https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/virtual-reality-going-mainstream |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=blog.hubspot.com |date=November 12, 2019 |language=en-us}}</ref><ref name=":1" />
==Research== In 2010, researchers at [[Leiden University]] showed that playing first-person shooter video games is associated with superior mental flexibility. Compared to non-players, players of such games were found to require a significantly shorter reaction time while switching between complex tasks, possibly because they are required to develop a more responsive mindset to rapidly react to fast-moving visual and auditory stimuli, and to shift back and forth between different sub-duties.<ref>{{Cite journal| title = DOOM'd to switch: superior cognitive flexibility in players of first person shooter games |journal = Frontiers in Psychology|volume = 1|page = 8|vauthors=Colzato LS, van Leeuwen PJ, van den Wildenberg WP, Hommel B | date = April 21, 2010 |doi = 10.3389/fpsyg.2010.00008|pmid = 21833191|pmc = 3153740|doi-access = free}}</ref>
==See also== * [[First-person shooter engine]] * [[List of first-person shooters]] * [[Social interaction and first-person shooters]] * [[Violence and video games]]
==References== {{reflist|30em}} <!--======================== {{No more links}} ============================ | PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS IN ADDING MORE LINKS TO THIS ARTICLE. Wikipedia | | is not a collection of links nor should it be used for advertising. | | | | Excessive or inappropriate links WILL BE DELETED. | | See [[Wikipedia:External links]] & [[Wikipedia:Spam]] for details.| | | | If there are already plentiful links, please propose additions or | | replacements on this article's discussion page, or submit your link | | to the relevant category at the Open Directory Project (dmoz.org) | | and link back to that category using the {{dmoz}} template. | ======================= {{No more links}} =============================-->
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[[Category:First-person shooters| ]] [[Category:Video game genres]]