How Doom Pioneered the Modern First-Person Shooter

15 September 2025

If you’ve ever sprinted through a virtual corridor, shotgun in hand, heart pounding from the terror and thrill of face-to-face combat, you have Doom to thank. Seriously—not just for that one sweaty moment, but for the very genre it helped define. First-person shooters (FPS) dominate the gaming world today, but back in 1993, Doom wasn’t just another game—it was a revolution. It blew the doors open on what video games could be.

Let’s dive into how Doom didn’t just launch a genre—it reshaped the gaming landscape forever.

The Gaming World Before Doom

Imagine gaming in the early ‘90s: pixelated graphics, clunky mechanics, and soundtracks that made you feel like you were in a kid’s toy commercial. Don't get me wrong—it was charming in its own way. But there was one thing missing: immersion.

Most games before Doom either gave you a top-down or side-scrolling view. Think Mario, Zelda, or even Wolfenstein 3D. While Wolfenstein is technically the “first” FPS, Doom was the one that added rocket fuel to the formula. It took what was a neat concept and turned it into an explosive, genre-defining experience.

It Wasn't Just a Game—It Was an Experience

Doom didn’t just give you a weapon and enemies to shoot. It threw you head-first into a demon-infested maze on Mars, armed with nothing but your grit and a pixelated shotgun. It was immersive, fast-paced, and bloody in the best way.

For the first time, players weren’t just controlling a character—they were the character. You didn’t just move through levels; you lived them.

Doom’s Technical Magic: Way Ahead of Its Time

You can't talk about Doom’s influence without tipping your hat to the tech behind it. Under the hood, Doom was a powerhouse of programming wizardry.

1. The “2.5D” Engine

Let’s be real: Doom wasn’t full 3D. But it played like it was. The game used what's called a “2.5D graphics engine”, allowing developers to simulate a 3D environment using 2D sprites. It gave the illusion of height, depth, and perspective without being truly three-dimensional. This clever trick let Doom run fast and smooth, even on the modest PCs of the time.

2. Lighting & Ambiance That Set the Mood

Doom introduced dynamic lighting and atmosphere, which was groundbreaking. Walking into a dimly lit corridor, flashlight flickering, waiting for a growl from the shadows—it was terrifying and exhilarating. This wasn’t just good design; it was emotional manipulation, and it worked beautifully.

3. Multiplayer Madness

Here’s a fun fact: Doom gave us one of the first real tastes of online multiplayer gaming. LAN parties became a thing because of Doom. The term "deathmatch" was coined because of this game. Shooting your buddy across the room with a rocket while he's drinking a soda? Classic.

Gameplay That Redefined What Fun Meant

You ever play a game and feel like, "Wow, this just flows"? That’s Doom. It was fast, intuitive, and completely addictive.

1. Speed That Left Other Games in the Dust

A lot of older games made you feel like you were jogging underwater. Doom? It had you zooming through corridors like a bat out of hell. The pacing was relentless, and that speed created a sense of urgency and adrenaline that modern FPS games still chase today.

2. Gunplay That Felt Just Right

Each weapon in Doom had its own personality, from the trusty shotgun to the ridiculously satisfying BFG 9000. The game didn’t just give you weapons—it made you fall in love with every single one.

3. Level Design That Encouraged Exploration

Doom levels weren’t just point A to point B. There were secrets, hidden keys, teleporters, and traps. It encouraged curiosity, forcing players to think about how they were moving through the space—not just where they were going.

Influence on the FPS Genre

Okay, here’s where we really start to see Doom’s fingerprints all over the gaming world.

1. Spawning a New Wave of FPS Games

After Doom, every other studio wanted to make a “Doom clone.” The market was flooded with similar titles, like Hexen, Heretic, and Duke Nukem 3D. Some were great, some were forgettable, but all of them stood on Doom’s shoulders.

2. Standardizing FPS Mechanics

You know the heads-up display (HUD) in modern FPS games? Doom introduced that. Ammo count, health bar, the face of your character getting bloodier as you took damage—it all started there.

Weapon swapping, reloading animations, and even AI enemy behavior found their roots in Doom. It wasn't just a pioneer; it was a blueprint.

3. FPS Culture Was Born

LAN parties, speedruns, online forums, modding communities—yeah, thank Doom for kicking that door open. The FPS genre didn’t just become a gameplay style—it became a cultural identity.

Community and Modding: Empowering Players

You ever hear the phrase “mod it till it’s unrecognizable”? Yeah, Doom practically invented that mindset.

1. Open to Modding from Day One

Doom was designed with a modular system. That meant fans could jump in, create new levels, and even build entirely new games off the engine. And they did—boy, did they.

There are thousands of mods out there, some even released decades after the game launched. Total conversions, new weapons, updated graphics—the Doom modding community is still very much alive today.

2. Building a Legacy Beyond the Developers

What’s really cool is that id Software didn’t just tolerate modding—they embraced it. That openness built a thriving community that not only kept Doom alive but helped evolve the FPS genre in new and surprising ways.

Doom’s Lasting Legacy

More than 30 years later, Doom continues to influence game development. Its DNA is in everything from Call of Duty to Halo to indie FPS games on Steam.

1. Reboots That Feel Fresh

The 2016 and 2020 reboots of Doom didn’t just bank on nostalgia—they brought the franchise roaring into modernity with mechanics and visuals that matched today’s standards but never compromised the pure adrenaline rush of the originals.

They kept the speed, the gunplay, and the chaos—proving that Doom’s core design is truly timeless.

2. Recognition in Pop Culture

Doom isn’t just a game—it’s a pop culture icon. It’s been referenced in movies, memes, music, and more. Heck, people have even rigged it to run on weird things like calculators, smart fridges, and even pregnancy tests. No joke.

Why Doom Still Matters Today

So why does Doom still hold up today? Because it's a masterclass in game design, plain and simple.

It didn’t need high-end graphics or a 100-hour campaign. It leaned into what games do best—engaging players through tight mechanics, memorable experiences, and pure, unfiltered fun.

If you're into FPS games (and who isn't nowadays?), playing Doom is like flipping through an ancient spellbook. It's retro, sure—but it's powerful, primal magic. And every shooter you've loved since? It's been casting those same spells.

Final Thoughts

Doom didn’t invent the first-person shooter, but it sure as hell perfected it for its time and laid down the bedrock for everything that came after. It broke the rules when the rules didn’t even exist yet. And it did so with style, speed, and a whole lot of demon guts.

Whether you’re a nostalgia-driven boomer shooter fan or a Gen Z gamer raised on battle royales, you owe a thank you to Doom. Because without it, modern FPS games just wouldn’t be what they are today.

So next time you’re locking and loading in an FPS, remember—you’re standing on the shoulders of a pixelated marine who made it out of hell with a shotgun and a smirk.