Retro FPS

Retro FPS is a term used to refer to first-person shooters that follow design principles of the shooters from the 1990s. The early games such as Doom, Duke Nukem 3D or Heretic typically feature minimalist storylines and non-stop, guns-blazing action. They specialise in fast-paced movement and action, as well as hidden secrets and power-ups for players to discover. Their level design is non-linear and frequently maze-oriented, requiring the player the hunt for keys to open new sections of the level. Weapons are typically accumulated throughout the game, and feature distinct functions designed to be used in conjunction with each other. The games also usually lack reloading outside single shot weapons, shotguns, and sometimes pistols.

First-person shooters essentially moved away from this blueprint since the late 1990s, but it continued to sustain strong fanbases. The official release of source code and mapping tools for many popular classic games cultivated strong modding communities. The ability to record gameplay demo files led to the creation of the first major speedrunning communities around Doom and Quake. Due to this sustained following, these mechanics resurfaced in the 2010s, with commercially successful revivals of classic series including Wolfenstein: The New Order or Doom, which revisited many of the classic design principles. This new increase in interest led to new games from classic developers, such as 3D Realms' Ion Fury, and a large influx of independently developed games such as DUSK, AMID EVIL or ULTRAKILL (all published by the prolific collective New Blood Interactive) featuring classic shooter design.