6 Hardest Shooters That Dominated The 1990s

Thanks to games like the original Doom, the ’90s were the rise of shooters, more specifically, first-person shooters, which were trying to usurp id’s all-time classic. The ’90s were also filled with tough-as-nails games, as developers were still locked into the arcade mindset of forcing players to spend currency (whether money or time) to conquer their games. Those two things mixed to give players some of the toughest shooter campaigns of all time. Toss in a few games that upped the difficulty even more with hard-to-master multiplayer modes, and you have a cocktail of punishing shooters.

Here are the six hardest shooters from the ’90s that players loved.

6) Wolfenstein 3D

Wolfenstein 3D came out a year before Doom, making it something of a grandfather of the FPS genre. What makes Wolfenstein difficult is the mix of clunky controls and enemies that will hitscan you to death. Simply put, whoever gets off the first shot usually wins, and those soldiers are lightning quick.

Especially when you kick it up to a higher difficulty level, Wolfenstein 3D is an unforgiving game. The level design and enemy variety aren’t as complex as Doom or later games, but that simplicity is what makes it challenging.

5) Final Doom

Final Doom is the third game in id Software’s legendary series, though it was actually developed by the team at TeamTNT. This one is a mix of two 32-level episodes (or megawads), both of which take place after Doom 2. While the gameplay is mostly similar to that of the second Doom, Final Doom ratchets the difficulty up to a new level.

TNT: Evilution, the first megawad, is more in line with the difficulty players would expect from the first two Dooms. However, The Plutonia Experiment was widely seen as the hardest version of Doom for many years. The levels are massive, with some reviewers calling them “sadistic.” A few levels even drift into unfair territory, making this a game for Doom‘s more hardcore fans.

4) Contra: Hard Corps

Contra: Hard Corps is often put forward as the hardest game on the Sega Genesis. While not a first-person shooter like most games on this list, don’t let the throwback look fool you. This is a relentless side-scroller that will put your skills to the test in ways the other games don’t.

Remember, one hit will end your digital life. That means you’ll need supreme precision from your fingers and will need to spend time learning all of the boss patterns if you want to have a chance to survive. It’s worth learning Hard Corps‘ intricacies because it’s filled with branching stories and unlockable characters, giving it plenty of replay value.

3) Shadow Warrior

Shadow Warrior was built on the Build engine, which developer 3D Realms previously used to make Duke Nukem 3D. However, this game turns up the challenge, thanks to complex level design that can easily leave you feeling like you’re lost in a hedge maze and enemies that have one-shot KO power.

Like many games of the era, fast-paced action is a must. If you can’t operate at its level, you’re going to have a bad time. What makes it even more difficult is that you’ll start with a limited arsenal, making the first few levels a difficulty slog. Even if you do get through them, Shadow Warrior never turns down the challenge; you just have more tools at your disposal.

2) Blood

Blood was also made in the Build Engine, but this one was developed by Monolith Productions. Fans of the studio will know that the developers kind of have a thing for difficult shooters. The F.E.A.R. series had some of the best enemy AI of its era, making for one of the more challenging FPS games on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Blood is similarly difficult, thanks to a mix of enemies that instantly hit you (thanks again, hitscan tech) and limited resources. Because Monolith didn’t have access to the advanced AI it created for F.E.A.R., they decided to rectify that problem by throwing countless enemies at you. You’ll almost certainly be overwhelmed, which makes navigating the trap-filled levels nearly impossible. Nightdive Studios released a remaster in 2019, making Blood an easy game to check out today.

1) Quake 3 Arena

Quake 3 Arena doesn’t have a single-player campaign, which might make it a weird inclusion on this list. However, this is one of the more complicated multiplayer shooters of the era. Movement is hard to master, which means you’ll likely spend dozens of hours getting your teeth kicked in by opposing players.

Even when you do learn how movement works in Quake 3, you’ll need to learn how to use weapons effectively. It’s not just point and click. You have to master timing because everyone is constantly in motion. That fast-paced style isn’t for everyone, but when it clicks, there aren’t many better shooters in the history of video games.

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