'' Doom '' has been considered the most important first-person shooter ever made . It was highly influential not only on subsequent shooter games but on video gaming in general , and has been available on almost every video gaming system since . Multiplayer gaming , which is now integral to the first-person shooter genre , was first achieved successfully on a large scale with '' Doom '' . While its combination of gory violence , dark humor and hellish imagery garnered acclaim from critics , these attributes also generated criticism from religious groups , with other commentators labelling the game a " murder simulator . " There was further controversy when it emerged that the 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 - which the families claimed inspired the massacre . In 1994 , Raven Software released '' Heretic '' , which used a modified version of the '' Doom '' engine that allowed for vertical aiming , an inventory system to store and select items , and gibs . '' Star Wars : Dark Forces '' was released in 1995 after LucasArts decided '' Star Wars '' would make appropriate material for a game in the style of '' Doom '' . However , '' Star Wars : Dark Forces '' added several technical features that '' Doom '' lacked , such as the ability to crouch , jump , or look up and down . '' Dark Forces '' also was one of the first games to incorporate 3D-designed objected rendered into the game 's 2D engine . Apogee 's '' Duke Nukem 3D , '' released in 1996 , was " the last of the great , sprite-based shooters " winning acclaim for its humor based around stylised machismo as well as its gameplay . However , some found the game 's ( and later the whole series ' ) treatment of women to be derogatory and tasteless
Columbine High School massacre
Columbine High School massacre
First-person shooter