Old School 2.5D First-Person Games
A collection of classic and modern first-person games that use 2D sprites for enemies and objects in a 3D / pseudo-3D environment.
Examples
List Requirements
- Uses 2D sprites for the majority of objects.
- Environment is 3D or pseudo-3D.
- First-person perspective
- Free camera rotation.
- Can be only a segment or mode in the game.
List Exclusions
- Map / Mission / Expansion packs.
- Sequels using the same engine or tech.
- Game toolkit shovelware with little originality.
- Mods.
Credits & Contributions
Special thanks goes to meauxdal and everyone who contributed to the comprehensive list of games over at selectbutton.net which I'm using for reference. Further suggestions are also welcomed in the comments below if you don't see something here or on meauxdal's list that you think should be included.
History
Early games used various techniques like isometric projection, mode 7, sprite scaling and ray casting to create the illusion of 3D because true fully 3D rendering just wasn't possible at the time and these limitations lead to the development of a distinct visual look primary seen in 90's FPS games like DOOM and often referred to as "2.5D" because they marked a transitional period from 2D to 3D games that used a combination of elements from both.
Missing From Wiki:
- Rock 'n Shaolin: Legend of the Seven Paladins 3D (DOS, 1994)
- Old Gold 3D (DOS, 1994)
- Sensory Overload (Mac, 1994)
- Mazeworld: The Ghost of Mordaine (Mac, 1994)
- Poom (Amiga, 1994) (unfinished/prototype)
- Immoral Cumbat (DOS, 1995)
- Bad Toys 3D (Win, 1995)
- Project Battlefield (Amiga, 1995)
- Monster / Monstrum (Amiga, 1995)
- Aquakon (Amiga, 1995)
- Ubek (Amiga, 1995)
- Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders (DOS, 1996)
- The Terminator: Skynet / SkyNET (DOS, 1996)
- Spectre (SNES, 1994)
- Xylot's Revenge (DOS, 1995)
- Rex Blade: The Battle Begins (DOS, 1996)
- Duracell: Run the Bunny (DOS, 1996)
- RoboQuest (DOS, 1996)
- Master Won Liu's Escape From Doctor Chang's Dungeon (DOS, 1996)
- Secret Agent: The Escape (DOS, 1996)
- Subterraneans (DOS, 1996, unreleased)
- Corridor 8: Galactic Wars (DOS, 1996, unreleased)
- Fate (DOS, 1996, unreleased)
- Wheels (Mac, 1996)
- Mutant Dungeon VR (Mac, 1996)
- ShatterBat (Mac, 1996)
- Giza (Mac, 1996)
- Nemac IV (Amiga, 1996)
- Project Intercalaris (Amiga, 1996)
- Trapped: Das Rad von Talmar (Amiga, 1996)
- AMRWolf (Amiga, 1996, unreleased)
- Destruction Imminent (Atari ST, 1996)
- JSWAT / Japanese Special Weapon And Tactics Team (Saturn, 1996)
Pie In The Sky Engine Games
For brevity I'm excluding most Pie In The Sky game engine shovelware titles from the main list because they either don't exist in the wiki or are hackneyed and horrible.
- Christmas Carnage (FPS by Soft Enterprises)
- Red Babe
- Industrial Killers (DOS, 1995)
- Nerves Of Steel (DOS, 1995)
- Gore Galore (DOS, 1995)
- Terminal Terror
- Terror In Christmas Town
- Dungeons of Kremlin
- Despair 1/2/3 (DOS, 1995)
- Castaway: The Ordeal Begins
- Deer Napped
- Space Station Escape (DOS, 1995)
- Master Won Liu's Escape From Doctor Chang's Dungeon (DOS, 1996)
- The Revenge of Dr. Chang (DOS, 1996)
- 3D Xmas Adventure: Santa's Rescue (DOS, 1996)
- The Maze! (DOS, 1996)
