10 Best Boomer Shooters To Play in 2024

Key Takeaways

Boomer Shooters offer timeless enjoyment with their lack of modern mechanics.
“Old school” attributes like fast movement and unrealistic physics define Boomer Shooters.
Titles like Alien Trilogy, Wolfenstein 3D, and Serious Sam encompass the Boomer Shooter genre with classic gameplay.

Boomer Shooters are part of a unique genre, taking players back to a time when we didn’t care about trivial things like reloading.

Shooting games don’t need to be stuffed full of modern mechanics to be enjoyable. In fact, the lack of realism makes many Boomer Shooters feel timeless. If you’re not convinced, here’s a selection to try before you write off the genre.

If you ask ten different people what a “Boomer Shooter” is, you’ll get ten different answers. We’re going with an “old school” or “old-school-styled” shooter.

Elements that typically define the genre include fast movement speed, no aiming down sights (ADS), and unrealistic physics. Many 90s shooters fall into this category, but games don’t have to be “Doom Clones” to be counted.

10 Alien Trilogy

Still One Of The Best Alien Games

Alien Trilogy is one of the finest first-person shooters on the original PlayStation.

The title firmly lands in Boomer Shooter territory thanks to its fast-paced combat, reliance on hip firing, and retro visuals, which still hold up today.

Alien Trilogy is easily one of the scariest games on the list. You can wield iconic equipment like the Assault Rifle from the movies and the Motion Tracker. All of your fancy kit sounds the part as well, and the Tracker does a phenomenal job at ramping up the tension.

Despite the primitive graphics, Xenomorphs still manage to be unnerving, especially when they charge at you from the shadows.

The game captures so many movie elements with the foundations of a superb console shooter. I would love to see Alien Trilogy get the Nightdive treatment, but only time will tell.

Alien-licensed games have been a mixed bag over the years, but they still offer unique takes on Xenomorphs you won’t find elsewhere.

9 Immortal Redneck

A Roguelite Boomer Shooter

Some gamers only use “Boomer Shooter” to describe a modern game with retro trimmings. If that sounds like you, then let me introduce Immortal Redneck.

Immortal Redneck offers everything you expect from a Boomer Shooter. It’s ridiculously fast-paced; you shoot from the hip, and there are armies of enemies to defeat.

Where this game truly comes into its own is its Roguelite mechanics. Levels are procedurally generated, so no two levels are the same. There’s also permadeath, and a few false moves will send you back to the beginning.

Fortunately, there’s meta progression in Immortal Redneck, and you’re constantly collecting gold to upgrade your base stats to make the whole game easier.

I dig the Egyptian theming, as it reminds me of the old Serious Sam games. Even without that nostalgia, Immortal Redneck offers an admirable blend of genres, which works remarkably well.

8 Wolfenstein 3D

Move Over, New Blood

We can’t talk about classic boomer shooters without mentioning another 90s juggernaut, Wolfenstein 3D.

The Wolfenstein games are yet another successful franchise from id Software. Compared to Doom and Quake, Wolfenstein takes a more grounded approach with contemporary weapons and human opponents. Those human opponents are, in fact, Nazis, and the walls are adorned with Nazi paraphernalia in some versions of the game.

Out of all the classics on the list, Wolfenstein 3D is the one I vibe with the least. Combat feels great, but there’s a lack of atmosphere, thanks to the brighter levels.

Regardless, Wolfenstein 3D is a solid Boomer Shooter and a must-play if you’re exploring the genre.

Oh, and there’s a Wolfenstein 3D port by Wisdom Tree called Super 3D Noah’s Ark, where you knock out goats with a catapult. I’m not kidding.

7 BPM: Bullets Per Minute

An Unlikely Combination

BPM Bullets Per Minute gameplay from Steam

I’m a sucker for Rhythm Games, and BPM: Bullets Per Minute is an admirable attempt at merging the genre with old-school shooters.

Gameplay in BPM would feel pretty rudimentary if it wasn’t for the Rhythm mechanics. You must shoot on the beat of the music, which does feel a little awkward to start with.

Fortunately, the soundtrack is full of bangers, and it’s easy to tap along to the music while shooting. Combat is surprisingly fast-paced, and boss battles force pattern memorization.

There’s a lot going on in BPM: Bullets Per Minute, so expect to get your butt kicked while you learn the ropes. Battles are rewarding once you get the hang of this unusual title, and it’s a real treat with the music blasting into your ears with headphones.

6 Selaco

Blurring The Lines

Selaco is a love letter to early 2000s shooters like Doom 3 and F.E.A.R, complete with dozens of references for fans.

Gameplay is notably slower-paced than many other titles on this list, but not to a detriment. Environments are complex, and combat demands a more methodical approach.

On that note, enemies in Selaco aren’t stupid. Your foes will actively flank you, forcing constant movement as you try to stay one step ahead.

You could argue that Selaco is less of a Boomer Shooter and more like early PS2 FPS titles, like Timesplitters. However, combat is still chaotic, and explosions and gunfire often light up the screen with ridiculous, over-the-top particle effects.

If you prefer your old-school shooters with a sprinkle of modern sensibilities, you can’t go wrong with Selaco.

5 Quake

Another Id Software Classic

Back in the 90s, it was like id Software could do no wrong in the shooter genre.

Riding high from the success of Doom and Doom 2, the studio released Quake. The titles are similar, and the enemies are the most obvious difference. We trade demons and hell spawn for aliens and monsters.

Quake feels like more of a sidegrade than an upgrade, but that’s not a bad thing, considering the pedigree.

It depends on who you ask, but many prefer Quake movement to Doom, as there’s a subtle speed-up mechanic that makes combat even more fast-paced.

I’ll always be a Doom guy, but Quake is an essential shooter, and Steam’s port is a solid remaster.

4 Serious Sam

The One Man Army

Serious Sam is a superb FPS with dumb one-liners and gameplay that throws modern tropes out the window.

Serious Sam is just as fast-paced as heavy hitters like Doom, with a motley assortment of baddies, including giant charging mammoths and headless screaming soldiers holding bombs. How do they scream without heads? Don’t ask.

Enemy density is high in Serious Sam, and later stages feel like giant arenas strung together. Sam lays waste to literal armies in his games, and there’s never a dull moment.

I have the fondest memories of Serious Sam First and Second Encounters, but you can start with any of the games and have a good time. You can even enjoy the games on the Nintendo Switch as part of a collection.

3 Doom

No Introduction Required

You all knew the original Doom would end up on the list somewhere. Id Software’s juggernaut is the quintessential Boomer Shooter and many titles on this list have earned their place thanks to their similarities.

If you’ve never played, Doom is a turbo-paced shooter where you can effortlessly zip around at breakneck speed.

The weapon selection is almost as iconic as the monster lineup. Tearing up Imps with a Chainsaw is sadistic and satisfying, and it doesn’t take long for Doom to throw armies of hellspawn your way.

All of this frenetic action is paired with one of the most recognizable soundtracks in gaming, and yes, it absolutely slaps.

Doom is the complete package, and there are many ways to enjoy the title with modern trimmings. I’m a fan of Doom 1&2 on the PlayStation 5, but there’s no “wrong” way to enjoy your time with the series.

2 Powerslave Exhumed

Not Your Average Doom Clone

Powerslave Exhumed is a remaster of Powerslave from the 90s, also known as Exhumed in Europe. At first glance, the title looks like a Doom Clone with an Egyptian overhaul, but it’s so much more than that.

Besides the incredible arsenal of weapons, you collect Sacred Artifacts during your journey that unlock new powers. These abilities include massive jumps, diving, and even floating to negate fall damage.

In many ways, Powerslave Exhumed is like a Metroidvania before the genre even had a name. Exploration is encouraged and rewarded. There are even multiple endings, with a good outcome reserved for players who have thoroughly explored every nook and cranny.

I have a soft spot for this one, but Powerslave Exhumed has everything you could want from the genre, and your powers basically make you a demi-god by the end.

1 Doom Eternal

An Iconic Boomer Shooter

I feel a bit cheeky putting two Doom games on the list, but a lot has changed in the 25+ years between the titles.

Doom Eternal has all the flair of a high-budget modern shooter. A kickass licensed soundtrack, pinpoint controls, and gorgeous graphics perfect for high-resolution gibs and gore.

Movement in Doom Eternal is eerily similar to the original. The blistering, fast-paced combat returns, and all realism is cast away so you can glide around the stages.

There isn’t even any reloading to worry about, and the modern trope of regenerative health is replaced with good old-fashioned health packs.

And then we have Glory Kills. You can restore health by landing finishing blows in melee combat, and the animations are as visceral as you should expect.

Eternal is a phenomenal Boomer Shooter with such widespread appeal that all shooter audiences will appreciate it.