As a gamer in the 80s, I knew one indisputable truth.
I was weak, and the game was strong.
This crisis of confidence was a direct result of the popular game design of that era.
Arcade games were designed to deprive you of your quarters through any means necessary.
If this sounds defaming to developers of that era, let me assure you that it is not.
Still, it was discouraging to see how popular this style of game design remained throughout the 80s.
This is especially true of the action genre.
It was the players ability to make an infinite amount of attempts that ensured victory was possible.
You were a nameless soldier thrust into a seemingly impossible situation.
Indeed, the early moments ofDOOMsuggest that persistence would again be the strongest weapon of all.
That is until you stumbled upon a wood stock, pump-action shotgun lying innocently in a corridor.
Seven ofDOOMs 20 original enemies can be bested with a single, accurate shot of this weapon.
In certain situations, multiple enemies could fall to a single shot.
FiringDOOMs shotgun for the first time was nothing short of a revelation.
Indeed, the auditory satisfaction that came from usingDOOMs shotgun may be its most important design characteristic.
Yet, the weapons firing sounds could not compare to the joy of its reload audio.
Reloading a weapon in games should make you feel vulnerable.
No other weapon in gaming history until this point had managed to convey the same feeling of dominance.
This was not the case withDOOMs shotgun.
It made you feel that the playing field was level.
It is that feeling of empowerment that would have the biggest impact on the future of action game design.
That was the way of the shotgun.
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Matthew Byrd is a staff writer.
