Both id Software’s Wolfenstein 3D and Doom were landmark achievements in 3D videogame design, truly putting players in the body of their virtual protagonist for the first time. It’s fitting that id’s John Carmack is currently continuing the journey he started decades ago at Oculus, then, but fans of these original games are also updating them to support VR too.
Last month the ongoing Doom VR mod saw an update that added support for one of the lesser-known games built using id’s engine, Heretic. Originally developed by Raven Software, Heretic trades massive guns and monsters for sorceries and, well, more monsters. It’s a little bit of a trip to get the game running in VR (full details are here), but if you do you can play through the entire original game using motion controls. What a time to be alive, eh?
You can see Doom running below:
https://youtu.be/20hyt5eEDG8
And Heretic is here:
https://youtu.be/8pbxDgNma5c
Not only that, but another modder is also working on a VR version of id’s other classic shooter, Wolfenstein 3D. Reddit user Brandalf-the-Green this week showcases their work on the first 10 levels of the game, which again includes motion controls (complete with updated gun models) and allows you to peek around corners using positional tracking. The developer plans to release the game on itch.io once a few more tweaks have been made.
Of course, id is now a part of Bethesda, which itself has already released a VR Doom game and is currently working on a VR spin-off for the Wolfenstein series too.
Bringing old school shooters into VR may seem like a strange thing to do, but this can actually be one of the most fascinating and enjoyable ways to experience VR — and express how far gaming has come — yet seen. In fact Bevan McKechnie’s Compound, a VR shooter that draws directly from early 90’s-era shooters, is arguably one of the best FPS titles in VR thanks to its classic design. What’s old really is new again.
