First Person & Third Person Games: 1993 (Doom, Link's Awakening, Illusion of Gaia, Ys IV, Mega Man X and Secret of Mana are released)
1990|1991|1992|1993|1994|1995|1996|1997|1998|1999
Quest For Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness (PC, 1993)?
Subgenre: Quest Adventure/ARPG hybrid
Perspective: Mixed perspective (side view combat w/ jumping)
Other: Jump command during exploration (not real-time)
Save anywhere?
No maps?
Can import your char from QFG3
Day/night cycle
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Ultima Underworld II (PC, 1993)?
Subgenre: WRPG/ARPG (character creation, dialogue trees, 8 classes, virtue system, basic item crafting, repairing), Almost full 3D?
Perspective: FP view
Other: Jumping (and swimming), Strafing/Sliding, Flight, Look mode, P&C Hybrid
Save feature (anywhere?, 4 slots?)
Map system w/ auto-mapper, compass
Movement/traversal/exploration spells (telekinesis, slow fall, light and daylight, stealth, conceal, night vision, speed, fly, invisibility, reveal, levitate, freeze time, roaming sight, remove trap) and skills (appraise and identify, search for hidden doors and traps, stealth, track (animal tracks), disarm trap) and items (torch, hallucination potion, invisibility potion, speed potion, freeze time potion)
Teleporter beacon (moonstone)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Hired Guns (AMI, 1993)?
Subgenre: FPS/AA/Squad Tactics, Level-based (maze levels, sometimes multiple floors)
Perspective: FP view
Other: Co-op (seems to also support 2-player vs or 3-4 player free for all modes), No jumping, Four viewports, Hub map
-Save feature
-Area maps?
-Teleporters
-Pushable blocks
-Lifts/elevators
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Alone in the Dark 2 (PCs, 1993)
Subgenre: Survival Horror, 3D-ish (3D models, pre-rendered backgrounds and static camera angles)
Perspective: TP View
Save anywhere?
No maps
"Most fights can be avoided, won easily or made more easy for you, by using your brain"
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Outliers:
Shadowcaster (PC, 1993)
Subgenre: FPS/Maze Shooter w/ RPG elements (leveling up, item inventory, doesn't make you backtrack to previous areas/levels)
Perspective: FP view
Transformations which are needed for traversing some parts and solving certain puzzles (developed a bit further in the CD version)
Floating and jumping (and swimming)
Save anywhere
Map system w/ auto-mapper, Compass
Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold (PC, 1993) - Wolf 3D-like FPS/Action Adventure-lite (3D-ish Maze Shooter, locked doors and keys, hidden rooms and levels (one per episode))
-Episodic structure (Commander Keen, Wolf 3D, Doom, Jazz Jackrabbit, etc)
-Items and current stats don't carry over between episodes
-Minor stealth element (silent default gun, an enemy won't attack if it can't see nor hear you even if it sounds like you've been detected+enemies don't react to other enemies being shot by the default gun, enemies can't hear you moving)
-Scientist NPCs which can either help you out (info, ammo or money) or alert the guards and attack (can't tell these apart without being seen by or talking to them but can also fire a non-silenced weapon to detect them)
-Can go back to previously beaten levels via the elevator and the levels are persistent (keep track of what you've done in them)
-Buy health at vending machines with found money/food tokens (there are also placed health items; limited supplies in the vending machines and you don't know what they sell before buying)
-Auto-mapper (highlights your location and the elevator however you can't move around while looking at it; rotating mode toggle)
-Save anywhere (10 nameable slots)
-Lives system
Lands of Lore (PC, 1993)
Subgenre: WRPG/Dungeon Crawler (real-time combat), FP view
Map system w/ auto-mapper (find the Magic Atlas item)
Save feature
No jumping
Ganbare Goemon 2/Go For It! Goemon (SNES)(Fan Translated) - Tilted View/Side View/FP View (mech boss fights) Hybrid, AA/ARPG-ish (towns w/ shops and a couple of hidden paths, some permanent upgrades), Hub map w/ some branching paths, 2-player co-op (can join in at any point during gameplay)
-Mostly linear structure (can do the levels in any order in the castle towers town?, some branching paths on the hub map)
-Save feature (one slot per game)
-Can't exit hostile areas/levels where you entered them (can exit beaten levels and visited towns after buying the pass)
-3 different playable chars w/ some minor differences - no new abilities gained nor do they start with any that are used for progression or exploration
-Level timers
-Off screen enemy respawning (generally not a problem though)
-Checkpoints still work after using a continue (and you have unlimit continues?) - you do lose over half your money as well as your health bar upgrades when using one though
Rokudenashi Blues (NES, 1993) - JRPG/Menu-driven Fighting hybrid, TD/FP view hybrid
The Legacy: Realm of Terror (PC, 1993) - Dungeon Crawler RPG/Survival Horror (real-time combat), FP view
Pathways Into Darkness (MAC, 1993) - FP AA?
Space Hulk (PC/AMI, 1993) - FPS/Squad Tactics (5 viewports which can be switched between on the fly)/Proto-Survival Horror, Real-time w/ pausing (but there's also a time limit on the pause, can give several orders during a pause), P&C controls
Weapon customization before some missions, Linear and gear/men don't carry over, Maps and mini-maps, Partial voice acting
Quest For Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness (PC, 1993)?
Subgenre: Quest Adventure/ARPG hybrid
Perspective: Mixed perspective (side view combat w/ jumping)
Other: Jump command during exploration (not real-time)
Save anywhere?
No maps?
Can import your char from QFG3
Day/night cycle
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Ultima Underworld II (PC, 1993)?
Subgenre: WRPG/ARPG (character creation, dialogue trees, 8 classes, virtue system, basic item crafting, repairing), Almost full 3D?
Perspective: FP view
Other: Jumping (and swimming), Strafing/Sliding, Flight, Look mode, P&C Hybrid
Save feature (anywhere?, 4 slots?)
Map system w/ auto-mapper, compass
Movement/traversal/exploration spells (telekinesis, slow fall, light and daylight, stealth, conceal, night vision, speed, fly, invisibility, reveal, levitate, freeze time, roaming sight, remove trap) and skills (appraise and identify, search for hidden doors and traps, stealth, track (animal tracks), disarm trap) and items (torch, hallucination potion, invisibility potion, speed potion, freeze time potion)
Teleporter beacon (moonstone)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Hired Guns (AMI, 1993)?
Subgenre: FPS/AA/Squad Tactics, Level-based (maze levels, sometimes multiple floors)
Perspective: FP view
Other: Co-op (seems to also support 2-player vs or 3-4 player free for all modes), No jumping, Four viewports, Hub map
-Save feature
-Area maps?
-Teleporters
-Pushable blocks
-Lifts/elevators
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Alone in the Dark 2 (PCs, 1993)
Subgenre: Survival Horror, 3D-ish (3D models, pre-rendered backgrounds and static camera angles)
Perspective: TP View
Save anywhere?
No maps
"Most fights can be avoided, won easily or made more easy for you, by using your brain"
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Outliers:
Shadowcaster (PC, 1993)
Subgenre: FPS/Maze Shooter w/ RPG elements (leveling up, item inventory, doesn't make you backtrack to previous areas/levels)
Perspective: FP view
Transformations which are needed for traversing some parts and solving certain puzzles (developed a bit further in the CD version)
Floating and jumping (and swimming)
Save anywhere
Map system w/ auto-mapper, Compass
Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold (PC, 1993) - Wolf 3D-like FPS/Action Adventure-lite (3D-ish Maze Shooter, locked doors and keys, hidden rooms and levels (one per episode))
-Episodic structure (Commander Keen, Wolf 3D, Doom, Jazz Jackrabbit, etc)
-Items and current stats don't carry over between episodes
-Minor stealth element (silent default gun, an enemy won't attack if it can't see nor hear you even if it sounds like you've been detected+enemies don't react to other enemies being shot by the default gun, enemies can't hear you moving)
-Scientist NPCs which can either help you out (info, ammo or money) or alert the guards and attack (can't tell these apart without being seen by or talking to them but can also fire a non-silenced weapon to detect them)
-Can go back to previously beaten levels via the elevator and the levels are persistent (keep track of what you've done in them)
-Buy health at vending machines with found money/food tokens (there are also placed health items; limited supplies in the vending machines and you don't know what they sell before buying)
-Auto-mapper (highlights your location and the elevator however you can't move around while looking at it; rotating mode toggle)
-Save anywhere (10 nameable slots)
-Lives system
Lands of Lore (PC, 1993)
Subgenre: WRPG/Dungeon Crawler (real-time combat), FP view
Map system w/ auto-mapper (find the Magic Atlas item)
Save feature
No jumping
Ganbare Goemon 2/Go For It! Goemon (SNES)(Fan Translated) - Tilted View/Side View/FP View (mech boss fights) Hybrid, AA/ARPG-ish (towns w/ shops and a couple of hidden paths, some permanent upgrades), Hub map w/ some branching paths, 2-player co-op (can join in at any point during gameplay)
-Mostly linear structure (can do the levels in any order in the castle towers town?, some branching paths on the hub map)
-Save feature (one slot per game)
-Can't exit hostile areas/levels where you entered them (can exit beaten levels and visited towns after buying the pass)
-3 different playable chars w/ some minor differences - no new abilities gained nor do they start with any that are used for progression or exploration
-Level timers
-Off screen enemy respawning (generally not a problem though)
-Checkpoints still work after using a continue (and you have unlimit continues?) - you do lose over half your money as well as your health bar upgrades when using one though
Rokudenashi Blues (NES, 1993) - JRPG/Menu-driven Fighting hybrid, TD/FP view hybrid
The Legacy: Realm of Terror (PC, 1993) - Dungeon Crawler RPG/Survival Horror (real-time combat), FP view
Pathways Into Darkness (MAC, 1993) - FP AA?
Space Hulk (PC/AMI, 1993) - FPS/Squad Tactics (5 viewports which can be switched between on the fly)/Proto-Survival Horror, Real-time w/ pausing (but there's also a time limit on the pause, can give several orders during a pause), P&C controls
Weapon customization before some missions, Linear and gear/men don't carry over, Maps and mini-maps, Partial voice acting