First Person & Third Person Games: 1994 (Little Big Adventure, Soleil, Beyond Oasis, Popful Mail and Super Metroid are released)
1990|1991|1992|1993|1994|1995|1996|1997|1998|1999
System Shock (PC, 1994)
Subgenre: Action Adventure/Survival Horror, 3D, Cyberspace segments (these play kind of like Descent and have their own set of items)
Perspective: FP view
Other: Jumping and crouching+crawling (can also climb the edge of some platforms)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review (Enhanced Edition)
Quarantine (PC, 1994)?
Subgenre: Sandbox Action Adventure/Open World Driving (taxi driving element)/Maze Shooter, Level-based?
Perspective: FP view
-Story missions (rebellion story; delivery, search or chase and destroy/kill - can level some buildings with explosives)
-Password save
-Wolfenstein 3D-like engine
-FMV cutscenes
-Shops (cab upgrades, weapons, repairs)
-Mini-map
-Large cities
-Dystopian setting
-Small viewport
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Dragon View/Super Drakkhen (SNES, 1994)
Subgenre: ARPG
Perspective: Tilted View/FP View hybrid, partial semi-3D/mode 7 (WM)
Other: A Link to the Past style chest mini-game
-Zelda 2/Gargoyle's Quest style gameplay (encounters/dungeons/towns play out in a tilted view beat 'em up style with some platforming which is unusual for an ARPG (Little Ninja Brothers did something similar but only for its random encounters)
-Can jump sideways in tilted view
-Non-random encounters on the world map
-Basic weather and environmental effects on the world map (snow in one area, red sky near the fire cave, etc.)
-Zoomable world map (need to find the sub area map for an area first) and you start out with a compass
-Simply touching enemies won't hurt you (Shinobi) and you can even stand briefly on some of them
-Can warp between visited sub areas using the warp stars on the world map (can only warp between two points at a time rather than all visited points though) - Ys IV or WB3 GG?
-Gear upgrades show on your avatar (Ys?, Faxanadu)
-One dungeon is an invaded temple with some NPCs still in it (would've been cool if you could fight alongside or had to rescue some of them though)
-The dialogue of most earlier towns keeps changing throughout the course of the game
-Upgradeable inventory capacity (bag) - Zelda 3?
-Partially non-linear structure (your main progress is blocked off either by objects or super tough enemies though)
-Alternate solutions for some obstacles (can use either bombs or the lightning ring to destroy boulders)
-Get tips on various item locations from the priests in green in the temples - similar to elders or the fortune teller in Zelda
-You'll auto-stab upwards at flying enemies when under them
-Golden Axe 2-style spellcasting system (hold down the button to cast a stronger spell and waste more MP once you have a lvl 2 or higer magic ring)
-Save and heal at temples in towns (one slot per game though) and at one save point near the end
-One meaningful dialogue choice (helping a traveler with an MP refill pays off later on)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini-Review
Ecstatica (PC, 1994)
Subgenre: 3D Survival Horror/Action Adventure
Perspective: TP view w/ static camera angles
Other: Some potion mixing, Can move backwards as well as grab some ledges and climb up (no jumping), High and low attacks, Start w/o a weapon, Gender select, Sneaking and Running modes
-Save anywhere (10 slots)
-No maps
-Good and bad endings (can join the demon)
-Some ability/tool gating (Squirrel transformation lets you move through a small area at one point, the "flying" broomstick (hovering) is necessary to get past a trap in the castle basement, nothing else besides needing a specific weapon to beat the boss)
-Can kill most NPCs
-Voice acted, Can move around during dialogue
-Frog transformation (trap - lets you explore some areas but not find anything useful)
-Can get caught and trapped by some enemies and then have to escape
-Nudity
-Medieval setting
-Armor shows on your avatar
-No control config
-Can get stuck at one point if you grab the relic too soon
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Doctor Hauzer (3DO, 1994)
Subgenre: 3D Action Adventure/Survival Horror
Perspective: TD/FP view hybrid (toggle on the fly)
Other: No jumping, Run button (one basic puzzle where you need to walk across a fragile bridge)
-Save feature
-Can find a map
-Minor ability/tool gating (candle and lighter to see at one point, dynamite (and lighter) to remove a wall, can shoot a glass wall to break it)
-Basic object manipulation (use a table to cross a gap in the floor)
Playthrough (untranslated ver.) - Video Review - Mini Review
The Elder Scrolls: Arena (PC, 1994)?
Subgenre: Open World WRPG/ARPG (18 classes in 3 main categories, rudimentary dialogue trees, spell crafting, day/night cycle), Collectathon element (8 staff pieces)
Perspective: FP view
Other: Jumping, P&C Hybrid, Strafing
-Logbook (journal) feature
-Auto-map feature & continental map (can fast travel here), Compass
-Save feature (anywhere?, 10 slots)
-Movement/traversal/exploration spells (create floor, create wall (can trap enemies), destroy wall/floor, invisibility and sanctuary, levitate, light and wanderlight, silence (make enemy unable to cast spells)?) and gear with spell effects attached
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Alone in the Dark 3 (PCs, 1994)
Subgenre: Survival Horror, 3D-ish (3D models, pre-rendered backgrounds and static camera angles)
Perspective: TP View
-Partial maps (some are stationary)
-Save anywhere?
-Some ability/tool gating (detonator to blow up a building, shrinking poison, pole-vaulting straw)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Shadowrun (MD, 1994)
Subgenre: WRPG, Real-time combat, Basic stealth
Perspective: TD view (FP view cyberspace/matrix segments)
Other: Open-ended/non-linear structure,
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
King's Field (PS1, 1994)?
Subgenre: Dungeon Crawler RPG/ARPG, 3D
Perspective: FP view
Other: No jumping, Strafing and looking up/down
-Linear but w/ some backtracking to progress at a few points
-One movement ability/tool (Feather Boots - let you cross narrow pits) and two for traversal (Phantom Rod - reveals hidden paths, Harp - temporarily raises bridges across some chasms)
-Can teleport to Dragon Spring after dying if you have a Dragon Tree Fruit and to the beginning of the current floor with the Green Dragon Rod
-Maps (have to find them)
-Save feature (save points)
Playthrough - Video Retrospective/Analysis - Mini Review
Marathon (MAC, 1994)?
Subgenre: FPS w/ RPG/Adventure elements (dialogue, briefings, neutral & friendly NPCs, story-focused), Level-based and linear?
Perspective: FP view
Other: mouse look, alternate firing modes?,
Save points
Map feature (top down)
Gameplay - Video Review/Retrospective - Mini Review
Blake Stone: Planet Strike (PC, 1994) - Wolf 3D-like FPS/Action Adventure (3D-ish Maze Shooter, locked doors and keys, hidden rooms and levels)
Other: Hub map (destroy the security cube in the current level with a bomb to unlock the teleporter to the next level on the map), M&KB support
-Linear structure (20 levels here instead of 6 episodes with 10 each), Items and current stats carry over between levels
-Same level teleporters and teleporters to hidden levels
-Can go back to previously beaten levels and the levels are persistent (keep track of what you've done in them)
-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)
-Auto-mapper mini-map feature (zoomable here and if zoomed in it now shows items and invisible enemies, at 4x zoom it even shows all pushable walls; note that the zoomed in modes use power so you need to collect radar power packs to keep using them)
-Save anywhere (10 nameable slots)
-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)
-Some door switches and sometimes you need to kill a certain enemy to open a door
-Lives system
Playthrough
Outliers:
Ganbare Goemon 3: Shishijurokube no Karakuri Manji Gatame (SNES, 1994) - Tilted view Action Adventure/SV Action Platformer Hybrid
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Slayer (3DO, 1994)? - ARPG, FP view
System Shock (PC, 1994)
Subgenre: Action Adventure/Survival Horror, 3D, Cyberspace segments (these play kind of like Descent and have their own set of items)
Perspective: FP view
Other: Jumping and crouching+crawling (can also climb the edge of some platforms)
- Partially non-linear structure (a few ability/tool-gated segments (jump jets, enviro-suit (beta grove), some dark areas (need to use a head-mounted lantern or infrared night sight or sight patch), skates? - might be needed on hard where there's a time limit) and some soft gating with tough enemies, sometimes what you do in one level affects something in another and you'll sometimes have to come back to a point of interest later on)
- Collectathon/killathon element (need to lower the security level (Shodan's control of a floor) by destroying all cameras and CPUs in each level - unlocks elevators and various doors; most of these as well as some cyberspace segments are optional but yield very useful equipment)
- Auto-mapper (mini-map in the hud (has a full screen hotkey but no semi-transparent overlay option), can zoom in/out, placeable map markers with typed messages, can toggle camera location markers on it, when upgraded it can show enemies within scanning radius of your sensors which can also be upgraded), Compass, can view other parts of a level via certain screens on walls (you can't zoom out though so it's often hard to tell what you're looking at)
- Sometimes new enemies appear when revisiting a place you've been to previously which makes backtracking more interesting, can solve puzzles on level 2 to stop hopper robot production on that floor
- Save anywhere (8 nameable slots, these don't show your current location nor your status), Restoration bays (reconfigured cyborg conversion stations) - these respawn you after death with all equipment intact when activated and progress up to that point is kept (most HP is restored but no energy, have to be on the same floor as one or it doesn't work), Energy charge stations which have varying efficiency (recharge time and amount of energy stored), A few HP restoration points (surgery beds - only 3 operational ones)
- All items stay where you put them (one point of no return late in the game but you are warned about it, consumable items can be blown up)
- A few teleporters (all but one of these lead to isolated areas rather than being used for fast travel though)
- One alternate bad ending (a short death cutscene on floor 2)
- Wire and circuit puzzles (latter play kind of like minesweeper) - can be skipped with certain items, Some other puzzles
- One sequence break possible (can skip extending the bridge on lvl 8/security by performing a tricky jump - you'll miss the plasma rifle (not really needed) and some dialogue though, can also skip the escape pods segment+mini-boss on floor 5 after activating the self-destruct on the reactor - miss some dialogue)
- Some enemy respawning (not sure exactly how it works but in some areas it's a lot worse than others)
- Storytelling via audio and text logs (additional lore and gameplay hints, some radio communications from survivors and later on from Earth plus the villain)
- Can examine most objects in the game as well as each inventory item, Optional tooltip/"on-line help" pop ups for interactive objects (also shows hidden doors and elevators if close to them)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review (Enhanced Edition)
Quarantine (PC, 1994)?
Subgenre: Sandbox Action Adventure/Open World Driving (taxi driving element)/Maze Shooter, Level-based?
Perspective: FP view
-Story missions (rebellion story; delivery, search or chase and destroy/kill - can level some buildings with explosives)
-Password save
-Wolfenstein 3D-like engine
-FMV cutscenes
-Shops (cab upgrades, weapons, repairs)
-Mini-map
-Large cities
-Dystopian setting
-Small viewport
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Dragon View/Super Drakkhen (SNES, 1994)
Subgenre: ARPG
Perspective: Tilted View/FP View hybrid, partial semi-3D/mode 7 (WM)
Other: A Link to the Past style chest mini-game
-Zelda 2/Gargoyle's Quest style gameplay (encounters/dungeons/towns play out in a tilted view beat 'em up style with some platforming which is unusual for an ARPG (Little Ninja Brothers did something similar but only for its random encounters)
-Can jump sideways in tilted view
-Non-random encounters on the world map
-Basic weather and environmental effects on the world map (snow in one area, red sky near the fire cave, etc.)
-Zoomable world map (need to find the sub area map for an area first) and you start out with a compass
-Simply touching enemies won't hurt you (Shinobi) and you can even stand briefly on some of them
-Can warp between visited sub areas using the warp stars on the world map (can only warp between two points at a time rather than all visited points though) - Ys IV or WB3 GG?
-Gear upgrades show on your avatar (Ys?, Faxanadu)
-One dungeon is an invaded temple with some NPCs still in it (would've been cool if you could fight alongside or had to rescue some of them though)
-The dialogue of most earlier towns keeps changing throughout the course of the game
-Upgradeable inventory capacity (bag) - Zelda 3?
-Partially non-linear structure (your main progress is blocked off either by objects or super tough enemies though)
-Alternate solutions for some obstacles (can use either bombs or the lightning ring to destroy boulders)
-Get tips on various item locations from the priests in green in the temples - similar to elders or the fortune teller in Zelda
-You'll auto-stab upwards at flying enemies when under them
-Golden Axe 2-style spellcasting system (hold down the button to cast a stronger spell and waste more MP once you have a lvl 2 or higer magic ring)
-Save and heal at temples in towns (one slot per game though) and at one save point near the end
-One meaningful dialogue choice (helping a traveler with an MP refill pays off later on)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini-Review
Ecstatica (PC, 1994)
Subgenre: 3D Survival Horror/Action Adventure
Perspective: TP view w/ static camera angles
Other: Some potion mixing, Can move backwards as well as grab some ledges and climb up (no jumping), High and low attacks, Start w/o a weapon, Gender select, Sneaking and Running modes
-Save anywhere (10 slots)
-No maps
-Good and bad endings (can join the demon)
-Some ability/tool gating (Squirrel transformation lets you move through a small area at one point, the "flying" broomstick (hovering) is necessary to get past a trap in the castle basement, nothing else besides needing a specific weapon to beat the boss)
-Can kill most NPCs
-Voice acted, Can move around during dialogue
-Frog transformation (trap - lets you explore some areas but not find anything useful)
-Can get caught and trapped by some enemies and then have to escape
-Nudity
-Medieval setting
-Armor shows on your avatar
-No control config
-Can get stuck at one point if you grab the relic too soon
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Doctor Hauzer (3DO, 1994)
Subgenre: 3D Action Adventure/Survival Horror
Perspective: TD/FP view hybrid (toggle on the fly)
Other: No jumping, Run button (one basic puzzle where you need to walk across a fragile bridge)
-Save feature
-Can find a map
-Minor ability/tool gating (candle and lighter to see at one point, dynamite (and lighter) to remove a wall, can shoot a glass wall to break it)
-Basic object manipulation (use a table to cross a gap in the floor)
Playthrough (untranslated ver.) - Video Review - Mini Review
The Elder Scrolls: Arena (PC, 1994)?
Subgenre: Open World WRPG/ARPG (18 classes in 3 main categories, rudimentary dialogue trees, spell crafting, day/night cycle), Collectathon element (8 staff pieces)
Perspective: FP view
Other: Jumping, P&C Hybrid, Strafing
-Logbook (journal) feature
-Auto-map feature & continental map (can fast travel here), Compass
-Save feature (anywhere?, 10 slots)
-Movement/traversal/exploration spells (create floor, create wall (can trap enemies), destroy wall/floor, invisibility and sanctuary, levitate, light and wanderlight, silence (make enemy unable to cast spells)?) and gear with spell effects attached
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Alone in the Dark 3 (PCs, 1994)
Subgenre: Survival Horror, 3D-ish (3D models, pre-rendered backgrounds and static camera angles)
Perspective: TP View
-Partial maps (some are stationary)
-Save anywhere?
-Some ability/tool gating (detonator to blow up a building, shrinking poison, pole-vaulting straw)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
Shadowrun (MD, 1994)
Subgenre: WRPG, Real-time combat, Basic stealth
Perspective: TD view (FP view cyberspace/matrix segments)
Other: Open-ended/non-linear structure,
- Save anywhere outside of buildings and combat
- No in-game area maps besides the matrix maps
- Very good character customization
- Hire and fire party members
- Matrix/cyberspace feature (fighting turn-based (?) FP battles represents hacking into network systems - more advanced than in the SNES game or Beneath a Steel Sky)
- Dialogue trees (Ultima VII, Ultima IV?, Ys?)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
King's Field (PS1, 1994)?
Subgenre: Dungeon Crawler RPG/ARPG, 3D
Perspective: FP view
Other: No jumping, Strafing and looking up/down
-Linear but w/ some backtracking to progress at a few points
-One movement ability/tool (Feather Boots - let you cross narrow pits) and two for traversal (Phantom Rod - reveals hidden paths, Harp - temporarily raises bridges across some chasms)
-Can teleport to Dragon Spring after dying if you have a Dragon Tree Fruit and to the beginning of the current floor with the Green Dragon Rod
-Maps (have to find them)
-Save feature (save points)
Playthrough - Video Retrospective/Analysis - Mini Review
Marathon (MAC, 1994)?
Subgenre: FPS w/ RPG/Adventure elements (dialogue, briefings, neutral & friendly NPCs, story-focused), Level-based and linear?
Perspective: FP view
Other: mouse look, alternate firing modes?,
Save points
Map feature (top down)
Gameplay - Video Review/Retrospective - Mini Review
Blake Stone: Planet Strike (PC, 1994) - Wolf 3D-like FPS/Action Adventure (3D-ish Maze Shooter, locked doors and keys, hidden rooms and levels)
Other: Hub map (destroy the security cube in the current level with a bomb to unlock the teleporter to the next level on the map), M&KB support
-Linear structure (20 levels here instead of 6 episodes with 10 each), Items and current stats carry over between levels
-Same level teleporters and teleporters to hidden levels
-Can go back to previously beaten levels and the levels are persistent (keep track of what you've done in them)
-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)
-Auto-mapper mini-map feature (zoomable here and if zoomed in it now shows items and invisible enemies, at 4x zoom it even shows all pushable walls; note that the zoomed in modes use power so you need to collect radar power packs to keep using them)
-Save anywhere (10 nameable slots)
-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)
-Some door switches and sometimes you need to kill a certain enemy to open a door
-Lives system
Playthrough
Outliers:
Ganbare Goemon 3: Shishijurokube no Karakuri Manji Gatame (SNES, 1994) - Tilted view Action Adventure/SV Action Platformer Hybrid
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Slayer (3DO, 1994)? - ARPG, FP view