Wolfenstein 3D
A 1992 first-person shooter that popularized the genre.
Wolfenstein 3D hit computers in 1992 as a first-person shooter from id Software, put out by Apogee Software and FormGen for MS-DOS. It took inspiration from the 1981 game Castle Wolfenstein by Muse Software and stands as the third entry in the Wolfenstein line. Players step into the boots of William "B.J." Blazkowicz, an Allied spy during World War II, who breaks out of the Nazi prison Castle Wolfenstein and then undertakes key missions to fight the Nazis. Each level requires the player to find an elevator to advance or defeat a final boss, battling Nazi soldiers, dogs, and other foes using a knife and several guns.
This was id Software's second big independent release, following the Commander Keen episodes. Around mid-1991, programmer John Carmack tinkered with creating a fast 3D game engine by locking the gameplay and viewpoint to a single plane, resulting in the prototypes Hovertank 3D and Catacomb 3-D. After a design session pushed the company away from the family-friendly Keen toward a more violent direction, programmer John Romero suggested reworking the 1981 stealth game Castle Wolfenstein into a quick, action-heavy title. He and designer Tom Hall shaped the game on Carmack's engine, aiming for speed and brutality, which set it apart from other computer games of the era. Adrian Carmack handled the artwork, while Bobby Prince provided sound effects and music. Apogee released the game in two sets of three episodes using the shareware model, where the first episode was free to spark interest in buying the rest. An extra episode, Spear of Destiny, came out as a standalone retail product through FormGen.
Critics and players alike praised Wolfenstein 3D, and it's often listed among the greatest video games ever. It won many awards and had sold over 250,000 copies by the end of 1995. Called the "grandfather of 3D shooters," it's widely credited with boosting the first-person shooter genre and setting the bar for fast action and technical skill in later games, while also proving the shareware publishing model could work. FormGen created two more episodes for the game, and Apogee put out a pack of over 800 fan-made levels. Id Software never revisited the series themselves, but they licensed the engine to many other titles before releasing the source code for free in 1995. Other companies have developed multiple Wolfenstein games since 2001.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Wolfenstein 3D
- Developer
- id Software
- Publisher
- Apogee Software · FormGen (Spear of Destiny)
- Series
- Wolfenstein
- Genre
- First-person shooter
- Modes
- Single-player
- Director
- Tom Hall
- Designer
- John Romero · Tom Hall
- Programmer
- John Carmack · John Romero
- Artist
- Adrian Carmack
- Composer
- Robert Prince / (MS-DOS) · Brian Luzietti / (Macintosh) · Todd Dennis / (3DO)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Wolfenstein 3D was developed by id Software, a team that had previously created the Commander Keen series while working at Softdisk. Programmer John Carmack experimented with a fast 3D engine by restricting gameplay to a single plane, producing Hovertank 3D and Catacomb 3-D as prototypes. After a design session, the company shifted from family-friendly games to a more violent theme, and programmer John Romero suggested remaking the 1981 stealth shooter Castle Wolfenstein as a fast-paced action game. Romero and designer Tom Hall designed the game to be fast and violent, unlike other computer games at the time. Artwork was by Adrian Carmack, and sound effects and music by Bobby Prince.
The game is divided into two sets of three episodes: "Escape from Castle Wolfenstein", "Operation: Eisenfaust", and "Die, Führer, Die!" form the primary trilogy, with a second trilogy titled The Nocturnal Missions including "A Dark Secret", "Trail of the Madman", and "Confrontation". An additional episode, Spear of Destiny, was released as a stand-alone retail title through FormGen. FormGen later developed two sequel mission packs, Return to Danger and Ultimate Challenge. Id Software never returned to the series but licensed the engine to numerous other titles and released the source code for free in 1995.
Reader's Guide
Wolfenstein 3D is considered one of the greatest video games ever made and has been termed the "grandfather of 3D shooters." It is widely regarded as having helped popularize the first-person shooter genre and establishing the standard of fast-paced action and technical prowess for many subsequent games. The game showcased the viability of the shareware publishing model at the time. It garnered numerous awards and sold over 250,000 copies by the end of 1995. The game's engine, based on ray casting, presented a 3D perspective while enemies and objects were 2D sprites from set viewing angles, a technique sometimes called 2.5D graphics. The player navigates levels themed after Nazi bunkers, fighting enemies with a knife, pistol, submachine gun, and chain gun while managing health and ammunition. Secret areas and keys add exploration elements. The game's success led to multiple later Wolfenstein titles developed by other companies from 2001 onward, and its influence persists in the first-person shooter genre.
Did You Know?
- Wolfenstein 3D was inspired by the 1981 Muse Software game Castle Wolfenstein.
- The game was released under the shareware model, with the first episode free to drive interest in paying for the rest.
- The player can fight Adolf Hitler in a robotic suit equipped with four chain guns.
- Id Software released the source code for Wolfenstein 3D for free in 1995.
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