Hardest Boomer Shooters

Retro shooters, particularly those released in the 90s, follow clear-cut tropes and gameplay structures defined by iconic games such as Quake and Doom. These games are notoriously difficult for their labyrinthine level design, fast-paced gameplay, and enemy ambushes (affectionately labeled as "monster closets").

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By  Harry Ted Sprinks

With the release of games like DUSK and ULTRAKILL in recent years, the "boomer shooter" genre is experiencing a renaissance. Now, there are plenty of retro shooters for players to get their hands on, both new and old. Many of these experiences can offer a real challenge, especially when turning up the difficulty.

1 Metal: Hellsinger - A Boomer Shooter Rhythm Game

Rhythm-Based Action Makes Metal: Hellsinger A Tough Challenge

While Metal: Hellsinger is somewhat divorced from the boomer shooter genre in a way that other 90s-inspired shooters aren't, the game is still tremendously old-school in feel, tone, and pace. However, Metal: Hellsinger also takes a heavy dose of inspiration from 2016's DOOM.

The challenge of Metal: Hellsinger is in its rhythm-game action and score system, tasking players with keeping up a kill streak and sticking to the beat to hear more layers of the heavy metal soundtrack.

2 Project Warlock - A Straightforward, Well-Crafted Retro FPS

Limited Lives Make Project Warlock An Unforgiving Experience

This decidedly old-school FPS features crunchy pixel-art graphics and billboard sprites that hearken to old-school shooters like DOOM, Wolfenstein, and Hexen. Project Warlock is a fairly simple and to-the-point FPS, doing very little to step outside the genre's boundaries, but its excellent level design and game feel make it a worthwhile experience.

Project Warlock may be simple on the surface, but its hectic combat encounters often ambush the player and leave them outnumbered. Furthermore, the game limits the player's lives on the harder difficulties, eventually deleting the player's save file should they fail too many times.

3 Cruelty Squad - An Assault On The Senses

Immersive-Sim Level Design And Unforgiving Enemies Make It Easy To Bounce Off Cruelty Squad

While Cruelty Squad may immediately turn some players away with its abrasive art "style," it offers a uniquely challenging experience with its combination of retro low-poly shooter and immersive-sim gameplay. It's this crunchy, methodical gameplay that's at the heart of Cruelty Squad, and it's worth suffering through its visuals to get to it.

Cruelty Squad's appropriately cruel, hard-hitting enemies often outnumber the player, making every combat encounter a coin-flip between methodical take-downs and frantic shootouts. This back-and-forth gameplay and frequently drastic shifts in pace make Cruelty Squad a tactical, fast-paced shooter with a brutal learning curve.

4 HROT - A Dark And Satirical Shooter

Hard-Hitting Enemies And Desperate Resource Management

• Platform(s): PC
• Released: 2023
• Developer(s): Spytihnev

This dark and satirical retro-FPS takes inspiration from games such as Quake and features a dreary, brown aesthetic that won't be for everyone. However, HROT's visuals tie directly into its downtrodden tone and dark gameplay.

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By  Andrew McLarney

HROT can be quite challenging on harder difficulties, thanks in large part to hard-hitting mobs of enemies and the game's emphasis on careful resource management. Ammo drops and healing can be few and far between in HROT, and the game is never afraid of outnumbering the player when they're low on resources.

5 CULTIC - A Stylish, Blood-Inspired Shooter

Fasted-Paced Combat And Hard-Hitting Enemies Make CULTIC A Challenge

This well-crafted, stylish shooter pays homage to classic shooters like Blood while simultaneously injecting its own sense of style and personality. CULTIC is a blend of action-horror and boomer shooter, even paying occasional homage to games like Resident Evil 4.

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By  Kristy Ambrose

CULTIC can be difficult, especially on harder difficulties, thanks to its combination of large open levels and packs of hard-hitting enemies. These open environments often leave the player exposed, forcing them to act quickly. On the flip side, CULTIC occasionally throws the player into extremely dark and cramped environments, where fast reactions and quick decision-making are the keys to survival.

6 Blood: Fresh Supply - A Modernized Classic

Tough Enemies And Frequent Ambushes Make Blood A Struggle

This iconic BUILD Engine game was released on Steam in 2019 thanks to the restorative work of Nightdive Studios. Blood features a dark, brooding tone and theme, and gameplay that tasks players with hunting down and defeating endless amounts of undead, cultists, and various Lovecraft-inspired creatures.

Blood is notoriously difficult thanks to its variety of brutal hitscan enemies, frequent ambushes, and hard-hitting foes. The game's enemy variety also helps to keep players on their toes, forcing them to adapt frequently in combat and think intelligently about every encounter.

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