John Romero, co-founder of id Software, has once again turned to the history of video games. This time, he recalled Catacomb 3-D - a 1991 project that often remains in the shadow of Wolfenstein 3D and Doom.
According to Romero, Catacomb 3-D was the key stage in the formation of the first-person shooter genre. Without this fantasy project, first-person shooters in the familiar form might never have appeared.
In Catacomb 3-D, John Carmack implemented texture mapping on three-dimensional walls for the first time. Earlier experiments, including Hovertank 3D, used single-color geometric shapes. The introduction of textures made it possible to create a sense of cohesive space — stone dungeons and corridors. This technological step convinced the team that it was ready to move on to developing Wolfenstein.
Romero notes that Catacomb 3-D became an important experimental platform. It laid the foundation for the engine that, after optimization and the addition of firearms, shaped the look of first-person shooters of the 1990s. Despite its archaic nature by modern standards, the game's influence on the industry remains significant.
Romero also recalled that long before Doom, players were mastering the fundamentals of the genre by hurling magical projectiles through pixelated catacombs.
