A Doom shotgun, i.e. power at close range. Genre-defining weapons – what every shooter needs
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It is worth noting that game developers specifically reduce the accuracy of shotguns in games where they are effective only at very close range. In fact, shotguns are quite accurate even at medium ranges, but the changes are dictated by the proper balance of the game.
The situation with shotguns in FPS games is similar to the one with pistols. They were quite popular in the beginning, but in time they took the place of a backup weapon, used only in certain situations. Doom introduced a sensational shotgun with amazing reloading animation and great sound, and the fun of shooting it was so great that you were reluctant to reach for other weapons when too many enemies appeared on the screen. The tradition was continued by the Super Shotgun in Doom II, and after that probably every significant game had its mighty shotgun. In the atmospheric Alien vs Predator from 1994 for the Jaguar console, we eliminated the Aliens with the Italian SPAS-12. The same weapon appeared in Half-Life, but there, in turn, the creators had a small slip-up. The SPAS-12 shoots in it similarly to the Doom double-barrel – with two rounds, which may be the result of confusing the lower bullet tube with the other barrel. Agent 007 used this shotgun in GoldenEye , as well as J.C. Denton in Deus Ex and Duke Nukem himself, but the most memorable shotgun since Doom did not appear until 2000, with the game Soldier of Fortune . The reused SPAS had a huge firepower, which resulted in a spectacular dismemberment of enemies after each shot. High power has always been a showcase of shotguns, and as the virtual equipment expanded, they became an auxiliary weapon – ideal at close range, where they provide 100% effectiveness of one shot. In single player campaigns we sometimes reach for them, but in multiplayer games on sufficiently small maps, shooting mainly at close range, they can be our basic choice.
