New FPS Built Using Doom Tech Is Better Than Most AAA Shooters

Things aren’t looking good for me. I'm a few levels into Selaco, a new FPS on Steam, and I’m pinned behind a bar as a squad of sci-fi soldiers fire their rifles and shotguns at my cover. I'm also low on health. So, yeah, not the best situation. I take a deep breath and decide to make a move.

As smoothly as possible, I slide out from behind the bar, toss an ice grenade at the enemies, and dash behind a wall. A moment later, there's a boom, and my foes are frozen. I notice a nearby propane tank, grab it, and throw it at them. A second later, I shoot it and watch them blow up. A notification pops up on my screen, letting me know I've killed enough of these guys to unlock a new milestone and earned some crafting materials to upgrade my assault rifle. Sweet!

I then recall that the game I'm playing, which lets me do all this and more, was built using a modified version of the ancient Doom engine, and I can't help but giggle. This sort of realization happens often in Selaco, a game that rarely feels like it's running on old tech. Instead, it comes across as a polished, modern shooter with sleek retro visuals. What’s most surprising about Selaco isn’t that it’s developed in GZDoom; it’s that it might be one of the best shooters I’ve played in years.

Selaco, now available on Steam through early access, is a first-person shooter set in the last remaining city of human civilization. Unfortunately for its inhabitants, an alien invasion has begun, and it's up to you, a security guard, to fend off the attackers and save the day. Unlike Doom and other shooters from that era, Selaco offers extensive lore and world-building, accessible through emails and terminals for those interested. But if your main goal is to take down enemies with awesome weapons, Selaco has that covered as well.

This ain’t your grandaddy’s boomer shooter

The gunplay in Selaco is outstanding, with weapons that are both loud and powerful. Even the pistol, which is typically a weak option in old-school shooters, is a formidable magnum that can be upgraded into a rapid-firing death machine. In fact, most of the guns in Selaco can be enhanced to boost their stats or unlock new features. These upgrades can be found in safe rooms scattered throughout the world, highlighting that this game is not Doom. It's important to emphasize that Selaco doesn’t play like Doom or other shooters from that era. Instead, it resembles games like Half-Life, Doom 3, or FEAR. You’ll need to take cover, retreat to find a better angle, ambush enemies for a strategic advantage, and carefully manage your ammo and health to survive. Rushing in with a shotgun and no plan will get you killed quickly. As you progress, Selaco ramps up the difficulty, requiring you to play thoughtfully or face frequent deaths.

The big draw of Selaco for many will be that it was developed using GZDoom—an open-source port of the original Doom engine that boasts features and technology not found in the classic '90s Id software game. In the first few hours of playing Selaco, whenever I encountered a massive level filled with individual items I could pick up and toss around, I’d shake my head in amazement and think, “This is built on Doom tech. Unbelievable!” But soon, the novelty of that fact faded, replaced by a new thought: “This game is absolutely incredible.”

Selaco stands out as a more polished, well-crafted, and enjoyable FPS than some AAA shooters I’ve played in recent years, even those developed by massive teams with modern engines and big budgets. And remarkably, it’s still in early access!

As you dive into Selaco, I bet you’ll quickly forget its Doom origins as you navigate its expansive, hand-crafted campaign maps teeming with diverse enemies, puzzles, and countless secrets. That might be Selaco’s real secret: while it’s impressive and cool that it was built using Doom tech, it transcends being a mere retro throwback. It’s a unique experience and one of the best shooters of 2024.