10 Iconic Video Games You Had NO IDEA Were Originally Sequels

Originally: Aliens - FPS Shooter

Hot off the success of Wolfenstein 3D, the World War II shooter that essentially created the FPS genre, id Software was eager to evolve its formula and apply it to a very different environment than retro Nazi shootouts. While Wolfenstein flirted with horror and fantasy elements, it never fully committed to them, and the studio wanted to change that, giving players an experience as tense as it was exhilarating. 20th Century Fox’s Alien IP would make for an enticing partnership.

It seemed like a match made in heaven. The Alien universe fit perfectly into the FPS mould, offering a completely different tone and atmosphere, not to mention featuring one of the scariest creatures imaginable charging straight at you. id began developing concepts as talks with Fox were ongoing, building around space marines, isolated stations, and dimly lit corridors for maximum tension. Then, suddenly, Fox got cold feet and pulled the license.

id was disappointed but quickly pivoted. They scrapped the Alien lore and replaced it with demons and a hellish invasion instead, keeping the sci-fi and space marine elements intact, and creating a wild mash-up of horror and action that still feels fresh today.

Ironically, Doom went on to raise the bar for the FPS genre to a level where the rest of the industry followed suit, including Fox, which tried to replicate its FPS success with Alien vs Predator in 1994. id probably got the call, but by then they were too busy counting their money to answer.