Escapist Mag Details Gaming's Greatest Generation

Here then, year by year, are the most influential games of that era:

1990: Wing Commander, designed by Chris Roberts and published by Origin Systems. Wing Commander combined space simulator action with cinematic storytelling, pioneering the use of cut scenes in games.

1991: Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss, designed by Warren Spector and published by Origin Systems. UU revolutionized RPGs with its "simulation style" 3D graphics engine and free-roaming world environments. While not a financial hit, UU's breakthrough technology inspired John Carmack to create Wolfenstein 3D and thus indirectly birthed the 3D action shooter.