I think the big difference for me, after playing a lot of Wolfenstein 3D, was two things... The system I had it on didn't have the CPU to run wolf3d in something like a full screen size, it was something like a 386SX/20. By the time DOOM came around I had a much more capable desktop. Secondly, wolfenstein 3d was everything on a flat two dimensional plane of grey floor. There was one size of wall or door tile and everything had the same ceiling height and same wall height.
replyDOOM having stairs and up/down movement, and vertical elements to the level design was really revolutionary at the time.
Yep, Wolf3D is a fairly simple ray casting system (see if in visible cone, scale with distance) and Doom is Binary space partitioned that could allow complex geometry, something that is still used til this day.
replyWarcraft II and Doom are both examples of, while not being the first in their genres, defining their genres and inspiring every studio to stop what they are doing and make something in that genre.
reply> ..and inspiring every studio to stop what they are doing and make something in that genre.
replyThis. After Doom, there were maaany releases where a studio had X out there, and then released [3D version of X]. Or also throw themselves onto the fps genre. Almost to the point of killing innovation.
Don't get me wrong: that, and the 'infinite' storage of CD-ROMs got us many nice games.
But neither did much to sharpen game developer's creativity skills. Many "me too! (meh..)" releases in that era.