Before Doom, there was Dangerous Dave, and John Romero’s 8-bit hero is getting a spiritual successor next week

Haunted Lands: A Gory Love Letter to the Forgotten Past of Id Software

There’s a certain fractal beauty to the history of id Software—the more you zoom in, the more games you uncover. While most gamers know Doom, Wolfenstein 3D, and Quake, few remember the studio’s bizarre and winding journey to greatness. Before the days of first-person shooters, before even Commander Keen, there was a strange transitional period where id’s founders were still tethered to their previous employer, Softdisk.

During this time, they created Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion—a side-scrolling shooter released in late 1990. It was the sequel to Dangerous Dave in the Deserted Pirate’s Hideout, a game created solely by John Romero. While Dave himself has long been forgotten, his spirit lives on in Haunted Lands, a spiritual successor that takes everything that made the original great and cranks it up to eleven.

A Gory Blast from the Past

Haunted Lands is a passion project from solo developer Alevgor, and it’s clear he’s poured his heart into this tribute. Like its inspiration, it’s a side-scrolling shooter where you grab a shotgun and take the fight to a bunch of undead ghoulies. But here’s where it gets interesting—Haunted Lands lets you play as five different characters, each with their own unique abilities. There’s a lightning-spitting sorceress, a burly blue werewolf who rips enemies apart with his claws, and more.

And when I say “rips enemies apart,” I mean it literally. The demo I played was shockingly gory for an 8-bit-style game. Zombies explode into chunky gibs, cultists are split in half, and floating cat-blobs with snake-tongues are torn to shreds. It’s a level of reactivity that I wasn’t expecting, and it helps breathe new life into a genre that can sometimes feel a bit stale.

A Power Curve That Packs a Punch

But Haunted Lands isn’t just about mindless violence—it also promises a significant power curve for its playable characters. As you progress through the game, you’ll be able to acquire artifacts that will “change your character’s skills entirely.” This adds a layer of depth and strategy that was largely absent from the original Dangerous Dave games.

The Steam page also hints at a variety of environments to explore, from haunted mansions to dark forests and beyond. It’s clear that Alevgor has put a lot of thought into creating a game that feels both nostalgic and fresh at the same time.

A Resurgence of Id’s Early History

Haunted Lands isn’t the only example of id Software’s early history being dredged up recently. To celebrate Wolfenstein 3D’s 35th anniversary, John Romero brought together the studio’s four founders to discuss the making of Catacomb 3D, the game that preceded Wolfenstein. Incredibly, Catacomb wasn’t even id’s first FPS—that honor goes to Hovertank 3D. It’s a reminder that the history of id Software is far more complex and fascinating than most people realize.

A Must-Play for Retro Gaming Fans

If you’re a fan of retro gaming, Haunted Lands is a must-play. It’s a love letter to a forgotten era of gaming, and it’s clear that Alevgor has put his heart and soul into creating something special. With its gory violence, unique characters, and deep gameplay, Haunted Lands is a game that’s sure to please both old-school gamers and newcomers alike.

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Haunted Lands releases in full on March 10. Will you be picking it up? Let us know in the comments below! 🎮👻

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