WRATH: Aeon of Ruin is one of those first for me. The game I’ve not touched before. Also, the first topic of its kind (rise, fall and rise again of a studio). And of course the future of that studio, and what it has to offer to the fans.
Sounds good to me. And yes. It does sound like a challenge. But….
First and foremost let me back up a little. Although I mentioned that I’ve not written about the rise and fall of gaming studios, it’s kinda not true. At the end of last year, I did write about Data East’s downfall, and if you’re looking for a nice throwback, here it is. That was a great article for me and I cherished every moment of the writing process. However, I am excited about WRATH: Aeon of Ruin. And about 3D Realms. The other topic in this article. One might say that it’s the star of this article, but I’ll leave you to be the judge of that.
First and foremost I’m all about WRATH: Aeon of Ruin here. But, I think an explanation of the game is in order beforehand.
What’s It All About You Might Ask?
Developed by KillPixel and published by 3D Realms and Fulqrum Publishing (former 1C Online Games ltd). WRATH: Aeon of Ruin is a first-person shooter still currently in Early Access. It’s also built on a modified version of the Quake engine. Which makes it the first major game release on that engine in nearly 20 years. I’ll get to the engine itself. And 3D Realms as well. Those topics will come later. First and foremost let me just mention this. You are Outlander in this game. Once adrift upon the Ageless Sea. You now find yourself on the shores of a dying world. From the consuming darkness emerges a figure cloaked in white. To the Shepherd of Wayward Souls, who burden you with the task of hunting down the remaining Guardians of the Old World. You must journey into the vast gloom to explore ancient ruins. And discover forgotten secrets and battle the horrors that lurk within.
WRATH: Aeon of Ruin is of course one of IndieGala’s most beloved games. And yes. You should try it out.
No… Seriously… What’s So Special About WRATH: Aeon of Ruin?
You are Outlander in WRATH: Aeon of Ruin. Once adrift upon the Ageless Sea, you now find yourself on the shores of a dying world. From the consuming darkness emerges a figure cloaked in white. The Shepherd of Wayward Souls, who burdens you with the task of hunting down the remaining Guardians of the Old World. So, you must journey into the vast gloom to explore ancient ruins. And discover forgotten secrets and battle the horrors that lurk within.
But at the same time, it’s available for purchase here at IndieGala. Check it out.
Fueled by legendary Quake 1 technology, the veins of WRATH pump with the DNA of revered ’90s shooters. Not to mention, WRATH embraces the timeless elements of classic titles. Such as DOOM (franchise that I covered before), QUAKE, DUKE NUKEM 3D, BLOOD, UNREAL and HEXEN. And carries them into the 21st century. It’s not to be missed for sure.
Equipped with weapons of exceptional might and an inventory of powerful artifacts, you must traverse ancient crypts, sunken ruins, corrupted temples and howling forests to bring death to your enemies. But do not underestimate your adversaries, for they are great in power and number. Your mind must be as sharp as your blade if you hope to survive the dangers ahead.
And here are some of the best Steam User comments about it
*Degrezet says: This is one of the best examples of how to do proper classic FPS in 2021.
– using 90’s engine
– pushing it to the limit with visuals
– keep retro style and gameplay
– tweak it with something fresh and fun
– omg it’s too fun tbh
*While Anarki adds: Shooting feels perfect. Throwback to quake and doom from our childhoods.
WRATH: Aeon of Ruin And The Cool Quake Engine
Yup. Told ya we’d get to the Quake engine. Granted the game is built on a modified version of the Quake engine but it’s still the good old engine. But at the same time, the game engine was developed by id Software to power their 1996 video game Quake. And since then it’s been used on plenty of other great games. Games such as Quake Mission Pack No. 1: Scourge of Armagon and Quake Mission Pack No. 2: Dissolution of Eternity. Both of them were published by 3D Realms of course. Then there’s Quantum Axcess’s Malice and Valu Soft’s Laser Arena game. Not to forget Team Xonotic’s 2011 game Xonotic and yes. Wrath: Aeon of Ruin.
The Quake engine, like the Doom engine, used Binary space partitioning (BSP) to optimize the world rendering. The Quake engine also used Gouraud shading for moving objects, and a static lightmap for non-moving objects.
But what makes WRATH so special? Besides the modified version of the Quake? First and foremost, it continues in the tradition of 1990s first-person shooters like Doom, Blood, Hexen, and Quake. Both thematically and in terms of fast-paced combat, but WRATH adds light role-playing elements. Players can collect items and skills to upgrade the Outlander’s abilities. Which aid in exploration as well as combat.
And What About 3D Realms?
The story behind 3D Realms is a fascinating one frankly. It’s a video game publisher (based in Denmark) that after falling on hard times is having a small renaissance. In recent times that is. But Scott Miller founded the company in his parents’ home in Garland, Texas (US) in 1987 as Apogee Software Productions. I order to release his game Kingdom of Kroz. 3D Realms was created in 1994 for the 3D game Terminal Velocity and was responsible for the latest installments of the successful Duke Nukem games.
And for producing the Max Payne series as well. But after a period of success, the early 2000s marked the beginning of the struggles for the company. More specifically after the development hell for the Prey and Duke Nukem Forever games. They were constantly delayed to the point of causing fan frustration. From 2009 to 2014 3D Realms laid off significant portions of its staff and underwent a corporate restructure. The company was also involved in a bunch of lawsuits, but at the start of 2014, the company got new owners.
On March 2, 2014, SDN Invest (the part-owner of Interceptor Entertainment) had acquired 3D Realms and the company started the work on new games. Such as Bombshell, Ion Maiden (prequel to Bombshell) and Shadow Stalkers. 3D Realms also announced Graven as a spiritual successor to Hexen II and the company announced new ownership yet again. Just last month, Embracer Group announced that they acquired the company through Saber Interactive.
WRATH: Aeon of Ruin And Games Of The Future
Wrath: Aeon of Ruin is not the only game to see the light of the day actually. There’s a nice lineup of upcoming games from 3d Realms that are expecting releases. And yes, the time frame on those goes all the way up to 2022. Which ones are on the list you might ask? Kingpin: Life of Crime is a new release of course. A remastered version of the game, titled Kingpin: Reloaded and the fans are excited about this one I’m sure.
Core Decay is also on the agenda for 2021. An indie first-person action RPG that takes inspiration from classic 1990’s shooter’s Descent, Deus Ex and System Shock. SiN: Reloaded (another remastered version) uses Quake engine as well, and it has a 2021 release. And so does Rise of The Triad Remastered. I can’t forget about Graven here. The dark fantasy first-person shooter which I mentioned earlier. And yes. Cultic and Combustion. Two games that also have the 2022 release date pinned on them. Which ones are you most excited about? Let us know in the comment section. We’d love to know all about them.
How Do You Like WRATH: Aeon of Ruin?
Let us know in the comment section. We’d love to hear your opinion of it. What did you love the most about the game?
