Ion Fury

I bought Ion Fury during the "shampoo bottle" controversy---and am very happy to have done so. The premises are all there: BUILD engine, a female protagonist who could be Duke Nukem's sister, big bad weapons (the three-barreled revolver Loverboy is iconic) and LOTS of enemies. The result is a hilariously frantic, and frantically hilarious, game packed with action and disseminated with secrets to discover. The Linux version is a most welcome addition. With so many modern FPS sporting hyper-detailed graphics and alien-like artificial intelligence, this is one which is _enjoyable_ to play. In a sense, it is a return to the origins---and a great one at that.

Some madmen decided to create a game using "Build" engine in 2018. They made FPS that is better than many modern shooters. Respect.

If you're a fan of classic 2.5D FPS games, this game is for you. Tons of fun, and so far halfway in the higher skill levels feel punishing but fair. Really seems to push the BUILD engine to its limits and feels true to the classics while still having lots of character of its own. I really enjoy the arsenal, the movement, the one-liners, the level design, everything. Easily fits into a library next to Shadow Warrior, Duke 3D, Blood etc. I've had some technical issues using the software renderer at times (it seems to work fine if I switch to it in game, but not when I try to launch into it), but I've found that the OpenGL renderer performs well and still manages to look fairly authentic. Honestly, more fun than a lot of full price AAA titles I've bought lately.

Awesome game! What's more to be said that hasn't already been said? Absolutely wonderful experience on the venerable BUILD engine by Ken Silverman. An homage to some of the best retro FPS from the 90's like Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior and Blood: One Unit Whole. I'm almost finished (Zone 6, Act 2) with the game but decided to post a review now because I'm really frickin' psyched by what I've played so far. PROS: Gorgeous level design that really pushes the limits of what I thought was possible on the BUILD engine. Really an impressive feat technically. Kickass cyberpunk theme throughout the game. I was disappointed at first that the arsenal isn't as over-the-top as DN3D, Shadow Warrior or Blood, but I've grown fond of the in-game weapons and they really work well with the game play. Shelly "Bombshell" Harrison is an well-done protagonist who fits in quite nicely with Duke Nukem, Lo Wang and Caleb. Hail to the Queen baby! I don't care about the drama either way but I have to give the developers credit for the balls it took to keep intact Gaming's Most Offensive Skin Care Product without censorship. I'm bi myself, so I can understand where the complaints are coming from, but don't really think it's offensive but rather it gave me a chuckle when I spotted it in-game lol. CON: The ONLY complaint i have with this game is that almost half the levels have a very similar-ish underground sewers/industrial complex/laboratory/base kind of theme. They're all well-designed, mind you, but wish there was more variety. I would give this game 4.5 stars if I could based on the singular demerit of spending around half the levels underground which gets irksome and monotonous but I can't. So, between a 4-star and 5-star rating, I'm enjoying this game too freakin' much to rate it only 4 stars. Most fun I've had playing a new game in a LONG time so 5-stars it is.

This game really reminds me of simpler more fun times. Duke Nukem 3D is not my cup of tea due to the gameplay and level design but Blood is the best old school shooter imo. Duke 3D is the first game that introduced real interactivity in maps like light switches and licking power outlets. The fact Ion Fury is actually a greatly optimized game is a wonder. A love letter to the best times. I prefer Blood, Serious Sam , Dusk but not Amid Evil (disliked the weapon selection in AE). The fact this game has a lot of references to games and TV / film, plays in the Duke3D world (?) and has some Blade Runner feels and is part of the top 3 best video game weapon selection imo with Blood, Dusk and this game is impressive. I directly tried this game on my 1920x1440p (4:3) CRT in 800x600 @160 Hz. The smoothness and playablilty shows the developers choose the right map size. I rather play 738p @138Hz to see more of the world. Dozens of secrets to discover. Big worlds with Half-Life - like level transitions, many fake 3D objects like levers which move fluently. A soundtrack which pumps YOU up and one of the best weapon sounds ever. Shotgun ranking: Serious Sam 1 and HD, Dusk and Ion Fury are on the same level for sounding full and scary. AI has it's distinct altert stages and warns players when they are going to shoot. Weapons have their purpose even when the game don't offer Halo and Serious Sam level of varriety of weapons which greatly impacts usefulness of weapons. The game seems to prefer tactical gameplay over just punishing hard hitting enemies compared to Doom and RCW Wolfenstein. Hitboxes seem little off. I only know Blood's auto aim and have not played the megaton edition of Duke3D in years. Doing head shots is difficult sometimes and foes hit you when their sprite is actually half hidden. Movement is fluid as expected. I always find modern games awkward. All in all a perfect game for it's genre.