I definitely pushed through it quickly, but I can see another couple of playthroughs in my future looking for secrets.
It is short, but wow, it was really good. I had some of that vibe that was in that Halo 2 trailer that was lost in the fullgame, don’t know how to define it. Really looking forward to the full game (and hoping it wont let down like the aforementioned example).
Headshots are very rewarding, even in 1995 when they weren’t invented yet.
Digital Foundry’s latest “retro” episode is an interview with Voidpoint programmer Evan Ramos and Frederik Schreiber, founder of Interceptor Entertainment and now VP at 3D Realms, discussing Ion Maiden.
Interesting and informative. Amazing to hear how much work went into this project.
Also, I was pretty stoked when they started talking about the physical boxed version they will be putting out.
Trailer misspells imposter
Yeah, the limited physical release sounds really cool, and I like that’s becoming a niche purchase option now for certain digital games. I know back when Triptych Games reached the alpha milestone for Duke Nukem Forever in 2010, before Gearbox were involved and 2K were still suing 3D Realms, there were plans for people to buy direct from the team and watch a livestream of the developers personally packing the boxes together for a limited "curio"run, which would’ve probably been the best possible ending for such a troubled project.
Back in 2001, 3D Realms did a similar, albeit more primitive, thing with the first round of pre-orders for Max Payne.
In other 3D Realms-related news, 2018’s probably going to be the year when people will get to see the Unreal Engine 1-era builds of DNF. Gearbox is working out a licence with 2K to release everything in the Duke Nukem series in a complete package. Randy chats about it a bit in his weekly radio show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3873&v=VFKBbr3xcFs
OMFG! Why did this not get released back in the day? That looked cool as fuck!
I’m sure this was probably heavily reported on, and I probably even read the articles, but I don’t recall that trailer.
Reminds me of when I first saw that first Prey 2 trailer here a while back. I had never seen it, and was blown away.
Either these trailers are really deceiving, or someone high up was making seriously bad decisions.
That would be most excellent.
Voidpoint’s releasing a survival mode next week.
Daddy likes.
The update with the survival mode is out now, Brian! :)
I really like how they’ve designed the enemies in this one. They over-emphasize how much they get locked into the direction they’re about to shoot, which encourages you to dodge. Their health feels about right too given the enemy count.
It all feels refreshing after playing Doom 4 last year. It’s still a Build engine game though. Nothing can top the feel of Doom. Hah!
Finally got around to checking out that history link. I love stuff like this (photographic history), and I wish more companies did things like that.
OMG. That’s Keith Schuler, the creator of one of my favorite games from that era, “Realms Of Chaos”.
Thanks for sharing the impressions, TimJames! Here’s a cool comparison point that demonstrates how ambitious the Voidpoint level designs can be when using improved Build tools versus what was possible in 1996.
This is a snapshot of Hollywood Holocaust loaded in their editor:
Here’s the first level for Ion Maiden:
That’s awesome! Schuler’s currently a game design director at Gearbox (probably heading up Borderlands 3). I had only followed his excellent level design work in shooters and didn’t know about the stuff he did before he joined 3DR. I love the atmosphere of those 90s PC platformers!
The game’s been officially delayed to Q1. It was going to be ready by Q4, but the developers knew they would get killed if they released then.
Since it’s trying to recreate the 1990s, there’s also a limited big box edition for people who like knick knacks.
Pity it is delayed. I am really looking forward to it.
Technically they’ll get killed in Q1 as well.
I was thinking something like that, a game that caters to old school fps fans seems to be something that specific (and fairly unique) that it shouldn’t be influenced by having the competition of BF, CoD or whatever.
Release it on February 22nd with everything else.
Hopefully they’ll be able to release a Switch port, something the team has been discussing, day-and-date with the PC version leaving Early Access.
Published by 1C, Ion Maiden’s coming to all the consoles, Switch, Xbox One, and PS4, in Q2, 2019. The publisher’s also backing a Quake 1-engine project by 3D Realms.
3D Realms and 1C Entertainment Bring Ion Maiden to Consoles Q2 2019
Joining Forces for Both Ion Maiden and an Unannounced FPS Based on the Original Quake Engine
DALLAS, TX – October 23, 2018 – 3D Realms, the developer of classic first-person shooters including Duke Nukem and Shadow Warrior, will collaborate with global PC and console publisher 1C Entertainment to bring Ion Maiden to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Q2 2019, in addition to the previously announced Steam release. Both companies will also collaborate on a new unannounced FPS based on the original Quake engine coming to all the same platforms as Ion Maiden.
Ion Maiden’s exclusive multi-hour preview campaign is available on Steam Early Access for $19.99 in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Russian. The retro first-person shooter developed in the Build engine, which powered Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, and Shadow Warrior, will simultaneously release on all platforms Q2 2019 in both digital and physical formats. In this prequel to 2016’s Bombshell, Shelly has to take down transhumanist mastermind Dr. Jadus Heskel.
While Ion Maiden utilizes a classic engine, Early Access players have still found the modern staples they’ve come to expect, including headshots, more physics and interactivity, widescreen support, controller support and auto-saves. 3D Realms and 1C Entertainment are taking the best of both worlds and cooking it all into a bloody stew.
1C Entertainment is responsible for the popular RTS series Men of War, the fantasy tactical role-playing games King’s Bounty, and World War II flight simulator series IL-2 Sturmovik. Collaborating with 3D Realms promises to bring both teams’ creative powers together and deliver the high-quality content gamers know both companies for.
“Presenting games like Ion Maiden to all of 3D Realms’ fans is our number one priority,” said Mike Nielsen, CEO of 3D Realms. “Partnering with 1C Entertainment means we can make our dedicated community happier by bringing Shelly to consoles.”
“I was always a fan of the old-school classic FPS titles Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, Max Payne and Shadow Warrior, so I am super thrilled to partner with a legendary studio such as 3D Realms,” said Nikolay Baryshnikov, CEO of 1C Entertainment. “As a global publisher, our goal is to bring top-quality titles to all the gamers around the world, and our cooperation with 3D Realms is a great addition to our portfolio. For me personally, it’s a kid’s dream come true.”