Diluvian Ultra - Weird SF Boomer Shooter

[toughasnails]

So this is coming out today, after being in development for quite a while. Like Fortune's Run, it's another FPS with Metal hurlant-esque vibe to the world and character designs, altho this is a very different beast both visually and gameplay-wise. Seems like it turned out pretty well.

Become the immortal warrior-prince Atilla, awakened after millenia in deep space by an impudent invasion of your tomb-ship. Pick up your blood-sword and investigate - are these intruders the old enemies from your past, or as yet unknown foes to conquer? No matter, they have rooted themselves into the ship and defiled all that is sacred to you with their foul presence. It is time to drive them out into the void and save your people.

Awaken prince, and carve a red ruin!

Diluvian Ultra: Chapter One includes 10 levels + a hub, 6 different weapons with 30 different upgrades and 13 enemy types.

Further chapters continuing Atilla’s story as well as expanding his arsenal and the roster of enemies to obliterate will be released as paid DLCs at a future date.

Strategic combat​

Diluvian Ultra’s combat is built around a dual-damage system where you have to combine weapons to be effective. Armour absorbs damage, but some weapons are designed to quickly strip it off your targets - unable to kill them, but exposing them for a single lethal blow. You have to be careful though, as enemies will mix their attacks in the same way. Collect and consume blood to upgrade your weapons and pick up various power-ups at the opportune moment, to become vengeance incarnate - if only for a while!

Keep it moving​

Surviving in Diluvian Ultra is all about mobility. Dodge enemy fire while you chain together ranged attacks with close combat blows and devastating ground slams. Double-jump, dash, find cover and even deflect projectiles with your sword, but never stay in one place for too long!

Organic philosophy​

Your spaceship home is a living combination of flesh and stone, and so it is with your arsenal of weapons; use both traditional Tech weapons as well as grotesque, living Organic armaments, and don’t forget to take good care of your closest companion, your sentient Squire Gun, Bella.

Epic story​

Diluvian Ultra may be an over the top retro FPS filled with frenetic action, but all that carnage is set on a background of an epic, tragic story tackling the themes of fanaticism, trauma, betrayal and hope for redemption, playing out in neo-gothic architectural set pieces and immense, cathedral-like spaceships.

 

[Fedora Master]

Fucking tired of 2.5 boomer shooters with rough pixel art

 

[toughasnails]

I think it looks fine, honestly. Visually, it reminds me of Valfaris, really solid action platformers from some years ago, albeit seen from the first person.

 

[hajro]

Dread Templar was great so im expecting incline or else

 

[HeyCheckOutHowHardICanPee]

Diluvian Ultra’s combat is built around a dual-damage system where you have to combine weapons to be effective.

This always turns out to be a bad shitty gimmick with no inherent fun value.
A good chunk of your arsenal serves the role of a can opener just because the developers couldn't figure out a way to make you want to use the majority of your weapons at hand.

 

[Ash]

Genuine question: can ANY of these boomer shooter revivals stand toe-to-toe with the 90s classics, let alone surpass them? I mean this game it is already looking like clear no (terrible art, dual damage system wtf that's dumb), but what of the others?

 

[JarlFrank]

Genuine question: can ANY of these boomer shooter revivals stand toe-to-toe with the 90s classics, let alone surpass them? I mean this game it is already looking like clear no (terrible art, dual damage system wtf that's dumb), but of the others?

Nothing surpasses Quake.

 

[Ash]

Yeah yeah I know how much you love Quake. I was more asking if anything even meets 90s standards at all, any of the many classics that are still peak of the genre today. Doesn't seem like it.

Said it before, will say it again: Quake was lazy. Less guns. Less monsters. Less animation frames (of the guns). Less music tracks. Less powerups. Remove interact button. Remove the map. It just so happens that despite the decline, it did turn out very, very good. Romero and the other level designers I give most credit to, as well as the simple inclusion of a jump button to the doom formula. "Design is law". No wonder Romero fucked off after, and is partly responsible for Deus Ex happening.

There is most certainly beauty in Quake's simplicity, everything mostly works perfectly in cohesion (except nightmare difficulty being thoroughly lackluster, except enemies landing on your head instantly killing you, constant weapon auto-switching and plenty other bugs I fixed, except half the weapons being redundant in many contexts), but I just expect more, and hold them to a higher standard. A standard set by playing all other legendary 90s games including their own Doom.

It's in my top ten FPS for sure, but not my #1. That is probably is Doom or Nukem 3D for me. Though I've since played the shit out of Quake thoroughly addicted, but only thanks to my mod and those it is built upon (which adds more content bringing things back to Doom standards e.g berserk pack is back and adds a lot of meaningful depth. More enemies etc) + all the cool user maps. the base game is a classic but isn't greater than the other 90s kings. Sorry bro.

 

[hajro]

I liked Ion Maiden, Supplice has some really interesting ideas but is in EA. Hedon has pea shooter guns but plays with maze map design. Turbo Overkills ACT2 is Hyperborean.

 

[Ash]

Firstly, "liked", yeah all the modern boomer shooters look likable to some degree, they are focused on gameplay and the doom formula afterall...but do they even meet old standards is the question. Just look at this game's art. Clearly doesn't meet old standards. Ion Maiden I've not played in full so take this with a giant handful of salt but from what I've seen and heard: boring protagonist, lacking the charm of Duke/Wang/Caleb. Level design theming doesn't diversify enough like the old games. Removed inventory system staple of the build games including awesome shit like jetpacks. Lackluster enemy design, few enemy types and apparently they're stupid too.
= not meeting build engine holy trinity standards. Could perhaps be supplemented by adding something new in all this stuff's place, but Ion maiden didn't. Oh, it had a higher level of detail to the level design, totally important stuff

Secondly, one must have played all/most the 90s greats to have the full understanding for comparison. Yes, even the console shooters e.g Doom 64, Turok 1 & 2, Alien Trilogy, Disruptor etc.

 

[JarlFrank]

Ion Fury is good because it rests on the shoulders of giants (Build engine). My favorite of the nu-oldschool FPS.

 

[Ash]

Please elaborate. without all the jerking sessions to shelly's feet clouding your judgement. Maybe I'll play it through in full.

Duke 3D, Shadow Warrior and Blood are among my absolute favorites, are very high quality and innovative games, and I have little faith in modern devs so I am not hopeful.

 

[Freedos]

It depens. For example, I consider Ion Fury a nice game, but not like the Build Trinity, I agree. But Northern Journey can't compare with the classics...because it's so unique in its own way. Overload is a worthy Descent spiritual successor. And Arthurian Legends is like Witchaven... but in (very) good.

 

[Ash]

Ah yes, I forgot Overload. Awesome game. Probably the singular outlier, though meeting Descent standards is much easier than meeting Build Engine standards to be fair.

 

[Lemming42]

Ion Fury is great, definitely the best of the throwback shooters. It's deliberately trying to be distinct from the 90s Build games, which I think is part of the reason for its success when compared with many other boomer shooters which try to ape 90s games but end up worse in every regard. You get big open outdoor levels, the special ability of the pistol that lets you line up multiple kills, and other things you wouldn't really have seen in the likes of Duke/Blood. The only real weakness of Ion Fury is that the visuals start to blur together after a while because you're in the same city for the whole thing, but you do end up in some underground labs and such.

HROT is the only other throwback FPS I have any real regard for but it's similarly not really trying to emulate 90s design philosophies, it's just doing something quite bizarre.

Other than that: Hands of Necromancy is worth a look if you like Hexen, since it basically is just Hexen.

Amid Evil is alright, it's pretty middling. I liked it more than DUSK, which I thought was kind of shit.

Fortune's Run looks like it's going to be good, but it's also entering three years of early access hell.

I also like Ashes 2063, a free game for GZDoom. Feels a lot like the Build games.

 

[Ash]

Ashes Afterglow is the best shooter in decades, but it's a Doom mod. Which makes it even more embarrassing that the pros charging a premium and backed by a budget can't deliver.

Hexen is early decline.

Also, still waiting for examples of Ion Fury merit. One weapons' auto-aim alt fire mode is not it.

Shadow Warrior had some big-ish open outdoor levels, thankfully not too big, open nor too numerous. Big open outdoor level are usually shit, rarely lend themselves well to engaging gameplay.

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

Doom and Quake are shit. Level up and play shooters for adults, like Operation Flashpoint, Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight, Half Life, Metro Exodus.

 

[luj1]

You are shit

 

[Great Deceiver]

Genuine question: can ANY of these boomer shooter revivals stand toe-to-toe with the 90s classics, let alone surpass them? I mean this game it is already looking like clear no (terrible art, dual damage system wtf that's dumb), but what of the others?

My favourite is Amid Evil by far. I think it's at least as good as the first Heretic, which is the game it most obviously apes.

 

[Ash]

Doom and Quake are shit. Level up and play shooters for adults, like Operation Flashpoint, Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight, Half Life, Metro Exodus.

You do realize those games are measurably less complex (gameplay-wise), mentally demanding and hardcore, right? You are making a fool of yourself.
I mean, something like Half-Life has potential to be truly among the greats...if only the level design wasn't on a rail all the time, and realism didn't take too much precedence over gameplay. It's still a classic but it is no Doom and Quake. Doom and Quake do not excessively bind realism to game design, so for example you can place any number and combination of enemies absolutely anywhere, and result in vastly different and more complex combat encounters every single room. Half-Life on the other hand binds much of its game design to realism, and while that makes sense for what it is trying to be, it is detrimental to what can truly be achieved with gameplay. Though they still made good effort and some concessions which is appreciated and what so many realism retardation modern games fail to follow. Realism obsession is one of the biggest factors killing game design in the modern era, and I hope you realize you are a declined realism fag (I've noticed a trend).

Genuine question: can ANY of these boomer shooter revivals stand toe-to-toe with the 90s classics, let alone surpass them? I mean this game it is already looking like clear no (terrible art, dual damage system wtf that's dumb), but what of the others?

My favourite is Amid Evil by far. I think it's at least as good as the first Heretic, which is the game it most obviously apes.

Thanks. This was my suspicion, that it was one of the few worthy. I have been waiting for it to go cheap in the sales.

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

Doom and Quake are shit. Level up and play shooters for adults, like Operation Flashpoint, Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight, Half Life, Metro Exodus.

You do realize those games are measurably less complex (gameplay-wise), mentally demanding and hardcore, right? You are making a fool of yourself.
I mean, something like Half-Life has potential to be truly among the greats...if only the level design wasn't on a rail all the time, and realism didn't take too much precedence over gameplay. It's still a classic but it is no Doom and Quake. Doom and Quake do not excessively bind realism to game design, so for example you can place any number and combination of enemies absolutely anywhere, and result in vastly different and more complex combat encounters every single room. Half-Life on the other hand binds much of its game design to realism, and while that makes sense for what it is trying to be, it is detrimental to what can truly be achieved with gameplay. Though they still made good effort and some concessions which is appreciated and what so many realism retardation modern games fail to follow. Realism obsession is one of the biggest factors killing game design in the modern era, and I hope you realize you are a declined realism fag (I've noticed a trend).

What kind of drugs are you on, bro? Doom and Quake are games where you run around and endlessly point and shoot, or jump and point and shoot... It's the kind of gameplay only someone with double digit IQ could appreciate. Meanwhile, the realistic aspects of combat in OFP, the vehicles, the different roles DWARF the childish shit of Doom/Quake.

 

[Be Kind Rewind]

Fortune's Run looks like it's going to be good, but it's also entering three years of early access hell.

It IS good. I'd already put the EA version up there with Ion Fury, towering about all the other retroshooters. I actually strongly dislike the level approach in Ion Fury, there was nothing wrong with the tight level design of the original Build games but developers and modders alike seem to not understand that more is not always better and that the ideal 2.5D shooter map size is beaten within minutes, after which you move on to the next one. Even when you have many of the same developers of the original games like with the Thief games the retards went for the big city hub in Deadly Shadows instead of sticking to fully separated mission which will always be superior.

Nobody talks about WRATH anymore after the project died, but it had the same problem, and apparently since it was in the Quake engine it helped fuck the entire project.

Ion Fury also has the problem of not having a trashy film genre to steal material from, Duke Nukem was a homage to action flicks, Blood to horror, Shadow Warrior to all the martial arts films. What was Ion Fury a homage to? Despite not having as much personality as the old Build games and the bloated levels that stretch across loading screens it's still one of the best games around since it nails everything else, partly thanks to the engine, but people that ascribe everything good about the game to the engine must not have played games like Redneck Rampage or NAM, you can easily make garbage with the engine.

 

[Ash]

Doom and Quake are shit. Level up and play shooters for adults, like Operation Flashpoint, Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight, Half Life, Metro Exodus.

You do realize those games are measurably less complex (gameplay-wise), mentally demanding and hardcore, right? You are making a fool of yourself.
I mean, something like Half-Life has potential to be truly among the greats...if only the level design wasn't on a rail all the time, and realism didn't take too much precedence over gameplay. It's still a classic but it is no Doom and Quake. Doom and Quake do not excessively bind realism to game design, so for example you can place any number and combination of enemies absolutely anywhere, and result in vastly different and more complex combat encounters every single room. Half-Life on the other hand binds much of its game design to realism, and while that makes sense for what it is trying to be, it is detrimental to what can truly be achieved with gameplay. Though they still made good effort and some concessions which is appreciated and what so many realism retardation modern games fail to follow. Realism obsession is one of the biggest factors killing game design in the modern era, and I hope you realize you are a declined realism fag (I've noticed a trend).

What kind of drugs are you on, bro? Doom and Quake are games where you run around and endlessly point and shoot, or jump and point and shoot... It's the kind of gameplay only someone with double digit IQ could appreciate. Meanwhile, the realistic aspects of combat in OFP, the vehicles, the different roles DWARF the childish shit of Doom/Quake.

I think you played the game on "Daddy, Can I play?". Silly Realismfag.

 

[Jenkem]

Seems they are going the Cultic model of just fully releasing Episode 1 as a standalone and forgoing early access? I do kind of like this but not sure on how these two should proceed.. Have they said anything about an Ep 2 and will it be another standalone or DLC?

 

[toughasnails]

Yeah, it's pretty much the same model as Cultic. Future chapters/episodes will be standalones.