WRATH: Aeon of Ruin - new Quake engine game from 3D Realms

[soulburner]

Pretty excited about the centered weapon models ^_^

 

[Boleskine]

https://steamcommunity.com/games/1000410/announcements/detail/1694980058737193755

Content Update #1 is NOW LIVE!

Greetings mortal. Are you ready to die?

No more waiting around, WRATH Content Update #1 is NOW LIVE!

• 1 new map for you to explore
  
• 1 new artifact for you to use
  
• 1 new foe for you to slay
  
• and much more...

Full changelog:

NEW CONTENT

• 1 new level, The Gardens
  
• 1 new enemy, The Wretch
  
• 1 new artifact, Confounding Attar
  
• Updated enemy encounters in The Undercrofts and The Mire

GENERAL

• Added support for 4096x2160 resolution
  
• Added UI mouse sensitivity option
  
• Added framerate cap options

BUG FIXES

• Fixed player only being able to carry one coffer key at a time
  
• Fixed player being able to shoot while journal is open
  
• Fixed some user settings not saving when game is closed
  
• Fixed bad texture filtering name
  
• Fixed Drowner's Apparatus overlay camera clipping and z-fighting
  
• Fixed items dropped by enemies getting stuck in walls and surrounding geometry
  
• Fixed items sometimes not coming out of coffers at the correct angles
  
• Fixed invader attacking even though view to player is blocked
  
• Misc fixes

GAMEPLAY

• Improved enemy AI
  
• Added a "load menu" bound to F3 by default
  
• Player momentum now slows gradually when crouching
  
• Decoupled Shrines and Soul Tethers. The prevents situations where the player will lose a Shrine save by returning to a Soul Tether placed before the time the Shrine was activiated.

PREVIEW OF CHANGES COMING IN FUTURE PATCHES AND/OR CONTENT UPDATES IN ADDITION TO SCHEDULED CONTENT

• Further improved enemy AI
  
• Add date and time information to saved game menu
  
• Overhaul Coach Gun alt-fire
  
• Overhaul Fang Spitter alt-fire
  
• Overhaul Item pickup sounds
  
• Tweak the Executioner to be more manageable
  
• Add option for screen flash when picking up items
  
• Improve feedback of artifacts via screen elements and sound
  
• Performance improvements and optimizations
  
• UI scaling improvements
  
• Create Cyst pickup models that are distinct from Cyst projectiles for greater clarity
  
• Expand support for various display resolutions

 

[luj1]

Oh, so this is out? I should probably wait for a few more patches.

 

[Ivan]

Oh, so this is out? I should probably wait for a few more patches.

No, it's still early access. This isn't post-release DLC or anything. I'd encourage you to wait until full release

 

[Durandal]

Even on the hardest difficulty and hardest configuration, the new level in a nutshell is:

Open spaces galore that make dodging enemy projectiles a breeze, the run 'n gun sections inbetween the 'real' fights take waaaaay too long, and there's still too many encounters you can just popamole your way through instead of enemies posing a time-sensitive threat and having a chance at intruding your personal space. If there's any AI improvements, I don't see it, because the level geometry allowed me to abuse several angles where I could hit enemies without them being able to do anything about it (in particular the Afflicted on the spiral staircase with the Shrine at the bottom). This level in particular likes placing those flying grunts way high up to make you look up 80 degrees, which I like to see more of since vertical aiming is terra incognita in boomer shooters. Only in this case it's also an act of self-sabotage, because the projectiles the flying grunts fire will take forever to reach me because of how high up they are, meaning as long as I keep moving I can ignore them while I deal with the groundpounders first.

FWIW, compared to the previous levels this one's the best, and the final encounter of this level is the only one in the game so far I'd call any good since it finally shows the balls to go full Plutonia at you (not with the hitscanners, I mean). There's even one where it spawns an Executioner in your face and locks the door behind you if you try to backpedal like a little bitch. I loved it (if it weren't for the fact that Executioners are broken in that it's very inconsistent to avoid their attacks). There was also the one encounter where it just makes one of the Stricken crash through a bridge and have it block the exit while another Stricken and those tanky three-faced Cacodemons come in. This was a good one because you couldn't hump a corner and popamole with the shotgun like you could with 80% of the other encounters in the level, and if you try to escape forwards you will only find more enemies to deal with.

The new Wretched are basically the flying projectile-spitting grunts but on two legs and with a faster rate of fire. The Wretched do fill in a much needed role for open-space combat that the Afflicted with their weak-ass boogers couldn't hope to. They also have one of the lulziest death animations of any FPS enemy, where on being killed they will either vomit a zillion projectiles in the sky before exploding, or their gibbed torso will spin around like crazy constantly spitting projectiles in three directions until it finally dies out. It adds some chaos into fights which I don't disapprove of. Apparently you can shoot it to make it stop spinning, or you can kick the torso into a group of enemies to have it damage everyone there.

There's also a bug that makes the Stricken essentially dash around levels and make them move faster in ways they're not supposed to. I'm currently pleading in the Discord to have this be repurposed as a proper feature. Would love to have a heavy enemy with some actual mobility.

 

[Melan]

I quite liked the new level. Playing on Outlander, it is properly challenging - perhaps it is not enough if you are some FPS demigod, but it is good for the rest of us. There were some tight situations in the level which required a bunch of tries to get through. The new enemies are a good addition to the roster, with a rapid-fire projectile that keeps you engaged. The level design was also good - definitely better than the catacombs, and somewhat above the swamp (where I didn't much like the treehouse sections). Except getting that first chest key in the central hub; awkward.

 

[Kruno]

Playing on Outlander, it is properly challenging

https://steamcommunity.com/app/1000410/discussions/0/1746772308316638235/

 

[Infinitron]

Delayed to February 25th, 2021:



https://store.steampowered.com/newshub/app/1000410/view/2208399306478623300

Content Update #2 is NOW LIVE and we've got a release date!
Mark 25th of February 2021 in your calendar!

Oh yeah, it's finally here! The second major content update arrived and adds plenty new to sink your teeth into.


Also, we've got a release date for the full release! Mark February 25, 2021 in your calendars!

But wait, there's more! Pre-orders for the for Founder’s Edition Big Box just started! With only 500 copies in production, these will not remain available for long. This pre-order page includes a real-time counter denoting how many copies remain. Each includes:

• Limited Founders Edition Big Box
• Wrath: Aeon of Ruin on CD-ROM
• "The Art of Wrath" Art Book
• Original Soundtrack by Andrew Hulshult
• USB drive loaded with exclusive digital content
• 5 Metal Enemy Figurines
• Reversible Poster
• Exclusive Stickers

Boys, grab your double barrel, it's time to get back to it...

Spoiler

Full changelog:

Please note, that your old save files won't be compatible with the newest update.

Additions

• Added new level “The Priory”
  
• Added new enemy “The Oppressor”
  
• Added new weapon “The Slag Cannon”
  
• Added new item “The Sigil of Flight”
  
• Added SDL2 version of game client
  
• Added a cumulative damage system to enemy pain states
  
• Added option for screen flash when picking up items
  
• Added refresh rate options
  
• Added “Always Run” option
  
• Added “Toggle Run” option

Bug Fixes

• Fixed corrupted UVs on the Shotgun Shells, Invader arm blade and Heretic gibs that occur with recent nvidia drivers
  
• Fixed bug that caused some Afflicted to become immortal, spam attacks and/or cause massive frame rate drops (RIP Jib)
  
• Fixed speedy Stricken
  
• Fixed bug that caused view tint to persist when loading a game after dying under water
  
• Fixed items flying out of Coffers at incorrect angles

Weapon & Enemy Balance

• Increased Coach Gun primary and secondary fire damage and changed secondary fire from hitscan to richochetting projectiles
  
• Decreased Shotgun secondary fire damage
  
• Increased Retcher impact damage, AOE damage and splash radius
  
• Increased Fang Spitter primary and secondary fire damage
  
• Enemy warp invulnerability frames decreased from 10 to 3
  
• Reduced Executioner charge duration
  
• Reduced Heretic chase duration
  
• The Wretch’s spinning explosive head occurs less often

Misc

• Improved weapon position and animations for “centered weapons” setting
  
• Improved enemy pathing system
  
• Optimized assets and compressed game files into archives
  
• Increased the responsiveness of player movement
  
• Improved Artifact menu mouse input
  
• Changed lava to look more like lava and less like pizza
  
• Changes some asset colors that were not within palette
  
• Added prompt for F3 Load Menu
  
• Removed feature that uninstalls the game when attempting to play on easy

 

[Morpheus Kitami]

I hope they're also going to do a non-limited big box. Ion Fury's big box was pretty sweet, even if it was an oversized monstrosity.

 

[Melan]

There has been a definite improvement with the recent updates. First things first, the new level, The Priory, is YUGE, complicated and difficult. Save items are scarce (maybe too scarce on the top difficulty), and the opponents are effectively placed together to cause harm to the player. There is a good flow to the map, with plenty of stuff to explore, great setpiece battles, and it looks excellent. I concur with the people (elsewhere) who have concluded this must be one of Skacky's levels - his architectural style is stamped over it. It is also cool the how level seems to have been inspired by NecroVisioN, the coolest of the late 2000s B-shooters.

Spoiler

Specifically, how it suddenly opens up into a vast underground realm with flight and vast cavernous spaces is very NecroVisioN in both themes and the way it suddenly turns into another level.

More than that, the general experience has been improving as well. Earlier levels have received a facelift - the empty catacombs play much better now, and are a lot less monotonous - but more importantly, the growing enemy/weapon roster has transformed the action from fairly meh to something more enjoyable and high-powered. Earlier, I said I was "not feeling the monsters yet" - with the last two updates, there has been a lot of positive change in this area. Enemies now have proper functions in gameplay, from rapid-fire troopers to the beholder thingies which are fond of rushing you, to the turret-like blob throwers, and the screaming things which come in larger numbers. Those useless zombies are ratcheted back to a low-level nuisance. But it is also a matter of more guns and ammo; the designers have finally figured out that a shooter is fun if you have things to shoot, and things to shoot at.

All in all, this is inclining.

 

[Ghulgothas]

"Big Content Surprise"
Sounds Delicious!

 

[urmom]

I haven't played any Quake scene WADs so this game is much nostalgia.

 

[Curratum]

I haven't played any Quake scene WADs so this game is much nostalgia.

Shamefully, there are multiple Quake 1 map packs and mods that are a lot better than this, even if some of the devs of Wrath worked on them, but somehow went "meh, this is a job now" and Wrath came out less inspired.

 

[geno]

I think the the big content is a multiplayer test. What else can it be, since it's just a couple of days?

 

[Curratum]

I think the the big content is a multiplayer test. What else can it be, since it's just a couple of days?

It's not a surprise when you have multiplayer on the roadmap already.

 

[Curratum]

Booted up the game again, didn't play either of the two content updates.

The new Outlander difficulty mode actually makes the game fun, who would have thought! Had a blast playing through one of the new levels, then I died 2/3 in and I hadn't saved anywhere so yeah! :D

 

[geno]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1000410/view/4837394059008945125

Important Early Access Announcement and Teaser!
Hello WRATH Supporters!

Our team has been hard at work on WRATH: Aeon of Ruin during this difficult year. We know we have been quiet during the past few months, but we are excited to return with good news. We are back and ready to support the third content update for Early Access in January. We wanted to hit December 22, but some of our team fell ill to Covid-19, and we wanted to take extra time to make this new update extraordinary. Moreover, in order to make WRATH the best we can, we are moving the 1.0 launch into Summer 2021. We will announce a more specific, definitive date early next year.

We apologize for the delay, but we know that you will love what we have to offer with WRATH’s future.

Happy Holidays to all of you! Till the next time, you can enjoy these teaser screenshots of the new map!

 

[Curratum]

Very disappointing, given that when the game went up on Steam as EAccess they said they planned the full release for mid-2020.

I don't mean to be some sort of horrible cunt and I hope everyone recovered fully from the disease but you can't blame an illness that lasts a month at worst for a six-month delay. The project is obviously very badly managed, which is why it's late, but hey, at least Skacky might have more free time for the Black Parade.

I also kinda wish the new map didn't look almost exactly like one of the maps on day1 of early access but it is what it is.

 

[Hobo Elf]

Covid seems like a convinient excuse for what is indeed likely a mismanaged project. The new screenshots don't really inspire confidence in me and look all too samey with what I already played a year ago. Refunding the game still seems to have been the correct action on my part. It doesn't seem like this game is gonna deliver.

 

[soulburner]

People said Quake 1 used the same color palette being brown and green everywhere, but Wrath looks, at least so far, to be pure gray with a little of shit-brown - and Quake looks exceptionally colorful in comparison.

 

[Curratum]

People said Quake 1 used the same color palette being brown and green everywhere, but Wrath looks, at least so far, to be pure gray with a little of shit-brown - and Quake looks exceptionally colorful in comparison.

I don't even mind the colors, I like my retro shooters being all drab and brown, it's that the levels need to be good.

 

[luj1]

Level design notwithstanding, they had a chance to make it interesting with the weapons and enemies. Doesn't look like they innovated anywhere, it's shameful.

 

[Riskbreaker]

Wrath looks, at least so far, to be pure gray with a little of shit-brown

The palette is subdued, yes, but this is utter nonsense. It just doesn't connect with anything anyone can see while playing this for oneself.

 

[Curratum]

Level design notwithstanding, they had a chance to make it interesting with the weapons and enemies. Doesn't look like they innovated anywhere, it's shameful.

The last thing we need is people trying to reinvent the wheel. I can't think of an instance over the past decade where a retro shooter tried to be "fresh" and "innovative" with its enemy and weapon designs and didn't suck because of it.

You just don't fix what's not broken.

 

[ironmask]

Every time I watch gameplay videos for arcane dimensions, the quality blows me away. Then I look at wrath and think to myself. "Is this really made by the same people?". Even the newest levels released for AD a few months looks like they had more thought put into them.