WRATH: Aeon of Ruin – PAX East Preview

Few memories can hold as much nostalgia as the memories of playing the classic 90s shooters. KillPixel and 3D Realms have cooked up something that pays respects to the greats, but also blazes its own path. WRATH: Aeon of Ruin is as beautiful as it is brutal.

What would a shooter be without its guns? Luckily for us, Wrath doesn’t need to ask that question. There are guns galore. The developers have put forth nine deadly weapons for you to have at your disposal.

The weapons not only felt unique and different, but they each had two fire modes for you to utilize. The single shot pistol, for example, could have a shotgun type blast that was able to take down multiple enemies standing in close proximity. Truthfully, there are only nine weapons in game, but we suspect the multi-fire modes will actual make it feel more like eighteen weapons in the end. Our favorite weapon so far was one that got us up close and personal with our foes. The melee blade’s alternate fire had us dashing through enemies at an alarming rate. Aim carefully and watch the limb of your choice go flying.

The stunning visuals aren’t all this game has to offer. There are over a dozen eerie landscapes to explore and many “secrets” to unlock. Our time with the game had us only unlock one of these “secrets” and it was satisfying and rewarding as well. All of the maps were hand crafted and make for a less procedural gameplay experience. Everything from the sound design of the guns to the monster noises really add to the unsettling atmosphere.

We had the pleasure of playing this game on PC this time around, but are very keen on the idea of it coming to the Nintendo Switch. Wrath is set to launch summer 2019 on Mac and PC. Even though the console versions don’t launch until 2020, we think no matter how you play it will be well worth the wait.