Wrath: Aeon of Ruin review

Back in 2019 Killpixel and Slipgate Ironworks started work on a throwback FPS game, with a decently meaty early access version that gave a tantalizing taste of what would come. Well, since then it's been a somewhat long-ass wait but Wrath: Aeon of Ruin is finally finished and released. Developed over the span of nearly 5 years by Slipgate Ironworks upon the framework of the venerable Darkplaces engine based on the source code from the original version of Quake, Wrath really feels like a hearty callback to the early glory days of the FPS genre.

The Darkplaces engine definitely has the proper Quake look and feel, though it is capable of far more fancy effects and mapping techniques than the original 1996 vanilla Quake engine ever was. Even with all the extra engine modernizations though Wrath still has the heart and soul of Quake, and really feels like it was torn out of the late 90s and plunked down here in 2024. It just captures that certain zoomy feeling of momentum that Quake was famous for IMO. It's totally satisfying, and really effectively scratches the 90s boomer shooter itch.

The enemy design is varied and impressive, though a few more types would have been nice. The weapons feel really beefy and have satisfying alt-fire modes, even the first gun you find packs a massive punch, and don't get me started on the fangspitter, that thing is an ammo chewing beast that can rip through nearly anything. The gunplay is very satisfying and requires you to quickly switch between weapons to dispense the appropriate firepower to dispatch the foe currently in your crosshairs. 

Level design in Wrath is IMO very good, the exploration feels satisfying to me, and it has an excellent sense of scale and verticality, with a decent amount of secrets to find. The only complaint I really have is the save system is rather weird, relying on main checkpoints called shrines, and single-use quicksave markers called soul tethers. Although you can activate infinite soul tethers, it still feels a bit odd, but it does work in the end.

At the end of the say, Wrath: Aeon of Ruin is an impressive entry in it's genre, and manages to stand out well enough from the competition. In my humble opinion it was definitely worth the wait, and I certainly hope that there will be more someday. It's certainly nice to see games using the original Quake engine, and forks thereof. I highly recommend Wrath to anyone who has a taste for such things.