Ion Fury (previously Ion Maiden) is true example of how you really don’t need to push graphics ever closer to realism to achieve something ridiculously good.
Developed by Voidpoint and 3D Realms, using the Build game engine which powered some other classics like Duke Nukem 3D, Blood and Shadow Warrior it released recently with same-day Linux support showing others how it’s done. While it’s retro in many ways, there is of course a vast amount of modern touches like improved physics and map interactions, auto-saves, being able to actually do a headshot, higher resolution support and so on.
Here’s the thing, I grew up with games like Duke and I’ve seen gaming progress from the Amiga to where we are now. There came a point, where I grew massively tired of retro-inspired flashbacks and in some ways I am still tired of it. However, Ion Fury is a very different sort of brew. The best thing about Ion Fury is that it might seem like other classics but it has a different and refreshing feel to it.
Much like the inspirations it’s fast, in your face loud and explosive and a ride that just doesn’t stop at any moment to let you get off. Rushing through it probably isn’t a great idea though, Ion Fury does reward those who do a little exploration with more health, ammo, armour and some fun little secrets.
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The trouble is, while I just mentioned not to rush, it's damn hard not to just run around blasting everything in sight.
Each weapon feels like it actually has a purpose, unlike some shooters where you just constantly look for ammo for one particular piece. Get in close with the shotgun and do some serious in your face damage for a brute that requires it, use Loverboy’s alternative fire when faced with those pesky jumping spider-faces or toss a couple of grenades when you get them to group up to create a hilarious meat grinder. I'm completely torn on what weapon is my favourite! Although the double SMG is quite satisfying, especially when it sets enemies on fire.
It honestly has some of the most satisfying run and gun action I’ve seen for a long time. Despite the retro look, the weapons really do feel amazing. There's also some fantastic music, some amusing one-liners although they don't always work and enemies that will keep you on your toes.
As far as I am concerned, the game is fantastic. It’s so ridiculously entertaining it’s crazy. For a throwback, it's close to perfection in my eyes. If you’re a fan of first-person shooters, you need this. If we can get more developers making games like this again on Linux, I will be extremely happy.
What's really missing though is multiplayer, it would have been an incredibly fun addition to the game. It's planned but they're not giving out dates on when we can expect it to arrive.
You can pick it up on GOG and Steam.
However, it’s pretty unfortunate that I have to mention this and I feel I need to so you’re fully informed: Voidpoint have been embroiled in some controversy recently, after ResetEra dug up some old statements members of their team made in Discord, plus an issue in the game itself. I was sent the statement Voidpoint made, which I will quote in full below:
"Members of Voidpoint’s Ion Fury team have made sexist and transphobic comments, and included homophobic language in Ion Fury.
We recognize these statements are insensitive, unacceptable, and counterproductive to causes of equality. We unequivocally apologize both for these comments and language as well as for any pain they have caused the gaming community, particularly women and members of the LGBTQ community. We take full responsibility for any damage that has been done to the relationships we've worked so hard to build.
Moving forward, we at Voidpoint will institute a zero-tolerance policy for this type of language and all employees and contractors will undergo mandatory sensitivity training. As part of our efforts to contribute to the work that must be done to further support these communities, we are donating $10,000 from Ion Fury's release day proceeds to The Trevor Project. We are also patching Ion Fury ASAP to remove all unacceptable language."
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Really, really bad, cliché one-liners that people around her can't stand any longer.
She thus still being a maiden, because, well, who would want to stick he... WITH her for too long.
And so yes, she is full of fury.
I bet that at the end of the game, since she behaved in such a manly manner, she will be 'rescued' by a latent gay version of Duke.
When watching some of the gameplay videos, I couldn't stop thinking about the whole thing. It was generally disturbing so I stopped.
Quoting: robvvQuoteWe are also patching Ion Fury ASAP to remove all unacceptable language.
I've played through the EA release, though I haven't yet fired up the completed game. Makes me wonder what the above statement refers to as I wasn't aware of any particularly insensitive language within the game?
Here is some info about this thing.
Quoting: amkYeah, one has to sympathize with this poor girl's motives.
Really, really bad, cliché one-liners that people around her can't stand any longer.
She thus still being a maiden, because, well, who would want to stick he... WITH her for too long.
And so yes, she is full of fury.
I bet that at the end of the game, since she behaved in such a manly manner, she will be 'rescued' by a latent gay version of Duke.
When watching some of the gameplay videos, I couldn't stop thinking about the whole thing. It was generally disturbing so I stopped.
What the flipping heck are you going on about and how is it in any way related to the story?
Quoting: LonsforOh, I see. Sorry, I think you just ran afoul of Poe's Law, my friend.Quoting: Purple Library GuyQuoting: LonsforThey targeted gamers.I disagree with your negative stereotype of gamers as assholes with no values except contrariness and competition.
Gamers.
We're a group of people who will sit for hours, days, even weeks on end performing some of the hardest, most mentally demanding tasks. Over, and over, and over all for nothing more than a little digital token saying we did.
We'll punish our selfs doing things others would consider torture, because we think it's fun.
We'll spend most if not all of our free time min maxing the stats of a fictional character all to draw out a single extra point of damage per second.
Many of us have made careers out of doing just these things: slogging through the grind, all day, the same quests over and over, hundreds of times to the point where we know evety little detail such that some have attained such gamer nirvana that they can literally play these games blindfolded.
Do these people have any idea how many controllers have been smashed, systems over heated, disks and carts destroyed 8n frustration? All to latter be referred to as bragging rights?
These people honestly think this is a battle they can win? They take our media? We're already building a new one without them. They take our devs? Gamers aren't shy about throwing their money else where, or even making the games our selves. They think calling us racist, mysoginistic, rape apologists is going to change us? We've been called worse things by prepubescent 10 year olds with a shitty head set. They picked a fight against a group that's already grown desensitized to their strategies and methods. Who enjoy the battle of attrition they've threatened us with. Who take it as a challange when they tell us we no longer matter. Our obsession with proving we can after being told we can't is so deeply ingrained from years of dealing with big brothers/sisters and friends laughing at how pathetic we used to be that proving you people wrong has become a very real need; a honed reflex.
Gamers are competative, hard core, by nature. We love a challange. The worst thing you did in all of this was to challange us. You're not special, you're not original, you're not the first; this is just another boss fight.
its a copypasta, is supposed to be ironic.
Not only is this clearly labeled as an opinion I also think it is a very sensible one.
This transphile has gone too far, kids are asked about it before they really know who they are. There are kids which receive hormone treatment because their parents think they are trans.
IMO this causes more harm then good: 'real' trans people (sadly) have a high suicide rate of > 40%, with or without treatment!
As for the devs caving in, censoring their staff and changing the game because some people got 'offended':
get woke, go broke!
Just say something along the lines of "This is an opinion of one of our employees. We cannot and will not control their opinions and thus have no comment on the matter."
Quoting: gabberTerminx said:"if you're trying to decide your child is trans at birth you have mental problems and probably shouldn't be a parent imo".Which transphile is that? I've only seen the screenshots, so it's unclear whether anyone was actually suggesting any such thing. Since some of the other screenshots showed the guy totally ascribing ideas and motivations to "SJW" that as far as I can tell pretty much none of them actually hold, it would not surprise me if the guy had just made that up as a stick to beat pro-trans people with, rather than responding to anyone actually doing that. Anyone know how this came to be said in the first place?
Not only is this clearly labeled as an opinion I also think it is a very sensible one.
This transphile has gone too far
Quote, kids are asked about it before they really know who they are. There are kids which receive hormone treatment because their parents think they are trans.No they don't. This looked really weird to me and sure enough, a quick google makes it obvious this is a ridiculous statistic. Trans people do have significantly higher rates of thinking about and attempting suicide than other people, probably of committing suicide as well. It's hard to be sure because whether people who commit suicide are trans doesn't normally get recorded. But in any case even rates of attempting suicide don't come close to 40%.
IMO this causes more harm then good: 'real' trans people (sadly) have a high suicide rate of > 40%, with or without treatment!
QuoteAs for the devs caving in, censoring their staff and changing the game because some people got 'offended':So, what, you're suggesting boycotts of people who fail to be homophobic?
get woke, go broke!
QuoteJust say something along the lines of "This is an opinion of one of our employees. We cannot and will not control their opinions and thus have no comment on the matter."I actually have some sympathy for this position.
But why do I get the feeling that if the game said something rude about white males or some other group you're actually a member of or care about, you'd be near the front of the line calling for their heads?
Luke_Nukem Aug 23, 2019
- People stating they'll buy the game because of transphobic stuff
- People stating they'll refund because of the apology
And the people doing the most damage and having the most over-the-top reaction isn't trans-folks at all. It's non-trans knuckleheads.
Get a fucking grip y'all.
PS: The game is darn good! Playing it with the software renderer is like a blast from the past.
Quoting: GuestThe devs cave in and capitulated to demands.
Apologized to something entirely uncontroversial, proceeds went to ideological institution, adopted 1984 style employee behavior classes and, as a cherry on top, they will be censoring content (OGAY soap is gone...oh the humanity! it has the word "GAY") and removing it post consumer purchase.
As i dont respect any of these decision, much less removing content from an already finished and published game, i wont be acquiring the product as it is.
I may consider purchase when its dirt cheap. For anyone interested you can pirate this game easily (as the devs stated on twitter) as its less than 100 MB and it works well with eduke32.
Cheers and don't support censorship please. Thank you.
Fully agree. I returned my copy because of this crap.
Quoting: TheSHEEEPQuoting: SamsaiNo, those two things are not necessarily anti-trans ("fagbag" probably still isn't nice though), but the whole anti-trans stuff happened on the Discord chat, not in in-game textures.So what?
If people don't like what a developer has to say in their free time or don't agree with their opinion, they are free to not support this developer. I sure don't buy games from developers who I do not want to support.
But what happened here was the typical Twitter hatemob forming, demanding blood. And - even worse - the publisher/developer actually listened to that mob instead of listening to the people who bought their game and supported them.
It's quite a miracle no dev got fired over this as a pawn sacrifice - yet.
I mean, yeah, people can decide they don't want to support a developer because of their views. That's what happened, people decided they didn't want to support the game because of the comments some of the developers made, they just also happened to share with other people why they decided not to support the developers. All the things you've said here can easily be applied to the hatemob that formed when VoidPoint decided to apologize.
Also, you seem to be operating under the assumption that the people who expressed disappointment in the devs were some kind of outsiders who should be totally ignored when it comes to any complaints they might have. I was disappointed in how they handled things and I've owned a copy of Ion Fury pretty much since they released a Linux version in Early Access. Plenty of the people participating in the so-called hatemob had bought copies or at least had been considering buying it.
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