Ion Fury

Ion Fury is an old-school shooting fan's dream. All of the mechanics are intact, from non-regenerative health to the ability to carry a full arsenal of weapons, and the level design feels intuitive and encourages exploration without needing waypoints. Some of the new mechanics fit in well, but a few, like the need to reload, only increase the difficulty on a tough game. Seeing all of this done on a decades-old engine is enough to convince you of the versatility of those old FPS engines. Unless you hate the old FPS style, Ion Fury is a must-have for your gaming library.

Ion Fury was an absolute treat to play and truly felt like I was reliving my teenage years again. The action is non-stop through a vast campaign with a nice assortment of weapons at your disposal. The game is loaded with secrets such as handy item drops and amusing easter eggs. While it’s a shame the game didn’t launch with multiplayer, we’re told it’s being developed and will be added later. I was disappointed that controller support was a bit lacking and the lack of Steam Achievements was a downer. With that said, the game delivers where it counts. Ion Fury is an excellent homage to classic ’90s first-person shooters like Blood, Shadow Warrior, and Duke Nukem 3D.

Ion Fury may look like it plays it safe, but it delivers an exemplary first-person shooter that's better than many of the games that inspired it. Genre fans will be missing out if they choose to pass this one up.

Even among its retro FPS peers, 3D Realms has put out a best-in-class experience that rivals anything released this year. The fact that such a game can come after the character’s inauspicious debut in Bombshell makes it all the more miraculous.

A nostalgic '90s throwback that's challenging, funny, cleverly designed, and shockingly attractive both despite and because of its ancient engine, which enables gigantic levels packed with detail.

The pitch-perfect movement, the enemy variety, creative weaponry, and fantastic level design all add up to a superb shooter campaign. In a sea of retro shooters looking to channel the glory of the genre’s early days, Ion Fury emerges as the title that pushes those thrills into the present in an engaging way, deftly capturing their timelessness.

Ion Fury is one of the best fps old style of this generation, a perfect choice for the old gamers.

Quotation forthcoming.

In Ion Fury there are no fancy cutscenes and QTEs, health regeneration or skill trees, just good, old, balls-to-the-wall action. If you have enjoyed games such as Duke Nukem 3D, Blood or Shadow Warrior, then you'll have a blast with this game too.

Ion Fury is a love letter to 90s shooters, especially addressed to Duke Nukem 3D. A well written love letter, although it could have been more varied in some parts.

As long as you know what your’e getting into with Ion Fury, there’s not a whole bad that I can say about it. There is some repetition and a little bit of button-hunting and I didn’t care for some of the raw simplicity of some of the bosses, but all in all, I had a great time. So I think it’s fair to say that with Ion Fury, you really get what you probably came for — an old school FPS experience with a few modern refinements that make it a standout game. That goes for both for genre newcomers as well as veterans looking for a blast of nostalgia. Plus, with the budget price of $25, it makes it very affordable.

Great and fun homage to the retro shooters from the 90s

A very well-made, entertaining throwback shooter with some useful quality of life improvements, but nothing you didn't see 20 years ago.

I went into Ion Fury not expecting much from it, but after finishing the game, I can easily say I bloody loved my time spent with Shelly. Voidpoint has managed to bring to life a retro shooter that takes a beloved style and rigorously craft something so spot-on, so perfectly 90s, but doing so without hampering the experience. The superb and frantic action, well-thought level design and brutal weaponry all play a part in coming together to offer a joyous single player campaign.

There are not a lot of flaws in Ion Fury, but it is hard to not compare the game to its Build Engine predecessors. The game definitely succeeds in carrying the torch from the Duke series, and little details like ultrawide monitor support and a jazzy soundtrack will go a long way to winning players over.

If you like old-school shooters, you can’t miss this one. It’s the true successor of Duke Nukem, and even with its flaws, it’s an absolute blast.

It's brutal, lightning-fast, and always putting fun before anything else.

Even alongside other recent, excellent retro FPSes, Ion Fury reminds us of how much this period of PC gaming has to offer. It's surely the best thing that's ever happened in the Build Engine, and although limitations of enemy and weapon design reveal themselves over time, the swift movement and sleek maps make Ion Fury a worthy indulgence in the past.

3DRealms' return to the Build engine almost twenty years later proves they can still punch with the best of them. A masterfully crafted work of sound and fury this game never once ceases to entertain but can at times feel a little less imaginative than it could be. If only it had as much fun with itself as we had playing it.

Ion Fury is a faithful homage to the most popular arcade shooters presenting the same fun gunplay with some hidden secrets to discover.

Ion Fury knows what it wants to be: A satisfying romp through the past, emboldened by the future and metal to the max.

In this modern era where almost every shooter has convoluted skill trees, shared multiplayer worlds, and a bolted-on battle royale mode, Ion Fury is a welcome return to a far simpler brand of first-person run ‘n’ gun action. But although it’s a frenetic, fun, occasionally frustrating yet inarguably authentic throwback to Duke Nukem 3D, it ultimately hails to the king without making a strong enough effort to dethrone him.

Ion Fury is like receiving another chapter of Doom or Duke Nukem 3D, with all of the limitations that brings with it. Ion Fury doesn't revolutionize the genre, nor is it attempting to, as the game accomplishes what it set out to be - a new title that uses an old fashioned style that might not be to everyone's tastes, but is still a lot of fun to play.

For better and worse, a near perfect replication of mid-90s first person shooters, that makes you wistful for the old days… and secretly glad things have moved on in the meantime.

Ion Fury is the ultimate retro first-person shooter that feels authentic because of its use of the ancient game engine Build. While it comes with certain limitations, it feel modern enough to be both playable and enjoyable by a 2019 audience. No story, no cutscenes – just shoot whatever moves and find hidden levers and keycards. Love it or hate it, Ion Fury brings back a certain 90s nostalgia reminiscent of Duke Nukem 3D.

It does not want to be a modern shooter, of course, but a little more depth would not have hurt.

Ion Fury is flawed, but there’s plenty of gruesome fun to be had here, more so if you’ve got fond memories of 90s shooters. If Voidpoint/3D Realms can tighten up the game for an expansion pack or a sequel, I’d definitely be up for more Bombshell. Just don’t expect this outing to blow you away all the time.