This was a remaster I was greatly looking forward to, as I've become quite a fan of retro/boomer shooters over the past few years, and Rise of the Triad, a pretty notable game within the retro shooter sphere, has pretty much 0 good source ports anywhere to be seen. And while the job of remastering this game was handled pretty elegantly and as best it could be, the game itself doesn't holdThis was a remaster I was greatly looking forward to, as I've become quite a fan of retro/boomer shooters over the past few years, and Rise of the Triad, a pretty notable game within the retro shooter sphere, has pretty much 0 good source ports anywhere to be seen. And while the job of remastering this game was handled pretty elegantly and as best it could be, the game itself doesn't hold up really well, methinks.
Difficulty in this game is lopsided and all over the place. Certain joke levels can be pitifully easy, or in the case of many of the late-game stages they can be outright mazes with zero fun factor in exploring. To put it lightly, many of ROTT's levels feel like what people who don't play retro shooters stereotype retro shooter levels as looking like in terms of mazey design and with how many player unfriendly traps there are riddled throughout. Many of the levels also feel quite claustrophobic despite the capabilities of the engine it's running on. Combat itself is monotonous and boring, with the starting pistols being useless and obsolete the mere second you find the MP40, and most of the enemies are just hitscanners which makes for unfun and samey combat throughout much of the game. And, on that topic, the weapon balance in this game is frankly kinda **** As said already, the pistols are rendered pointless the second you get the MP40, which has got infinite ammo, no reloading, nothing, just a constant stream of bullets as long as you hold down the fire button. This is fine, but it also happens to be a peashooter, which makes taking down many enemies with it a time sink. The game also has a limited arsenal with the final weapon slot at any time being reserved for an explosive weapon, many of which kind of blend together. There's also the Excalibat I guess, but it's a pretty worthless weapon with too long of a charge-up time to warrant using constantly. Or ever, really. TL;DR, the level design is tedious and the combat is also that.
The game has some quirky charm and legitimately good ideas despite all my gripes, such as numerous playable characters with different stats and benefits/drawbacks, allowing anyone to find a playstyle they prefer, ranging from glass cannon with high speed with Lorelei or slow-moving tank such as Doug. There's also powerups like God Mode or Dog Mode, the second of which being a favorite for how dumb it is. Some other minor stuff adds to the charm, but having charm doesn't curb all of the complaints I've made about the game whatsoever.
In terms of stuff the remaster itself brings to the table, well, it's all pretty superfluous unless you enjoy the game already, but if you happen to, then hey, new level editor, soundtrack options, 4K support, the works. Nightdive has done a better job remastering this game than Apogee did making a fun game to begin with, frankly.
All-in-all, Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition is a well-made remaster of a game that has aged like milk regardless of it being remastered. So much of this game feels like it's trial and error or requires a guide to complete with its player traps and obtuse maze-like core design philosophy. Combat becomes monotonous after a short while and is largely imbalanced. I even got softlocked in the second level and had to blow myself up with a nuke because I got stuck underneath an enemy falling on top of me in a corner. ROTT is a game I admire from a distance for its ambition and quirky/zany personality, but not much more. It's very much "of its time".… Expand
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