Ion Fury

Ion Fury is a high-energy, action-packed retro ride with great gameplay, level design, visuals and audio. It's a reminder that great old-school design is forever.

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Ion Fury is a fast-paced, old-school first-person shooter set in a cyberpunk world. Play as Shelly "Bombshell" Harrison, a hard-nosed detective, as you take down Dr. Hana Toshiro and her nefarious organization. With a wide array of weapons and enemies, Ion Fury delivers a pulse-pounding, nostalgic experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 8,283 reviews

gameplay439 positive mentions

grinding62 negative mentions

Incredible level design with a lot of detail and secrets to discover.
Satisfying gunplay with a variety of weapons that feel impactful.
A fun and nostalgic experience that captures the essence of classic '90s shooters.

Some levels can feel repetitive and overly long, especially in the latter half of the game.
Enemy variety is somewhat lacking, leading to encounters feeling stale over time.
The final boss fight is underwhelming and can feel tedious compared to the rest of the game.

gameplay
1,089 mentions
40 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of *Ion Fury* is a nostalgic homage to classic first-person shooters, featuring fast-paced, run-and-gun mechanics that are both engaging and satisfying. Players appreciate the intricate level design filled with secrets and environmental puzzles, although some criticize the enemy variety and repetitive gameplay elements. Overall, the game successfully blends retro aesthetics with modern mechanics, delivering a polished experience that appeals to fans of the genre.
- “Each stage is filled with cleverly placed enemies, traps, and environmental puzzles that keep gameplay dynamic and engaging.”
- “The gameplay feels great, and the maps are well-designed, packed with secrets and easter eggs.”
- “It captures the essence of classic FPS gameplay with its fast-paced action, intricate level designs, and satisfying gunplay while still managing to feel modern at the same time.”
- “Unfortunately, this game stays old school to the point its gameplay feels dated in the same way many 90s games do now.”
- “But the enemies, weapons, gameplay... just not worth dealing with.”
- “The core gameplay isn't fun enough to keep playing.”
music
1,007 mentions
54 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music in "Ion Fury" is widely praised for its standout quality, featuring a pulsating, synth-heavy soundtrack that enhances the game's frenetic gameplay and immersive atmosphere. Composed by Jarkko Rotsten, the soundtrack is noted for its nostalgic 90s vibe, with many players enjoying its catchy and energetic tracks that complement the action. While some find the music repetitive or less fitting in certain contexts, the overall consensus is that it significantly contributes to the game's appeal and is worth listening to outside of gameplay.
- “Additionally, the game’s soundtrack is a standout feature, with a pulsating, synth-heavy score that perfectly complements the frenetic gameplay.”
- “The music enhances the atmosphere and immerses players in the action, making every encounter feel exhilarating.”
- “The soundtrack is particularly awesome, thumping synthwave beats with an unreal vibe to them.”
- “Cons: music is meh.”
- “I wish I could say more about the audio and the music tracks, but I really don't remember anything standing out.”
- “The soundtrack on the other hand, I don't quite like.. so I muted it.”
graphics
938 mentions
49 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Ion Fury" are widely praised for their retro aesthetic, effectively utilizing a 2.5D engine reminiscent of classic titles like Duke Nukem 3D. Reviewers highlight the game's vibrant pixel art, detailed environments, and impressive lighting effects, which enhance the overall experience despite some noting that the visuals may feel dated to modern players. While the graphics successfully evoke nostalgia for fans of old-school shooters, opinions vary on their appeal, with some appreciating the charm and others finding them lacking in variety and depth.
- “One of the most striking aspects of Ion Fury is its art style.”
- “The game employs a beautifully crafted retro aesthetic, utilizing a 2.5D engine that harkens back to classics like Duke Nukem 3D and Shadow Warrior.”
- “The visuals, lighting, and resolution all make up for an immersive game that feels like they wanted the engine to keep its uniqueness while upgrading it.”
- “Because the graphics are what most players would consider to be dated these days, Ion Fury is not for everyone.”
- “The art style is rather ugly in my opinion; the world feels like a big blob of generally quite bland colors that aren't very satisfying to look at.”
- “The graphics are bad, not in a charming retro way, just bad.”
story
468 mentions
19 % positive mentions
73 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The story in "Ion Fury" is generally considered minimal and generic, serving primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a focal point. Players control Shelly "Bombshell" Harrison, who battles the antagonist Dr. Heskal and his cybernetic army in a cyberpunk setting, but many reviews note that the narrative lacks depth and character development. While some appreciate the nostalgic, straightforward approach typical of retro shooters, others express disappointment over the underdeveloped plot and unmemorable characters.
- “Amazing story, characters, and humor.”
- “As with most of these throwback shooters, the story is mostly a framework, but the banter and barb-trading between Shelly and the villainous Heskal as you blast your way through his cult army is amusing enough, as are most of Shelly's deliberately-dated references and quips.”
- “The story is simple, Shelly Harrison is caught in a firestorm when Dr. Jadus Heskal (voiced by Jon St. John), a transhumanist cult leader unleashes his army of cybernetically-enhanced soldiers loose on the city of Neo D.C.”
- “The plot is practically nonexistent (and what is there is as generic as it gets) and I found myself just blasting through the levels for the sake of getting through the game rather than feeling genuine interest in the world or characters.”
- “The story is where this game falls a bit flat.”
- “The actual story and characters are painfully generic.”
humor
358 mentions
97 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The humor in "Ion Fury" is a mix of nostalgic references and lowbrow jokes, reminiscent of classic '90s shooters like Duke Nukem. While some players appreciate the cheesy one-liners and pop culture nods, others find the humor outdated or lacking in originality, with critiques pointing to a reliance on clichés and a less engaging protagonist. Overall, the game's comedic elements are polarizing, appealing to fans of retro humor while leaving some players wanting more depth and creativity.
- “Ion Fury has it all: hot babe protagonist, funny one-liners, great level design, killer soundtrack, and best of all, the combat feels phenomenal!”
- “The game also has a great sense of humor; I found myself smiling at several points at some of the secret signs and one-liners, even some meta-humor in the menus was enough to get a chuckle out of me.”
- “Filled to the brim with hilarious easter eggs and badass carnage, you'll never find a moment here in boredom.”
- “She can't go a single room without making a profoundly unfunny one-liner or making a ham-fisted reference, or just being all around cringy.”
- “Prepare to spout off dozens of extremely grating and unfunny one-liners until the player discovers the 'silent protagonist' option in settings.”
- “If they want to have an unfunny joke in their game, fine... but making a joke out of a sexuality in its entirety reeks of immaturity.”
optimization
230 mentions
18 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players experiencing significant performance issues, particularly during intense scenes or boss fights. While some users report smooth gameplay on modern hardware, others highlight severe frame drops and stuttering, suggesting that the outdated engine struggles to handle the game's demands. Recent updates have improved performance for some, but many still recommend caution, as optimization remains a work in progress.
- “It's also very clear the game looks like it has received deluxe 'Nightdive' treatment: full support for modern systems, snappy controls, configurability, stability, performance, and quality of life improvements - in other words, the works.”
- “This game is packed, it's optimized as hell, and the gameplay is so tightly designed this game has earned its rightful spot among the greats.”
- “Despite the fact that the early access campaign is very short and it has performance issues, I still highly recommend any fan of the classic build engine games from the 90s to go ahead and buy Ion Maiden and support the developers.”
- “The biggest problem with the game by far is the performance.”
- “Now, something that is absolutely worth mentioning is that this is easily the worst optimized game on Steam.”
- “There is no getting around the fact that this game is extremely poorly optimized, which showcases in the fact that it will run worse when you are outside and it's seemingly trying to display buildings on a system that doesn't have any kind of distance rendering.”
atmosphere
138 mentions
52 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive cyberpunk aesthetic, enhanced by a strong soundtrack and detailed level design that evokes nostalgia for classic 90s shooters. Players appreciate the blend of grungy environments, humor, and engaging gameplay, although some note that certain levels can feel monotonous. Overall, the game successfully captures a retro vibe while delivering a unique and vibrant atmosphere that keeps players engaged.
- “The atmosphere is great, the level design is some of the best I've ever seen, and it absolutely oozes attitude.”
- “The dripping wet neo-noir atmosphere paints a grim picture for our protagonist, Shelly 'Bombshell' Harrison.”
- “The atmosphere helps keep you engaged.”
- “Talking about atmosphere: there is none in this game.”
- “This game is mediocre: 90% of level design is dull (with some bright moments), enemies are dull (except some of them), there is no plot or atmosphere.”
- “Despite the cyberpunk aesthetic, the game lacks atmosphere and that spark of creativity.”
grinding
66 mentions
3 % positive mentions
3 % neutral mentions
94 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly during boss fights and certain level designs that feel uninspired and repetitive. While the weapon variety and exploration can be enjoyable, the lengthy nature of the game and some monotonous enemy encounters detract from the experience, leading to a sense of frustration and a desire for the game to conclude. Many recommend playing in shorter sessions to mitigate the tedium.
- “Difficulty is spot on; on the second hardest difficulty, you are really incentivized to explore in order to stock up on more armor, health, and ammo, but it's not tedious or frustrating to find side areas and hidden items.”
- “The end result was a lot of very tedious wandering through unpopulated maps.”
- “This game became so tedious it hurts.”
- “Unfortunately it's hamstrung by poor and tedious gameplay.”
stability
64 mentions
28 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
72 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and freezes, particularly during gameplay sessions. While some users experienced no significant issues and praised its performance on Linux, others noted frustrating glitches that impacted their experience, such as buggy mechanics and save system problems. Overall, the game appears to be enjoyable but marred by stability concerns that detract from its potential.
- “The gameplay is classic old school FPS, explore and shoot. The graphics are appropriate for what the developers were going for, it runs great, and both the level design and the soundtrack are fantastic.”
- “It's non-stop fun, very well made, and runs great.”
- “Very enjoyable, runs great, and very approachable.”
- “I'm usually quite loyal to occasional freezes and crashes, but with Ion Fury, I encountered them too often. Every 2-3 hours, I would get either a 10-second freeze or just a straight crash.”
- “If I were you, the reader, I would either steer clear of the game or wait until the full version is released (if that ever even happens) before you make your judgment because right now it's a poorly optimized, buggy, and incomplete mess, and it may stay that way forever.”
- “The save system is terrible and buggy as hell.”
replayability
51 mentions
43 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability due to its combination of linear and open-ended areas, numerous secrets, and various difficulty levels, allowing players to approach challenges in multiple ways. Additional modes and a lengthy campaign further enhance replay value, making it appealing for those who enjoy exploring and optimizing their runs. While some players note limited replayability after a full playthrough, many find the game packed with content that encourages multiple playthroughs.
- “The combination of linear and open-ended areas ensures that players can approach challenges in various ways, adding to the game's replayability.”
- “Challenging, fun, surprisingly long, great replayability and killer soundtrack.”
- “The campaign is long; it is one of the longest old-school FPSs I've seen, and the replayability is total, being possible to replay the full campaign or to start at any specific chapter.”
- “Not much replayability, but one full playthrough is still 4+ hours.”
- “The replayability for the big 3 is once in every 2 years for me.”
- “There's quite a lot of secrets so there's a lot of replay value, quite a few achievements too, it would be good if it had multiplayer though, also the framerate can drop sometimes and the mouse feels really weird so it's kind of hard to aim but aside from that it's a solid game worth buying.”
emotional
26 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting its nostalgic elements that evoke feelings of childhood joy and wholesome fun reminiscent of the 90s. The beautiful visuals and level design elicit deep emotional responses, with some players even moved to tears. However, the abrupt and anticlimactic ending left some feeling disappointed, overshadowing an otherwise heartwarming experience.
- “Playing through the first level made me feel like I was a kid again.”
- “The visuals and level architecture are beautiful - without spoiling anything, some levels almost made me cry from joy in this regard.”
- “This preview campaign at least is a heartwarming throwback to the good old days in the nineties, when secrets were plenty and health non-regenerating.”
monetization
24 mentions
8 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions, loot boxes, and other monetization tactics that are prevalent in modern gaming, which many players find refreshing. Reviewers appreciate the focus on gameplay and substance over profit-driven mechanics, viewing the absence of these monetization strategies as a return to classic gaming values. Overall, the game is seen as a positive example in an industry often criticized for cash grabs and excessive monetization.
- “In an era where every game has constant hand-holding mechanics, tool tips, crafting mechanics shoved into everything, and microtransactions everywhere, this game is just what I needed to restore my faith in gaming.”
- “I feel this game needs to be successful so more developers will realize that it's not all about the 'realistic' graphics (graphics in this game are gorgeous) and microtransactions, but about the gameplay and substance. This is a major callback done right, and I just hope we will see more classics return in this engine.”
- “In the end, it feels like a cheap cash grab from people who didn't grow up with what they are trying to sell.”
- “Also: no god damn microtransactions or eye-soring in-your-face reminders for season passes.”
- “No microtransactions, no skins, no lootboxes, no grind.”
character development
14 mentions
21 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
29 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is largely criticized for being unremarkable, with many players noting that the protagonist, Shelly, lacks depth and memorable traits compared to iconic characters like Duke Nukem. Reviewers express a desire for more engaging dialogue and environmental commentary to enhance the narrative experience, suggesting that the game could benefit from a stronger story foundation. Overall, while some appreciate the nostalgic throwback to classic FPS games, the consensus is that character development falls short of expectations.
- “Some real character development; I'm not asking for The Last of Us, but have Shelly comment more about the environment or her mission in general—anything that isn't a one-liner.”
- “This is a fantastic throwback to FPS games of old where there was only character development and little to no story.”
- “I really think this could have a really good story with some better character development and an actual intro.”
- “Sadly unremarkable character design, as most enemies are humanoids with similar silhouettes.”
- “My only complaint is the lack of character development, which ultimately keeps Shelly from being as memorable as the likes of Duke Nukem or Lo Wang.”
- “Some real character development is needed; I'm not asking for 'The Last of Us', but have Shelly comment more about the environment or her mission in general—anything that isn't a one-liner.”