WRATH: Aeon of Ruin

WRATH: Aeon of Ruin welcomes new players without holding your hand all the way through.

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"Wrath: Aeon of Ruin" is a retro-style first-person shooter where you play as Outlander, tasked by the Shepherd of Wayward Souls to hunt down the remaining Guardians of the Old World. Explore ancient ruins, battle dark creatures, and uncover forgotten secrets in a dying world. The game is still in active development with a roadmap that may change.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,906 reviews

gameplay111 positive mentions

story17 negative mentions

The game features satisfying gunplay and movement mechanics, reminiscent of classic shooters like Quake.
The level design is intricate and visually stunning, with a variety of environments that encourage exploration.
The weapon variety is enjoyable, with each weapon having unique alternate fire modes that add depth to combat.

Levels are excessively long, often taking 45 minutes to an hour to complete, which can lead to fatigue and boredom.
Enemy variety is limited, with many encounters feeling repetitive as the same enemies are reused throughout the game.
The save system is cumbersome, relying on limited-use items for quick saves, which can lead to frustration if players run out of saves.

gameplay
370 mentions
30 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Wrath: Aeon of Ruin" is characterized by fast-paced action and solid controls, reminiscent of classic shooters like Quake, with innovative movement mechanics such as a dash ability. However, many players find the level design to be overly expansive and repetitive, leading to a lack of engagement over time, as well as issues with enemy variety and combat mechanics that feel underwhelming. While the game offers a nostalgic experience with its retro aesthetic and atmosphere, it struggles with pacing and depth, leaving some players wanting more in terms of gameplay variety and challenge.
- “Wrath manages to capture the look, feel, and gameplay of Quake 1 beautifully, while adding on tasteful twists and modernizations.”
- “With its fast-paced, addictive gameplay, dark, immersive atmosphere, and exceptional level design, this game offers an unforgettable experience for shooter fans.”
- “The gameplay is fluid and levels suitably sprawling, old school.”
- “Don't get me wrong, I can recommend this game for the most part, but as it gets exponentially harder, it just becomes hard to care about overcoming the challenges presented. The problem is, the gameplay just doesn't hold up in the long run; it's fun at the start when you can go on a power trip, but the combat is just simply not engaging enough for me to want to perfect it, nor does it give any incentives to really understand it other than just throwing usable items at you.”
- “The levels are too big, padded with repetitive encounters, and take way too much time to complete, and the game mechanics, weaponry, and enemy roster aren't good enough to support this bloat.”
- “The gameplay felt bland, and the movement itself was sluggish.”
graphics
267 mentions
52 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Wrath: Aeon of Ruin" have been widely praised for their striking retro aesthetic, effectively blending the chunky, low-poly style reminiscent of 90s shooters with modern visual enhancements. Reviewers highlight the game's beautiful environments, unique art direction, and atmospheric design, which evoke a sense of nostalgia while maintaining a high level of detail and artistic coherence. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's immersive experience.
- “Graphically, it's a very pretty game, combining that chunky classic style with a high level of drawn detail, using colors and lights to enhance every piece of scenery you come across.”
- “The graphics are a lovely callback to 90's FPS gaming and then some.”
- “The art style, the gunplay, the level designs, the sound design—everything in this game I liked.”
- “Graphics 3/10”
- “I can understand why they chose a retro look for such a Quake-like game, but the graphics should at least be better than 2010-standard.”
- “However, I have been suffering from some slight frame rate issues and stutters here and there, even after lowering the graphics.”
music
235 mentions
25 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it to be largely forgettable and lacking in intensity. While some appreciate the atmospheric ambient tracks composed by Andrew Hulshult, others feel that the absence of dynamic or engaging combat music detracts from the overall experience, especially during action sequences. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a missed opportunity to enhance the game's combat and excitement, leaving players wishing for a more memorable and impactful musical accompaniment.
- “The music is very ambient and atmospheric, again feeling very quake-like.”
- “The music from the levels and the hub area are simply great; you know things can only get better when Andrew Hulshult is making the music.”
- “Andrew Hulshult once again works his magic and comes out with an incredibly atmospheric and moody soundtrack which fits the feel of the game perfectly.”
- “The soundtrack feels completely aimless and boring; it's not punchy when it needs to be, or atmospheric when it needs to be, with tracks mostly consisting of slow, ethereal synths that are way too quiet, with the occasional metal feedback, with no building tension when showing a new enemy or a blast of energy when a fight ensues.”
- “The music is practically non-existent.”
- “The trailer is a complete lie, not once in my playthroughs did the music pick up past some basic ambient background noise.”
atmosphere
145 mentions
63 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, immersive level design, and effective soundscapes, often evoking comparisons to classic titles like Quake. While many reviewers appreciate the dark, gothic ambiance and the unique environments, some express disappointment with the soundtrack, feeling it lacks the punch needed to enhance the overall experience. Overall, the game successfully creates a captivating and atmospheric world that resonates with fans of retro shooters, despite some critiques regarding gameplay pacing and music.
- “The atmosphere in this game is fantastic, dark and gritty.”
- “The game builds up a really good atmosphere, especially when also considering the music and general ambiance in the levels.”
- “From the combat to the level design to the atmosphere, Wrath is absolute bliss and is everything that fans of Quake could ever have hoped for.”
- “A few things come to mind: tedious, mundane, boring, excessively long 'slog', absolutely lacking in ambience and atmosphere and variety.”
- “It feels kinda odd to play such an intense game without any tunes in the background to hype you up, or to even add another layer of atmosphere when you're outside of combat and exploring.”
- “However, there is a distinct lack of atmosphere.”
story
109 mentions
12 % positive mentions
72 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely considered minimal and generic, with many reviewers noting its lack of depth and engagement. While some appreciate the environmental storytelling and world-building, most agree that the narrative feels secondary to the gameplay, often described as forgettable or non-existent. Overall, players seem to prioritize action over story, indicating that while a compelling narrative could enhance the experience, it is not essential for enjoyment.
- “Narratively it's quite light but offers a lot of world building and lore, as well as an intriguing enough plot to keep the campaign moving along.”
- “It definitely has the gameplay of Quake, but this time it's even more interesting because there's kind of a story throughout the game, but the gameplay is the main focus.”
- “Worth noting is the 'story', which is quite light to the point of being background noise but told surprisingly well through an unnerving series of notes (one per level) along with brief dialogues from a mysterious 'shepherd' character who hangs around in the hub worlds.”
- “The story is really nothing at all to be honest and the soundtrack is also pretty bland and forgettable.”
- “The game story is totally vacant, and there's not much overall content, or originality.”
- “There is no real story or lore to get sucked into this game which I think hurts the experience.”
grinding
54 mentions
4 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, often describing it as a slog due to long levels, poor enemy variety, and frustrating design choices. Many reviews highlight the lack of gameplay variety and the overwhelming number of similar enemy encounters, which contribute to a sense of monotony and exhaustion. While some appreciate the game's potential, the consensus leans towards it being a tedious experience that detracts from enjoyment.
- “Quake wasn't as tedious as this.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It's too tedious to play, crashes too much, levels are too long, saving system is abysmal, enemy balance is extremely unfair (even on 'easy' difficulty it gets dicey lol), and it just felt too tedious to play.”
- “What starts off as a fun, quake-like boomer shooter slowly devolves into a tedious slog.”
- “The game does deal a lot in teleporting in of enemies though which I can agree can get tedious but it certainly hasn't prevented me from enjoying the experience so far.”
optimization
21 mentions
33 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance and high frame rates on capable PCs, there are notable issues on specific maps, particularly in Act 2 and Act 3, where performance dips occur. Some users express frustration with the game's early access status, citing a need for improved optimization and better handling of older saves. Despite these concerns, many appreciate the game's rich environments and the ability to adjust settings for smoother gameplay on lower-spec machines.
- “However, none of this gets in the way of performance, which is buttery smooth almost the whole way - the only time the FPS ever dropped for me is when it was loading in the gigantic maps.”
- “The performance is fantastic; my RX 570 didn't break a sweat running it at 1080p 165 FPS.”
- “Is optimized perfectly for a wide range of PCs.”
- “There are severe performance issues on one Act 2 map (Watchtowers) and basically every Act 3 map (to varying degrees).”
- “Performance-wise, Wrath usually runs fine, but in some of the larger levels (example: the Priory and Crucible of Souls), the game occasionally began to chug along (and I'm running an i9 with 32 GB of RAM and a 4080 graphics card), so players with lower specs may experience bigger dips in frame rate.”
- “The only downside, however, is that the optimization isn't perfect since the game is still in early access.”
stability
14 mentions
43 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
57 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many users report that it runs smoothly and looks great, there are significant issues with freezing during save points and crashes that hinder gameplay. Some players have experienced severe bugs and inconsistencies, particularly in early access, leading to frustration and immersion-breaking moments. Despite these problems, certain aspects of the game perform well, especially on Linux and with specific hardware setups.
- “It looks great, runs great, and feels amazing.”
- “DRM-free and runs great on Linux!”
- “Wrath looks and runs great without any technical issues whatsoever.”
- “The most annoying part for me though: whenever the game saves, it 'freezes' for like a second, which is just annoying and immersion-breaking.”
- “I posted about this issue on their official troubleshooting page like 2 months ago, but alas nothing has been done to fix this minor issue.”
- “Repeatedly freezes and crashes making it impossible to get past the first few minutes.”
replayability
10 mentions
40 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find potential in the levels and secrets to discover, others feel that the game's length and padding detract from its replay value. The limited number of levels and current content availability also contribute to a perception of low replayability, despite the enjoyable gameplay mechanics. Improvements in level design and exploration could enhance the game's longevity and replay appeal.
- “My hours at the time of writing reflect one playthrough on hard with less than half of the secrets found, which leads nicely into one last point, it's very replayable.”
- “Even though there are only 5 levels (at the time of this review) they have a ton of replayability.”
- “All of that could add more replayability and longevity to a really good game.”
- “So unfortunately, I'd say this game has little replay value.”
- “Maybe it doesn't have a lot of replay value due to its length, but it's still one lengthy romp of boomer shooter action.”
- “Maybe it's because currently only the first two levels are playable, but I just played through normal and hard mode without dying once.”
humor
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mix of self-aware design choices and absurd enemy interactions, often leading to moments of unintentional comedy, such as the juxtaposition of powerful weapons against seemingly non-threatening foes. Players find amusement in the game's quirky elements, like the absurdity of certain enemy behaviors and the ironic commentary on its development history. Overall, the humor is described as a blend of intentional jokes and the hilarity of gameplay mechanics that sometimes feel like they mock the player.
- “I never stopped chuckling to myself when a widow would screech at me and I'd greet it with a blast of the double barrel shotgun.”
- “Sure you're probably not supposed to be overly overpowered, but when even the smallest enemies just chill out after you hit them with a double barrel, it just feels like the game is mocking you and laughing in your face.”
- “Old school shooter, fast paced, hard as hell, very funny.”
emotional
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional impact of the game is largely negative, with players expressing frustration over gameplay mechanics and a lack of engagement. Many feel that the game fails to evoke strong feelings or excitement, leading to disappointment in the overall experience.
- “It definitely made me feel some wrath.”
monetization
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with players expressing frustration over intrusive ads and a lack of genuine content. Many reviewers advise against purchasing the game unless significant improvements are made, which they deem unlikely in the foreseeable future.
- “Cash grab of the highest order, stay away from this game and only buy if they release it 100%, but that's unlikely in the next thousand years.”
- “Update July 5, 2022: at this point, this is just a cash grab.”