WRATH: Aeon of Ruin Review

WRATH: Aeon of Ruin is the latest shooter to hit consoles from 3D Realms. Like some of their previous shooters, WRATH: Aeon of Ruin is a Boomer shooter, a genre coined and made popular from classics like Doom and Duke Nukem. I love shooting games, but for some reason, Boomer shooters are hit-and-miss. Some I love, and others I don’t, and WRATH: Aeon of Ruin falls smack bang in the middle as something I don’t love nor hate.  

Starting like any classic tale, players find themselves adrift. Lucky for them, they are close to an island, but this island is no ordinary island. Upon arrival, you meet this stranger, who gives you little to no information and expects you to explore this strange land; with nowhere else to go, you do as he says, at least that’s what I believe happens, because there is no way I would explore a huge tower on a strange island. As we entered the tower, I learned one thing: this would not be an easy ride. It’s a good thing I am playing the game on easy then because while I enjoy Boomer shooters, I am not the best at them. This one is made even harder because it isn’t just guns; your starting weapon is a sword.  

The gameplay is exactly what one would expect from a shooter like this. You kill lots of enemies and find secrets on levels; the usual that set this one apart are the hub worlds you find yourself in after the first level. In WRATH: Aeon of Ruin, players find themselves in a hub world allowing them to pick and choose which level they want to tackle. Do you go to the one closest to you, or do you explore a bit and do another level further away. It is up to the player to tackle the next set of missions. There are three different hub worlds, each with its own levels and a final big boss at the end.  

Because it is divided into hub worlds, saving differs from others, which normally save after each level and whatnot. Not here, instead, you need to find a save orb, allowing you to save. Luckily, you can change the settings to allow unlimited saving, but it can be annoying when you are in the midst of everything and forget to save. There is an autosave, but it only saves when entering a new area (level). 

Although, in saying all that, the gameplay itself is fun, if not a tad hard, for someone like me, and I found myself dying a lot, maybe too much, if I am honest. I could see myself eventually finishing this once I get better, but for now, today isn’t that day. Fans of boomer shooters will love this if they aren’t already playing the hell out of this game. Shooter fans, in general, may not, as it does take some time to get used to the gameplay. 

WRATH: Aeon of Ruin is available now for PS4/5, Switch and Xbox consoles; it is also available on PC. Stride PR provided a code for review.