For anyone that loves indie retro shooters, Realms Deep 2020 was the stream to catch. Billed as the “Boomer Shooter E3,” this collaborative effort between publisher 3D Realms and a ton of other indie developers was the perfect antidote to the hellscape that is 2020. So many shooters, so little time.
But you’re likely not interested in how we feel about the presentation; you want to know what games were revealed and presented. While we have previews for a few of them, there were definitely some surprises in store for even the most diehard of FPS fans.
Without further ado, here is a short recap of everything announced today.
Kicking off the show was the reveal of 3D Realms’ latest first-person title, Graven. A mixture of Quake, Elder Scrolls, and Hexen, this game is scratching a completely different itch than simple Doom clones. You can read our extended thoughts over in this full-blown preview.
Following up on Graven, New Blood Interactive showed off a wild speedrun of its score attack FPS Ultrakill. As luck would have it, we’ve also previewed that game in the not so distant past. It’s a thrill-per-second shooter that combines elements of Devil May Cry with classic shooter goodness. You can buy it right now in early access or try out the free demo on Steam.
New Blood continued its segment with an in-depth look at Gloomwood. Not the most exciting trailer from a gameplay perspective, it gave us a look at a new inventory system (inspired by Resident Evil 4) and the thought process behind it. It was an interesting discussion about game development and worth a look for aspiring creators. You can check out our thoughts on the currently available demo over here.
In a brief segue leading up to an interview with Tim Willits, Realms Deep revealed Brutal Fate with a short trailer. Coming from the creator of Brutal Doom, it will likely be the successor that fans have been eager to see. Set to release in 2021, you can wishlist it today on Steam.
Immediately after, a very brief snippet of gameplay from Hell Hunt was shown off. Drawing more from the likes of Quake, the visual design is very chunky and the speed of combat seems to take cues from Doom Eternal. It was certainly action-packed, but might not be all that original.
After a truly bizarre “comedy” segment from developer Running With Scissors, a pre-alpha trailer for a new Postal spin-off was revealed. Titled Postal: Brain Damaged, it seems to be more in line with a Serious Sam styled game than the traditional Postal experience. That might be off-putting to long-time fans, but it doesn’t look bad.
In between another segue leading up to an interview with character designer Chuck Jones, a short trailer for Cyber Hook was played. A momentum-based platforming FPS, the game draws inspiration from the likes of Tron and even Clustertruck. You can try a demo out on Steam right now.
Another short look was given to Doombringer, a retro FPS created by veterans of the Doom and Quake modding scene. It has more in common with something like Quake III Arena and is even including a multiplayer component with its new campaign. It’s a little rough around the edges but shows a lot of potential.
Following the discussion with Chuck Jones, a rather striking looking shooter by the name of Effigy was revealed. Drawing inspiration from not only Quake and Unreal, but Dark Souls, the game promises to have massive interconnected levels and an eery sci-fi plot. It’s dark, wobbly, and most certainly ’90s chic.
While a few more trailers were shown off for some currently available retro shooters (including Doom mod HEDON), the last major announcement was for Core Decay. An immersive sim that draws a ton of inspiration from System Shock and Deus Ex, 3D Realms will be publishing it and the currently scheduled release date is for later 2021. You can find more information over on the game’s Steam page.
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