Feb 28, 2018
Ion Maiden may just be the second coming of Duke 3D
Bombshell - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Dominic Tarason)

Ion Maiden

Every cloud has a silver lining, and let’s be honest; isometric ARPG/shooter Bombshell was a pretty big (possibly mushroom-shaped) cloud. Originally planned as a Duke Nukem reboot, legal scuffles forced the game to re-brand, and it all turned out a bit pants anyway, leading developers Interceptor Entertainment to fold not long after.

The silver lining may be just what old-school shooter fans have been clamouring for, though. The Build-engine retro FPS now known as Ion Maiden was originally planned to be a promotional tie-in with Bombshell (and still shares a protagonist). It fell off the radar after Bombshell turned out a dud, but it seems that side-studio Voidpoint never stopped believing. Without warning, and under the (recently purchased) 3D Realms banner, Ion Maiden has launched direct to early access.

To everyone’s surprise, it may actually be really good.

(more…)

Feb 28, 2018
Old-school FPS Ion Maiden has the same engine as Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior
Ion Fury

Ion Maiden is an old-school shooter made in the same Build engine as Duke Nukem 3D and Shadow Warrior. On the heels of its reveal, publisher 3D Realms and developer Voidpoint launched Ion Maiden on Steam Early Access today. It's $20 ($18 through March 7) and contains a "multi-hour preview campaign." 

Starring Shelly "Bombshell" Harrison, the protagonist of 2016's Bombshell, Ion Maiden is a proudly retro FPS. 3D Realms promises "huge, multi-path levels filled with those famous colorful keycards and plenty of secrets and Easter eggs to discover." Ion Maiden will not feature regenerating health or a cover system, but instead promote classic running and gunning. 

"But just because this is a true old-school first-person shooter doesn't mean there won't be all the good new stuff the last two decades have brought," the studio said, pointing to improved physics, improved resolution support and auto saves. 3D Realms is also teasing some sort of multiplayer component on Ion Maiden's Steam page. 

Ion Maiden will officially release this fall. 

Feb 28, 2018
ION MAIDEN ANNOUNCED! PLAY IT TODAY!
Ion Fury - Frederik Schreiber
3D Realms is proud to bring back the Build engine, which powered
Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, and Shadow Warrior, in all of its hand-crafted pixelated glory.

We’ve spent a lot of time tinkering under the hood to take advantage of new technology and techniques. Bigger levels, hundreds of new colors, and morphing maps that transform mid-level are all just a few of the advancements made to the engine.

Today we're releasing the ION MAIDEN in Early Access!

Early Access owners will be granted immediate access to an exclusive multi-hour preview campaign, which you can play RIGHT NOW!

This is a big moment for us - The first official 3D Realms IP to launch as a Build Engine FPS since Shadow Warrior.

We hope you'll join us on this journey forward!

Feb 28, 2018
ION MAIDEN ANNOUNCED! PLAY IT TODAY!
Ion Fury - Frederik Schreiber
3D Realms is proud to bring back the Build engine, which powered
Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, and Shadow Warrior, in all of its hand-crafted pixelated glory.

We’ve spent a lot of time tinkering under the hood to take advantage of new technology and techniques. Bigger levels, hundreds of new colors, and morphing maps that transform mid-level are all just a few of the advancements made to the engine.

Today we're releasing the ION MAIDEN in Early Access!

Early Access owners will be granted immediate access to an exclusive multi-hour preview campaign, which you can play RIGHT NOW!

This is a big moment for us - The first official 3D Realms IP to launch as a Build Engine FPS since Shadow Warrior.

We hope you'll join us on this journey forward!

...