Developer: Voidpoint, LLC
Publisher: 3D Realms
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Tested on: PC
Ion Fury (Switch) – Review
Back in August a fellow writer reviewed Ion Fury for PC. It was deemed an absolute delight for retro lovers, and those who long back to the days when Duke Nukem was still a great franchise. The game combined fast-paced gameplay, with classic mechanics, retro visuals and a great midi soundtrack. It was only a matter of time before this bombshell was released on console platforms as well, and we were lucky enough to take a look at the Switch version of the game. While it initially received a perfect score on our site, it has to be said, even though we try to remain as professional as possible, some aspects are judged differently by different writers and some aspects become better or worse when a game is ported. Nonetheless, enjoy our review of Ion Fury for the Nintendo Switch.
Story
There isn’t much story value to be found in this game. Like in a true retro fashion, stories of games were often found in the manual, or even on different menu pages when booting up the game. This is the same for Ion Fury, where you’re playing as Major Shelly ‘Bombshell’ Harrison, who leads a task force in Neo D.C.. It seems the city is overrun by scum and you’ll be the one that is getting everyone back in tow, even if it means adding a couple of extra holes in those who cross your path.
You’ll have to make do with the written text snippet you can look up, and that’s pretty much all there is in the game when it comes to the story value. Is this a bad thing? Not really. The game relies heavily on its nostalgia factor and its fast-paced gameplay, distracting possible fans from the overarching plot.
Graphics
The graphical prowess of the game is amazing(ly accurate for a retro-inspired game). Ion Fury looks like you’re booting up your old MS-DOS computer, where you had to insert a few floppy disks to install Duke Nukem and blast away your enemies. The pixilated look works great for the game, while also feeling fairly modern in the process. Things may look old-school, they are also highly detailed, even on the Switch version of the game. It has to be said that some things are pretty much picture perfect for the day and age the game is referring to, such as using the same enemy models, but in a recolored version to implement new foes.
Sound
A midi-soundtrack is perfect for a title such as this, and developer Voidpoint delivered. You’ll have a retro soundtrack blasting through the speakers, while your character spits out one-liners when performing a few gruesome kills. The music is upbeat and gets you in the mood for some pixilated headshots.
Gameplay
Ion Fury is a very typical old school First-Person Shooter. The game will throw you in a villain-filled city for you to puncture some holes in with your trusty sidearm. You’ll have no proper objective, other than to exterminate your attackers, find keycards, open doors, and progress to the next available areas. The game doesn’t hold you by the hand, and you’ll have to look for ways to progress yourself. As is common in these titles, you’ll have to backtrack a lot in order to open new doors with keys you find in other areas.
Playing games like this on a console is always a bit different than playing with a mouse and keyboard setup. The game handles well, as running goes very smoothly, and the pro controller allows you to use motion controls to aim. The latter isn’t really that precise, but it shows that the developers did more than just a simple port. We tested the auto-aim function to be a bit more precise, but we didn’t notice any difference with the option on, than when it was turned off. Precision aiming is a bit hard in the game, and this results in you getting hit by common grunts a lot. Playing at higher difficulties becomes quite hard because of this.
Conclusion
Ion Fury is, by all means, an impressive game, that can certainly be enjoyed on all console platforms as well. The game offers a true retro experience that will entice fans who loved to play the original Duke Nukem, Doom, Wolfenstein 3D and Hexen on their old school platforms. While precision-aiming is a tad harder to do on a console than on its PC counterpart, the game runs very smoothly and offers an action-packed experience. Those who prefer gaming on a console rather than PC, will certainly get a kick out of this bombshell.
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