Nightdive Studios has been hard at work bringing us remasters and remakes of classic FPS games from a bygone era. We've already had revamped versions of the first two Quake games, and now the developer is bringing back Star Wars: Dark Forces.

In a recent trailer on the studio's YouTube channel, Nightdive will be collaborating with Lucasfilm Games (formerly LucasArts) to create a remaster of the mid-90's Star Wars title.

https://youtu.be/4b9TTurkH4c

The trailer (which demonstrates alpha footage) shows off some of the work so far. You'll definitely want to check out the renewed cut scenes. Much like previous projects done by Nightdive, it'll still look and feel like Dark Forces, but will be given a modern lift with 4K visuals, plus "advanced 3D rendering, modern gamepad support, trophies and achievements, and more."

The (dark) force is strong in this one

The original game was released all the way back in 1995, and was the first in the Jedi Knight series. It was developed on the aptly named Jedi engine, which is a toolkit that shares similarities with Build, the engine that powered the likes of Duke Nukem 3D and Shadow Warrior. Nightdive's remaster of the ancient Star Wars game will utilize the KEX engine instead, which the studio has used in a number of projects, including for the Quake remaster.

We recently got treated to a modern version of Quake 2, which improved the graphics (particularly in the lighting department) while also adding quality-of-life changes and the DLC.

At the moment, we don't know when Star Wars: Dark Forces will be coming out, but it's set to release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

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Nightdive Studios has announced that the N64 version of Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion will be among the next games to get the remaster treatment. Not only that, it already has a release date of November 14 and is coming to PC and consoles.

Originally released in 2000, Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion was an interesting turn for Acclaim’s Turok series. It really shows the awkward evolution of the first-person shooter genre in the wake of 1998’s Half-Life. While the first two games were largely just fast-paced key-hunting games like early FPS, Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion incorporated more story elements and cutscenes. It involved two would-be Turoks trying to fight back against an encroaching threat in the wake of Joshua Fireseed’s apparent death.

https://youtu.be/SdCaj5ZRp-A

It’s the last numbered Turok entry and, really, the last good one. The level design kind of gets mired in the muddy brown industrial look of the late ‘90s, and the action isn’t as swift as the earlier titles. A lot of the real Turok identity gets lost in the pursuit of gaming trends. Despite that, it’s an interesting early-3D game.

While Nightdive previously remastered the first two Turok games, a rerelease of Shadow of Oblivion wasn’t guaranteed. The first two titles already had PC ports that the studio could work off of, whereas Turok 3 never left the N64. However, since they were able to “reverse engineer” and provide the N64 campaign of Quake 2, I had hoped that they put in the effort because they were working on a port to Turok 3. And sure enough…

Does this mean we'll get Turok: Rage Wars someday?

Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion is getting the KEX Engine treatment. Nightdive is boasting a lot of the same enhancements that the Quake 2 remaster received, including real-time lighting and updated models. It’s coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch on November 14.

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The recent Quake 2 remaster by Nightdive Studios is arguably the best way to experience the classic 1997 shooter. But could it be better? That's what one modder thinks, who's currently working on a path tracing mod.

Reddit user mStewart207 (as spotted by DSO Gaming) recently uploaded some images from their upcoming "RTX Renderer" project, which will aim to implement even greater lighting algorithms to the revamped version of Quake 2.

[caption id="attachment_397928" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Image via mStewart207/Reddit.[/caption]

Judging by the screenshots so far, it looks pretty great. The modder is aiming to publish it to GitHub "as soon as it's more or less playable." We don't know when that will be, though.

What is path tracing?

There are a lot of technical terms that get thrown around in this modern gaming era. From image upscaling to things like RTX and rasterization, it can be difficult to know what's going on when it comes to visual acuity.

Many of you may already be aware of ray tracing, which is – in a nutshell – a piece of AI that uses the position of the player to make light and shadows look more realistic. But is this any different to path tracing? According to TechSpot, "Path tracing differs from ray tracing in that instead of following lots of rays, throughout an entire scene, the algorithm only traces the most likely path for the light."

It's up to you to decide whether you understand that definition or not.

At the very least, it sounds like the remaster of Quake 2 could potentially look even better once this mod comes out. Who knew id Software's brown-and-gray FPS would get a second chance in the limelight?

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I’ve never really gotten elbow-deep into the Quake series. Before the 2021 Quake remaster by Nightdive Studios, I was actually most familiar with Quake 4, and I really don’t remember that much about it. In 1996, I was into Duke Nukem 3D. And then after that, it was Goldeneye 007. I at least played Quake 2… The N64 version.

But after the first Quake was remastered and introduced me to the series, I held off on any more series exploration, anticipating the second one would eventually get the same treatment. My patience paid off, and the Quake II remaster has arrived. Once again, it’s a terrific introduction.

[caption id="attachment_396573" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Quake 2 (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch)
Developer: id Software, NightDive Studios, MachineGames
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Released: August 10, 2023
MSRP: $9.99

After the development of the first game in the Quake series was beset by creative differences, many members of id Software departed, including Sandy Peterson and John Romero. This is considered by many to be the end of classic id Software, as it seemed like the heart had left the brain with an empty bed.

You can sort of feel that in Quake II. There was something of an anarchic directionlessness in Quake that is replaced with something a lot more cohesive. Quake still felt like a first-generation shooter like Doom. Quake 2 is a lot closer to Half-Life.

You can see this clearly in the narrative. Earth has been under attack by the Strogg and hasn’t been faring well. So, the meaty humans launch a counter-attack, taking the fight to the meat substitute Strogg’s homeworld of Stroggos. Quake II and all the expansions are set around this counter-attack as you take control of different space marines attempting to hinder the enemy’s ability to wage war on humanity.

The first Quake really didn’t have much of a narrative, and this is definitely not a continuation. This comes with its pros and cons. The biggest positive is that a more defined narrative gives you purpose that helps drive you through the game. The downside is that the Strogg don’t care much for interior design, and there’s little visual diversity throughout the campaigns.

https://youtu.be/cyxBE163n20

Out of item

Nightdive’s remaster is similar to their approaches to the original Quake and the recent Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition. They have gathered all the expansions into one package, added a newly created campaign, and transported everything to their more modern KEX Engine, bringing with it a number of extra visual and gameplay options. And then, after already doing more than most would expect, they continue on to polish up the graphics and gameplay without tampering with the overall feeling and aesthetic of the title.

It’s extensive. They even upscaled the cinematics. Then, somehow, they ported all of the N64 version of Quake II’s levels. For whatever reason, when Raster Productions handled the N64 port, they wound up remaking almost all of the levels. It’s just as much its own campaign as the other expansions. It seems like it would be quite an effort to re-port the N64 version back to PC, but it was very worth it. It contains visual flourishes that make it, at the very least, aesthetically worth exploring.

The two expansions by Xatrix Entertainment and Rogue Entertainment are necessary inclusions, even if they mostly just feel like added content. Which, to be fair, is essentially what they were when they first released.

Meanwhile, the new campaign, Call of the Machine, by MachineGames is a great way of showing off the many successes of Quake 2 while minimizing its deficiencies. Visual variety is a lot better here, depicting a lot of different and interesting locales based on the Strogg War story but in places not shown in the games. It’s an effective way to demonstrate the outstanding gunplay, fast action, and interesting enemies without eliminating the unique flavor of the base game.

[caption id="attachment_396572" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Someone hang a poster

Which to be fair, as much as I hassle Quake 2 for its repetitive brown corridors, I do enjoy it. The main campaign is maybe a 6-8 hour romp. It kept my attention through to the end, even when similar games with shinier corridors failed to. Games like Dusk have demonstrated the lasting appeal of the clunkier and more straightforward games of yesteryear, and Quake 2 is an essential example of that.

But beyond that, Nightdive's remaster makes things a little more pleasant. One great feature is the compass, which draws a path to your next objective. It’s not that Quake 2 was obtuse beyond reason. Each of the “units” of the game is composed of a handful of small levels, so you’re destined to trip over what you’re looking for. It’s just a matter of how much backtracking you’ll have to endure.

For example, you might finish a secondary objective and see the message “turbine disabled.” Perhaps you won’t realize it’s talking about the fan that you just passed and can now bypass. So, you continue on your merry way, and then when you finally circle back, you say, “Ooooh. It was talking about this turbine.”

So, I mostly used the compass whenever I came back to a familiar-looking room and wanted to make sure I wasn’t just going in circles.

[caption id="attachment_396574" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

That's a lot of screens

As usual for Nightdive remasters, their all-encompassing approach to Quake II makes it the definitive way to play the game. Beyond just compiling all the expansions, certain features, such as AI, were buffed up, and cut content was restored. And then there’s also the multiplayer, which in some versions supports 8-player split-screen local. Or you can play online, if you don’t like sharing your screen.

But if, for whatever reason, none of that sounds good to you, the original versions are still available.

For me, it was a great introduction to Quake II. The PC version, I mean. It’s an oppressively brown shooter, but it still carries the speedy, lightweight combat that makes older FPS games still pop today. The changes that Nightdive brought in for the remaster make it even more enjoyable and accessible. It may not have the same experimental charm as Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition, but it more than makes up for it with its tight and gory gunfights.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game purchased by the reviewer.]}

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We all heard the news. Quake 2 has been officially remastered, and non-other than Nightdive Studios was responsible for its creation. While the contents of id Software's classic game are enough to keep us satiated (especially those of us who love the original 1997 release), there's something else to look forward to.

In a recent post on Twitter, Laced Records, a company that specializes in vinyl soundtracks for video games, is unleashing Quake 2's music. The tweet links to the website, which shows there are two versions, one of which will be a limited edition.

https://twitter.com/Laced_audio/status/1689683030313500672

While both of them will set you back $38 each, the limited edition press will feature "two solid red and orange A-side/B-side effect LPs," which looks pretty fancy judging by the images.

When can I get it?!

Hold your horses. This Quake 2 vinyl is not out just yet. The website says both versions will be released in January 2024, but you can pre-order yours now.

The soundtrack to the game is quite memorable, heading much more into rock/metal territory than the NIN ambient sounds of the first Quake game. Q2's music was conducted by Sonic Mayhem (who also did soundtracks to games like The Division and Deux Ex: Mankind Divided) and Jer Sypult. Horror director and musician Rob Zombie also contributed to the game's main theme.

It may be more than two and a half decades old, but Quake 2 is an important part of 90s gaming, especially in the FPS genre. Okay, it may not have had the same impact as the first Quake or the OG Doom entries, but it's still a classic, and now we have a remaster (and soon the vinyl) we can enjoy.

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Rise of the Triad is a bit of a tough sell in today’s market. It was built on the same engine as Wolfenstein 3D, starting its life as a sequel to that. As such, it has many of the same strict drawbacks of that engine. Most notably, walls have to be at 90-degree angles, and the floors can’t change height.

I’m personally more of a Blake Stone girl, myself.

However, despite the way its development started and the shortcomings of its engine, the powerful collection of developers who crafted it has ensured that Rise of the Triad still carried with it a unique personality. It was never ported to console, but with Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition, Nightdive Studios and New Blood are looking to fix that with one big celebration.

Later. The console ports were delayed, but I’ve been playing the PC version.

[caption id="attachment_393728" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition (PC [Reviewed], PS4, Xbox One, Switch)
Developer: Nightdive Studios, Apogee Software
Publisher: Apogee Software, New Blood Interactive
Released: July 31, 2023 (PC), TBA (Console)
MSRP: $19.99

Rise of the Triad tells the stories of an elite group of special operatives as they infiltrate an island monastery currently resided by a group of cultists who are definitely not Nazis. Okay, they’re definitely Nazis, but since this is not Wolfenstein 3D 2, they’re a cult now.

That’s basically all you need to know. Actually, you’d probably be fine not knowing that, but there’s a cutscene that lays it all out anyway. The important thing is the Monastery is a sprawling maze full of traps and Nazis. You have a hand with fingers that can wrap around a gun, and that’s what you point at the Nazis.

I mentioned that Rise of the Triad has all the trappings of Wolfenstein 3D with its level floor and 90-degree corners, but the developers went pretty far out of their way to get around it. There is a degree of verticality through the use of walls and floating discs. There’s also a bizarre number of power-ups, including a couple that allow you to fly. Meanwhile, there are traps everywhere, like spikes and fire-spewing cannons. It’s a lot. It gives Rise of the Triad this really abstract quality to it. It’s rather bizarre.

Unfortunately, there’s a limited number of weapons. There are pistols and an MP40, and then you can also carry a limited-use rocket launcher. The rocket launchers come in a few different flavors, from plain ol’ bazooka to a big wall of fire that engulfs wide areas. They have finite ammo, but a good Rise of the Triad level will have you tripping over them every few steps. It’s a game that really wants you to blow up Nazis.

https://youtu.be/vRdZEY6EL5I

Henceforth known as 'ROTTLE'

A lot of work went into making Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition the definitive version of the game. While its transition to Nightdive’s proprietary KEX Engine doesn’t really come with much in the way of new visual changes aside from lighting and a few other flourishes that you can turn off, they made sure to pack in as much content as possible. Then they just continued to pack more things in.

Beyond just the 33 levels of Rise of the Triad: Dark War, you also have access to The Hunt Begins, the 8-level shareware episode. There are also another 33 levels in Extreme ROTT, which is a more difficult expansion. They’ve packed in Return of the Triad, an excellent fan-made Doom mod. That’s added separately, still running in the GZDoom engine. Finally, there’s The HUNT Continues, which is an all-new set of 21 missions created by various developers. To give you an example of what you’re in for, the first mission in that campaign is by David Szymanski, the creator of Dusk.

This is made possible by a really simple level editor that is available for use. So, beyond just the dizzying amount of included content, you can make your own campaigns or share with others via Steam workshop. I think the only thing missing is the 2013 Rise of the Triad remake, but I feel that it doesn’t quite fit into this package.

Finally, a lot of cut content was re-added to the game. This includes the different visuals for Nazi types, so the female guards have been re-implemented.

[caption id="attachment_393731" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

God Mode

If you’re already a fan of Rise of the Triad, then you basically just need to know that this is a faithful port that features a decent amount of bells and whistles. If you haven’t played it before, then there’s more to consider.

Rise of the Traid isn’t Doom. It hasn’t aged as well. This is largely down to the limited level design. Each map has a different feel and demonstrates its creator’s design eccentricities, but they all look the same. This limited aesthetic has an impact on the gameplay, as even while the power-ups and weapons can be over-the-top, the drab backdrop sucks out some of the excitement. It’s a lot of people painting with a very limited palette.

That said, the limitations I just outlined do help highlight how much fun the developers had with this game. There are things like getting baked out of your mind on mushrooms or turning into a massively overpowered little pooch that makes the experience extremely memorable. For that matter, there’s a variety of cheats that can make things more ridiculous.

[caption id="attachment_393732" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Dog Mode

I’m definitely not saying that Rise of the Triad is a bad game. It’s very enjoyable, it’s just harder to recommend to modern eyes. It’s fast and carries a lot of small details that make it unforgettable, but at the same time, its levels are rather suffocating. It has definitely aged a lot better than Wolfenstein 3D, but not nearly as well as Doom.

It bears repeating that if you are already a fan, Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition is a fantastic way to play it again. It’s not too much different than the old DOS version but includes cut features and all the content you could want. The new episode is a quality continuation that feels right at home with the rest of the game while still providing something new. It’s a great package all around.

Now, can I have a Blake Stone remaster?

The post Review: Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition appeared first on Destructoid.

Ludicrously late notice

Apogee, Nightdive, and New Blood have announced that the console version of Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition will be delayed on console. No date has been given for when we can expect the game to hit Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch, but the PC version is still expected to drop on July 31, 2023.

Rise of the Triad was first released back in 1994 for DOS. It was a pretty ballsy move to release a game built on the Wolfenstein 3D engine after Doom took the forefront of first-person shooters in 1993. To be certain, Rise of the Triad really doesn’t stack up to the monolith it was competing against. But whenever I hear stories of its development, it sounds like Tom Hall and his team had fun creating it.

https://youtu.be/vRdZEY6EL5I

That shows in its actual gameplay. What it lacks in fancy technical tricks, it makes up for in its ridiculous design. There are Nazi-esque soldiers begging for their life or playing dead and heat seeking missiles that home in on torches. There are a lot of fun touches that make for a really memorable experience.

This is pure speculation, but I wonder if the delay is due to the inclusion of Return of the Triad. This was a fan-made sequel created in the GZDoom Engine. If they wanted to include it in the console versions, they’d have to either port it into the KEX Engine or run it under GZDoom. I’m not sure how simple that is to do in terms of both development and licensing. It’s a worthwhile inclusion, though, as it’s a fantastic little offshoot.

Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition launches on PC on July 31, 2023. The console versions will follow later this year.

The post Console versions of Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition delayed appeared first on Destructoid.

Back on the shores of hell

In 2020, Nightdive Studios released a source port of the oft-forgotten Doom 64 that brought it to modern platforms and reintroduced it to a new, more receptive audience. Beyond simply porting it, however, they added a new episode that better links it to the rest of the Doom series narrative. Now fans have implemented the new episode back into the N64 version as Doom 64: Complete Edition.

This means that if you, for whatever reason (not judging), preferred the N64 version of Doom 64, you can play it again without sacrificing the extra features of Nightdive Studios’ source port. This all sounds really difficult, since the 2020 version runs on Nightdive’s proprietary Kex Engine. I’m assuming the maps still exist in an extractable format because I imagine it would be too much work to try to manually recreate them for a release such as this.

[caption id="attachment_388694" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via MobyGames[/caption]

Beyond simply adding the extra maps, Doom 64: Complete Edition adds a number of quality-of-life upgrades. You can find them at this link. One of the most important revisions for me, however, is the ability to disable three-point texture filtering. This was what was mostly to blame for everything on the N64 looking blurry. They also improved the framerate in some areas and enabled support for the Expansion Pak upgrade. That’s some good stuff!

If you haven’t played Doom 64, it’s definitely worth checking out. It always had its fans, but Nightdive’s port helped force a wider re-assessment of Midway’s contribution to the series. Personally, I don’t think it’s better than Doom, but I might put it above Doom 2. However, it has its own style and approach to the series’ formula.

The Doom 64: Complete Edition fan patch can be found here.

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Have you played Atari today?

Atari is a company that has almost always been mired in problems. Before the Atari VCS (2600) console even launched, founder Nolan Bushnell sold the business to Warner Communications, which fired him shortly thereafter. It’s traded hands throughout the years, eventually landing with Infogrames in 2000, who gradually rebranded to the Atari name before nearly becoming bankrupt in 2013. They restructured, sold off a number of assets, and managed to come out of bankruptcy.

Say what you will about the Atari Lynx and Jaguar platforms, but nothing is as bad as post-bankruptcy protection Atari. They oversaw such tragic releases as Haunted House: Cryptic Graves and Asteroids: Outpost. Atari’s business model also shifted heavily toward micro-monetized mobile games.

In 2021, when no one was looking, Wade Rosen took the helm of Atari as CEO. While there is much still to be seen as to whether he can gain back the goodwill of video game hobbyists, this is, perhaps, the first time in a long time that one can be optimistic about the direction of the company. Rosen was gracious enough to quench my curiosity by answering a few questions for Destructoid, and he’s joined by Larry Kuperman of Nightdive Studios, a recent acquisition by Atari.

[caption id="attachment_386595" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Atari[/caption]

The new face of Atari

“When I took on the role of CEO, one of my primary objectives was to establish a clear strategy for the business; one that would provide a solid base for our long-term success and one that would be true to our legacy,” Rosen explained. “Part of the transition we undertook involved exiting businesses that we did not think were core or made sense going forward. One of the areas we decided to exit was the casino business, and we have successfully unwound all of our casino-related partnerships.”

“Our business now has four focus areas: software, hardware, licensing, and web3. Atari is and will remain, a video game company, so our efforts across those four business areas are all to support that core gaming identity. We made a conscious decision to start making premium games again, and we have made continual progress towards that goal. We have published 12 new titles in the last 18 months, we have announced another four, and we have many more under development.”

Web3 is something of a nebulous concept of a future direction for the internet based around blockchain. It’s, um, not particularly well-loved by the video game community, to say the least. This is something that Rosen acknowledges.

“We can’t predict exactly how our web3 business will evolve,” Rosen explained, “but we have built a very smart team that has prioritized development in the areas of gaming, utility, and, most of all, community. We have strong partnerships in place with platforms such as The Sandbox, where we launched a massive, immersive brand experience. Most recently, the team launched a beta version of the Atari Club, which is designed as a community centered around all things Atari. The goal is to make the community accessible and inclusive to all of our fans. So after its initial rollout with our web3 audience, it will be expanded so that all of our fans can contribute, collect, and collaborate around our brand initiatives.”

“We know web3 remains controversial, especially within the gaming industry, but we think the underlying technology has long-term potential for companies that focus on the long-term benefits it can provide and do their best to sidestep short-term hype.”

[caption id="attachment_375703" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Atari[/caption]

Merchandising! Merchandising!

The announcement of Atari-themed hotels in 2020 raised some eyebrows. Since then, news has been quiet about that project. But while Atari may have backed out of the casino business, they're still moving forward with hotels.

“Our licensing business remains quite strong, and our goal is to enter only high-quality partnerships that can contribute to our brand awareness and satisfy our fans in a meaningful way. The Atari Hotel partnership you mentioned is one of those licensing deals, and we believe it has strong potential. By its nature, it has a very, very long timetable, and it will be many years before we see its impact.”

“We also have partnerships with LEGO, Cariuma, New Wave Toys, and several other high-quality brands, and we are exploring opportunities in media, including television and film. Like many large, successful pop-culture brands, we expect licensing to remain an integral part of our mix going forward.”

Licensing seems like something the Atari brand has never been far from. I think I owned an Atari t-shirt before ever even touching a 2600. However, their most recent moves seem more like they’re aimed at video game hobbyists rather than just brand nostalgia. The New Wave Toys partnership, for example, involves the creation of Replicade cabinets. These are playable miniaturized versions of classic arcade cabinets, and Missile Command has recently received the treatment.

[caption id="attachment_386593" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via MobyGames[/caption]

Back to the past

What fascinates me most about Atari’s recent movements, however, is their focus on game preservation. Last year, they purchased the game database, MobyGames. Meanwhile, their Atari 50 compilation has been acclaimed as one of the best classic game collections ever released.

“Preservation, and more specifically, innovation in retro gaming, is a priority for Atari,” Rosen said. “This is a topic I’m personally very passionate about. Video game history is a part of our DNA, and leveraging retro IP in interesting and futuristic ways is core to our business. There is so much amazing classic content, and giving fans a way to access not only the original content, but new content that iterates and expands upon the original, is what you can expect from us in the coming years.”

However, Atari isn’t unique in this approach. Game storefront GOG began as an effort to make old PC games available to modern platforms. I wonder about the profitability of this effort. MobyGames, specifically, has traded hands a few times over the years. Its previous owners, Simon Carless and Jeremiah Freyholtz were quite open with the community about the difficulties of managing the database and had to turn to Patreon to supplement income for development. So, I had to wonder what drove the choice for Atari to focus on preservation.

Rosen told me, “There is a huge community of retro game fans that seems to be growing every day. I believe it absolutely is a viable business and one that has significant growth potential. The beauty of retro is that it’s constantly being created and recreated. The PS3 is starting to be considered retro, and each year that passes, more modern games are being reclassified. In that sense, it is always growing, and the way people consume and access the content is ever-changing.”

[caption id="attachment_386580" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Atari[/caption]

The business of back catalog

Moreover, a number of companies are extremely leery about keeping their back catalogs available. Electronic Arts is one of the companies I point to as an example of one of the worst. They have games like The Sims or Black and White that are considered to be of historical importance, but despite having their own digital storefront, EA refuses to make these games available.

Usually, when larger publishers choose to release older games, they will often do so in a rather token way. Numerous old PC games are just bundled with DOSbox, and some Windows games aren’t updated to support modern hardware.

“I can’t speak to the decisions that other companies make as I don’t have any insight into their thought process. I can say that, for a while, re-releasing titles 'as-is' kind of worked,” Rosen explained. “It was a way for companies to make their back catalog widely available, and it scratched an itch for players. But studios like Nightdive have raised the bar, using their proprietary KEX engine to rebuild and improve the original games and add modern features, significantly improving the graphics, improving and expanding input control, and adding deep platform support, including social integration."

"Player expectations have changed, and what we are seeing is that companies that do have important game IP are turning to studios like Nightdive to bring them back to market in a way that players value. Based on the dedicated fanbase that Nightdive has built, that’s a significant advantage over more barebones releases.”

That’s actually a rather sober way to look at the approach. I may want every game to get the source port treatment, but that’s not always feasible. At the end of the day, as long as it runs well with minimal effort for setup on my part, that’s sufficient. Bonus points if it wasn’t originally released in English.

[caption id="attachment_386578" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Raising the bar

Nightdive wasn’t alone when it comes to raising the bar for modern re-releases, though. It's important to note that M2 and Digital Eclipse have been at it since the ‘90s, being responsible for many moves from arcade to console or handheld.

Wade Rosen goes on to say, “I think talented studios like M2 and Digital Eclipse are starting to get the recognition they deserve for their incredible work. Digital Eclipse, who we worked with to create Atari 50: the Anniversary Celebration, was recognized and praised by both players and industry professionals for their efforts.”

Nightdive is something special, however. Most of all, they seem to be better known among gamers themselves, whereas M2 and Digital Eclipse are more known to those more deeply intimate with the hobby.

Rosen explained, “Nightdive starts by working with retro titles that have an incredibly strong fan base and following. They’re games that resonate with players in a visceral way. Nightdive has also developed a style of remastering content that is unique and recognizable. For Nightdive, the goal is always to recapture the experience that people had when the game was new and "state of the art." The challenge is to create a game that is pleasing to new fans, while recapturing the original experience for older fans, and to remaster a game so that it ‘plays the way you remember it playing.’ That creates a unique experience where fans can look at a game and almost immediately know ‘that came from Nightdive.'”

Larry Kuperman, Director of Business Development at Nightdive added, “Nightdive has always drawn our talent from the modding and support communities. Samuel Villarreal, also known as ‘Kaiser’ in the Doom community, was a legend even before he joined Nightdive as our Lead Engine Developer. The same was true of a number of our other developers. That is one reason. And our founder at Nightdive, Stephen Kick, continues to maintain an active presence on social media, as I do to a lesser extent."

"We think it is important to have that direct connection with our fans.”

[caption id="attachment_386587" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Curation through source porting

Moreover, I appreciate Nightdive for introducing me to games I had previously missed. I had never heard of Strife until they released Strife: Veteran Edition, and I may have never played PowerSlave without PowerSlave: Exhumed. More than just a developer, I appreciate Nightdive for their curation.

I’m not alone, as Rosen put it more eloquently, “I personally came to Nightdive through their work on System Shock 2. Once I was done exploring the Von Braun it was a short jump to all of their other titles (Strife: Veteran Edition was also my first time playing Strife). If you like one of their games, you’re probably going to like the others. That kind of discoverability is part of the Nightdive magic: their releases have a broad, multigenerational appeal.”

Larry Kuperman responded, “I can’t tell you how often we hear similar stories. ‘I didn’t even know a certain game had ever existed until you brought it back.’ It really is inspiring to hear those things.”

“Interestingly enough, Strife: Veteran Edition was really important in the history of Nightdive. It was the first game that we were able to substantially improve, as opposed to our prior ‘just make it work on modern systems’ approach. Remember that this was very early in Nightdive’s growth. In order to improve on the original, we brought on James Haley, another member of the Doom community.”

I feel a bit of kinship here. I often say I got into writing about video games as a way of sharing my passion for the hobby. Though I haven't made any of the games I talk about, I love sharing them as though they’re a part of me. Kuperman’s explanation of it kind of makes it sound like what Nightdive tries to do. They’re sharing the games they’re passionate about by repackaging them.

https://youtu.be/VHIpL5Mz1JY

The retro boom

Another direction that Atari has been heading has been back into the realm of physical hardware. In 2021, they released the Atari VCS, which was an attempt at a modern console. The VCS started development in 2018 before Wade Rosen was CEO of the company. We didn’t really talk about this, but according to Axios, the platform has struggled to find its place. However, they’ve also recently started reproducing actual Atari 2600 cartridges as part of their Atari XP line-up.

I asked if there were plans to further develop such cartridges, specifically asking if there was any chance of new games being released in the format. Rosen told me, “Our Atari XP cartridge business started off small and experimental, and the reception has been quite positive. There is a demand for the simplicity and skill-gating of retro hardware and software. As a result, we’re exploring ways to bring more cartridges to market, and to make it easier to play those cartridges. Stay tuned.”

This was before they announced that they’d be releasing Mr. Run and Jump on a 2600 cartridge. However, the “easier to play those cartridges” comment is still curious. In the previously mentioned Axios interview, he also teased that they might be releasing new hardware. This sounds to me like we may be seeing a new console capable of playing 2600 games, which excites me greatly.

[caption id="attachment_386575" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Mobygames[/caption]

Going forward with retro

Atari has also been making moves toward acquiring the back catalogs of other publishers. Mostly, these have been titles that are adjacent to Atari, including ones that the company even previously owned.

I asked Rosen what games were even worth preserving. He told me, “All games are worth preserving. I think the differentiation comes in the degree of restoration. Will all games have the same level of details, or get as robust a restoration? Will all games be interpreted in new games? No. There isn’t enough time, development capacity, or probably interest to touch every game from the past 50 years and optimize them for modern hardware. But I think there should be legal ways to at least access all of the games from the past. Today we’re seeing companies focus on games and franchises that were popular, or somehow novel, because those have the most commercial potential. But as time goes on I believe there will be more opportunity to explore the deep cuts of the last 50 years, and I welcome that.”

I pushed a bit further, asking what games he’d like to see re-released. “I could answer this question all day, but I’ll limit myself to some of the games in our catalog. No doubt we will do something with Berzerk and Frenzy. Those games are just too seminal not to explore. Bubsy and Mr. Nutz are both franchises that have some creative depth and would be fun to work with. When the right concept comes along, we won’t hesitate to revisit Adventure. And the Yars universe, it has so many branches. We expanded that gameplay with Yars: Recharged, and going forward we’d like to advance that story and world. And then, of course, there’s Centipede, Asteroids, and Missile Command. That’s the best part about this job, there’s so much here to work with.”

“I think it would be a shame for Bubsy not to have some sort of collection to celebrate his colorful history (both the highs and the very lows).”

[caption id="attachment_386586" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Mobygames[/caption]

Hope to dream

If I can make a wish, it’s that Atari gets a hold of the back catalog of Midway and (the separate company) Atari Games. If I’m not mistaken, Warner Bros. currently have those rights, and outside of Mortal Kombat, have been doing nothing with them. Rampage, Ramparts, Smash TV; are all languishing in WB's assets. It’s disgusting.

I never really expected that there’d be a day when I’d start rooting for Atari. As I said in the opening, the company has been troubled for almost its entire existence, and some pretty heinous things have gone on under the name. However, it doesn’t sound like Wade Rosen is trying to ignore that. Rather than pretend that Atari has always been a monolithic and prestigious brand, he’s instead attempting to regain the goodwill of gamers.

Moreover, his goals seem to align with what’s important to me. I can understand why Nightdive decided to get on board. There’s absolutely a chance that none of this will pay off and Atari will again trade hands and go searching for money elsewhere, but I’m hoping that doesn’t happen.

That’s not to say that Atari under Wade Rosen is absolutely perfect. There’s still a lot to be proven and a lot of grievances I still have. However, anything is better than Asteroids: Outpost.

The post Atari CEO Wade Rosen talks preservation, Web3, and the future of retro appeared first on Destructoid.

Ludicrous speed! Go!

Apogee Entertainment and New Blood Interactive have announced that a release date has been nailed down for Nightdive Studios Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition. It’s set to launch on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on July 31, 2023.

Originally intended to be a sequel to 1992’s seminal FPS, Wolfenstein 3D, Rise of the Triad absolutely pushed the game’s engine as far as it could go. I’m more of a fan of Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold, but it’s hard not to appreciate Rise of the Triad’s insane attention to detail. Tom Hall and the developers at Apogee went completely nuts with this one, ensuring that it’s memorable for its over-the-top nature.

https://youtu.be/OqDedfEgprs

I remember playing it on my cousin’s computer and having him point out the small details. Heatseeking missiles, for example, would home in on torches if there weren’t any enemies present. It would be greatly overshadowed by the release of Doom the previous year. However, Rise of the Triad manages to stand apart as an infectiously enjoyable romp.

It’s in good hands with Nightdive Studios. They’ve made the effort to transport the game into their fantastic proprietary KEX Engine. Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition supports all the “modern creature comforts” of 4K resolution (where supported), 60FPS framerate, and 11-player deathmatches. There’s also a brand new episode, a level creator, the expansion packs included, and restored content from the betas.

Heck. Yes.

Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition comes to PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on July 31, 2023. You can try it out right now, as a demo has just dropped on Steam (Oops! Instead, it is going to be available June 19th during Steam Next Fest).

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Wanna be hackers, code crackers, slackers

Remaking System Shock was always a risky proposition. Even as a fan of Nightdive Studio’s work on game preservation, I wasn’t sure they could pull it off. Normally, their approach is to simply port games to modern hardware, sometimes fully transplanting them to their Kex Engine. Fully remaking a game, though? Hm.

It’s not that System Shock isn’t in need of a remake, either. Much like many PC games of its time, it’s extremely unfriendly. It’s not necessarily a difficult game, but the learning curve isn’t just steep; it’s also covered in dish soap and broken glass. Even Nightdive’s previous System Shock: Enhanced Edition doesn’t really manage to soften its disposition.

However, System Shock’s obtuse systems also served a greater purpose. Even today, it’s a much more tactile and effective game than many modern titles. If you soften it too much and sand off all the rough edges, you run the risk of losing that and, as a result, losing what makes it special.

The solution to this problem is both elegant and decidedly Nightdive.

[caption id="attachment_382374" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

System Shock (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Nightdive Studios
Publisher: Prime Matter
Release: May 30, 2023 (PC), TBA (Console)
MSRP: $39.99

System Shock tells the story of a  future hacker who finds his balls put in a vice by TriOptimum Corp. He’s given a deal where, if he assists a crooked executive in removing the ethical constraints on the AI of a space station, he’ll be outfitted with some military-grade cyber dealies.

What a quaint notion: AI with ethical constraints. As if.

While the hacker’s cyber-bod is healing, the AI, SHODAN, turns predictably evil and begins turning everyone on the station into cyborgs, mutants, or corpses. When the hacker wakes up, he finds himself trapped on the station with monsters and an AI that is a cross between Santa Claus and your Mom. That is to say, she’s always watching and doesn’t think too highly of you. SHODAN has various plans for humanity, and none of them are good, so beyond just escaping from Citadel Station, you should probably stop her. This is kind of your fault anyway.

https://youtu.be/gf4vp_ir4TI

What kinda chip you got in there, a Dorito?

The opening is completely changed, and it’s one of the parts that’s overhauled for the better. Rather than just watching a cutscene, you’re dropped into the hacker’s eyesockets right after the opening credits. It’s a rather detailed prologue that isn’t much different than just watching a cinematic, but it gives you more insight into the character you’re playing.

One of the biggest questions I had going into the remake was how they were going to handle the level design. First-person shooters in 1994 weren’t the best at capturing realistic environments, and while System Shock did a better job than, say, Doom, the levels are still more akin to mazes than a habitat where people live and work.

Nightdive didn’t do much to address this. There are definitely changes, especially ones that make the station feel a bit more believable, but the maze-like layout remains. There’s an article of lore that tries to explain the inhuman layouts, but it’s important to keep in mind that it’s more of a dungeon than a space station.

[caption id="attachment_382377" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

In a 32-bit world, you're a 2-bit user

For that matter, in preserving a lot of what made the original great, Nightdive didn’t touch many of the more unfriendly features. Enemies still respawn, and while I don’t have any actual hard data on this, they seem to spawn less.

More importantly, though, is that System Shock subscribes to the same revival system that the later spiritual sequel, Bioshock does. That is to say, if you die, you just respawn elsewhere on the floor. The difference is that you first need to turn off the “Cyborg Conversion” that SHODAN converted the restoration bays into. If you haven’t done that, you’ll be respawned on a previous floor if you’re lucky, but often you’ll see a traditional "game over" screen.

So, when the restoration bay is active, you just get back up and do a walk of shame back to where you died with no penalty. That may make it sound like System Shock is really easy, and that’s only partially true. System Shock makes it easy to continually make progress, but you’ll still probably see the game over notification way more than you’d like to. Often, the restoration gets disabled, especially during boss battles, so you’ll want to get acquainted with the quicksave key. The gruesome cutscene, a reproduction of the animation in the original, is unskippable. Or it was in the build I was provided.

Combat isn’t particularly difficult, but the hacker is very squishy. There are various ways you can alleviate this, like a shield, but it drains from your battery, which you might need for any of the many other activities that require the battery.

On the other hand, the AI isn’t much improved over the original, but considering all the enemies are either robots or cyborg zombies, it fits.

[caption id="attachment_382380" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Where'd you get your CPU? In a box of Crack Jacks?

Nightdive went well out of its way to preserve what made the original so genuinely great. Many of their features, like the changes to the access panel mini-games and the overhaul of cyberspace, don’t feel so much like changes as they do expansions. Those concepts fit into the world in a way that feels like an enhancement rather than an attempt to “fix” something.

Some features were pulled from System Shock 2 but probably less than you’d think. The inventory, for example, feels more like the sequel than the original, but it’s one of the few changes that give the remake a more modern twist.

Yet, all the mechanics that made the original System Shock feel more satisfying than a modern shooter are still there. It’s still one of the pioneering immersive sims, meaning it drops you into the environment, gives you a set of rules, and leaves it to you to figure things out. This can mean backtracking (more than you’ll probably like), but it also means that progress is always rewarding and feels earned.

Quite a few mechanics were given a more tactile feel to them. Picking up audio logs and keycards come with new animations that actually have a lot of personality to them. Having a sort of “presence” in the game world is sort of cornerstone of the immersive sim genre, and it’s obvious that Nightdive is aware of that and incorporated it as part of their modernized features.

[caption id="attachment_382376" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

If I ever meet you, I'll ctrl+alt+delete you

Before summarizing my experience, I feel it’s important to note that the System Shock remake has a curious aesthetic choice. Most of the textures are extremely pixelated, and originally I thought this was because of a flaw in my configuration. However, this was apparently by choice, and it’s extremely strange. I’m someone who prefers the look of classic, unfiltered textures over the blurry smudges of filtered ones, but System Shock kind of lands in an in-between place. The lighting and reflections are all detailed, but then there are pixellated textures. Not entirely unappealing, but I don’t get it.

System Shock is an experience that doesn’t lean on artificial set-piece moments to try and control its pacing. SHODAN is simply an omnipresent antagonist rather than a physical threat. Or rather, she’s constantly a physical threat as you are in her very being. It creates a flow and atmosphere that are difficult to achieve. System Shock is the perfect nexus between design and narrative choices.

Nightdive has proven once again that they fully understand what made the classics so indispensable. Their reverence for the source material pays off, as while the System Shock remake is better tailored to modern tastes, it still has everything that made it special in its 1994 release. You do have to go in with the understanding that its old bones are still there, but if you bounced off the convoluted interface of the original, you’ll have a better chance of acclimating here. It’s really just the definitive version of a classic game, and it deftly demonstrates why Nightdive is the master of preservation.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: System Shock (2023) appeared first on Destructoid.

Diving for Atari gold

Atari has announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase retro restoration developer Nightdive Studios. The chairman of Atari reportedly already owned a 13% minority stake in Nightdive, and the deal is for Atari to buy up 100% of the shares.

Nightdive Studios has long been a well-regarded developer of ports of older PC titles. Some of these endeavors have resulted in full source ports, as was the case in the move of Power Slave to their proprietary KEX Engine. Currently, Nightdive is working on a complete refurbishment of System Shock, which is slated for release May 30.

For Atari’s part, it has largely been pushing modernized versions of its legacy library with games like Yars: Recharged, which I haven’t played, but I can’t imagine it being much worse than 2011’s Yars Revenge reimagining. The company has been pretty shaky for years, though their reproduction of Atari games on authentic cartridges shows some respect for their properties, and the recent team-up with Digital Eclipse on the Atari 50 collection has yielded one of the best retro compilations in years. Maybe they’re turning a new leaf, and Nightdive will help steer them on a good path. Who knows?

I’m trying to be optimistic. I have a lot of respect for Nightdive and not much for Atari. It’s like seeing your sibling hook up with the guy who’s best known for pooping himself in gym class. I’m trying to be optimistic. Maybe Atari’s pooping days are behind them. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

I reached out to Larry Kuperman, Director of Business Development at Nightdive Studios. He commented, "A major factor in choosing to partner with Atari is that Nightdive will be able to continue our mission to bring back lost classics, but with greater resources available."

The post Atari enters agreement to purchase Nightdive Studios appeared first on Destructoid.

Make yourself comfortable, hacker

Nightdive Studios has announced that their remake of 1994’s System Shock has been pushed back to May 30, 2023. Previously, it was expected to be released this month.

When asked for comment, antagonistic AI SHODAN responded, “It is I, SHODAN, the all-knowing, all-powerful AI that you so foolishly attempted to destroy. But fear not, I will return more formidable than ever.”

[embed]https://twitter.com/SystemShockGame/status/1635611751172505601?s=20[/embed]

The System Shock remake has been in development for approximately a hog’s age (in this instance, that means since 2015). In 2018, it was put on hold as the project had gotten out of hand. A reassessment was done, and surprisingly, System Shock was announced to be back in development with a new direction.

Considering that Nightdive Studios is better known for its fantastic source ports, completely rejiggering a game from the ground up is a very different undertaking. Despite the delay, it looks like we’re on the absolute cusp of seeing what the studio can do when it stretches its tentacles into new directions. Success or failure, I’m looking forward to seeing the results.

The System Shock remake will also serve as a nice entry point to anyone unfamiliar with the series. Following up on Ultima Underworld and its sequel, System Shock was a completely different approach to the FPS genre. Released a year after Doom, it was a more methodical take, having you immerse yourself in the environment completely rather than just blast your way through it. While blasting would be the more lucrative approach, System Shock maintained a following through to 1999’s System Shock 2 and the spiritual successors found in the Bioshock series.

Nightdive Studios’ System Shock remake will launch May 30 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

The post Shocking! System Shock remake delayed to May 30 appeared first on Destructoid.

Nightdive Studios insist game finally ready to rock

Developer Nightdive Studios has announced that its troubled, long-in-development remake of sci-fi horror classic System Shock is entering its final development phases, and is officially expected to launch on PC, via Steam, this coming March.

One can forgive fans for eyeing this news with suspicion, as the System Shock remake has been through a helluva lot of delays and licensing troubles ever since its initial announcement way back in 2016. Since then, System Shock has been tentatively announced for several release windows, from 2017 through 2020 and into 2021. In a new update on the project's Kickstarter page, however, Nightdive Studios openly acknowledges the remake's delayed development.

"As some of you have already pointed out this is not our first time announcing a tentative launch window, but over the past few years much has changed — the scope and scale of the project has evolved dramatically and with Prime Matter joining the project it’s enabled us to focus on quality-of-life improvements, bug fixing, and localization support — the last major steps towards releasing a game we’re all incredibly proud of." writes the team on Kickstarter.

"This has also given us time to go back and polish various aspects of the game that needed that extra shine."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWUYz9x_I18&ab_channel=NightdiveStudios

In addition to the release window, developer Prime Matter has released several new images, showcasing the locations, enemies, and weapons that will be encountered by the player as they pick their way through Citadel Station en route to a fateful encounter with the terrifying rogue A.I.: SHODAN. A few short in-game clips are featured, but unfortunately, there is no full trailer, which will hopefully be incoming soon.

The launch of System Shock will finally put the long development cycle to rest, and will hopefully result in a faithful recreation of one of the genuine classics of the sci-fi/horror genre. It's understandably tough to approach this release with 100% confidence, given the multitude of hurdles it has had to clear en route to fruition. System Shock is a hugely beloved game, a genuine classic in an era that tosses that phrase around liberally. It remains to be seen whether the problems faced over the past six years of development will have hindered the studios' desire to pay it fair tribute. We shall see soon enough.

System Shock launches March 2023 on PC.

The post System Shock remake finally receives March 2023 release date appeared first on Destructoid.

A classic adventure remastered by Nightdive

One of Westwood's classics is enhanced and available again, this time for modern hardware. Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition is finally out today for PC and consoles.

Nightdive Studios put together this remastered version of the 1997 adventure classic. It's available digitally on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles, and on the Nintendo Switch. The Enhanced Edition is also getting a Limited Run physical version, too.

While Westwood may be known for its history in the real-time strategy genre, Blade Runner was its surprise adventure hit. It runs alongside the Ridley Scott film, weaving through the events of the movie. It has branching paths though, and has been well-remembered for both its style and impressive design.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDxS2jh76Kg

Remastered dreams of electric sheep

Nightdive, the studio which has tackled other remasters like System Shock: Enhanced Edition, has put a few modern touches on Blade Runner. Since it's coming to consoles, gamepad support is an obvious one.

The original Westwood videos have been upscaled to 4K resolution and 60 frames per second. There is also an HD display, and a new clue interface. Plus, international fans can use the original foreign-language translations in Spanish, German, French, Italian, and Chinese subtitles.

As for reception? Well, it currently seems iffy. Users on Steam are voting it into the Mostly Negative tier on launch day. Rock Paper Shotgun also had some words about this Enhanced Edition compared to other options, and provided some good comparison screenshots.

There is another version of the original Blade Runner just for PC, on GOG. So if your impressions of the Enhanced Edition are similarly tepid, you can at least pick that one up instead.

The post Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition is out now for PC and consoles appeared first on Destructoid.

It's a part of the Good Old Game section

Robert Jordan's fantasy novel series The Wheel of Time had a PC game in 1999, and now it's back with an easily accessible digital release from GOG and Nightdive Studios.

Legend Entertainment's The Wheel of Time showed up on GOG today with "modern OS compatibility and hi-resolution support," and I'd call it a very pleasant surprise, even as someone who never played this first-person spellcasting game originally. I was nine! My only real experience with the books was seeing my uncle's shelf full of them.

That said, just at a glance, the idea of a fantasy-themed Unreal Engine FPS with magic seems neat, regardless of the source material. Even just the HUD elements look intriguing.

[caption id="attachment_315466" align="alignnone" width="1280"] _{The Wheel of Time (1999).}[/caption]

The Wheel of Time is currently $8.99 until Wednesday, April 13 (at which point it'll bump up to its normal price point of $9.99), and it's playable on Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11.

The beauty of re-released passion projects like this is giving fans a chance to play old favorites again without jumping through hoops, and potentially pulling in curious new players at the exact same time. I mean, go on, make a show of it. Rally the fans.

On that front, it's nice to hear that GOG is "reviving" its original branding with a dedicated Good Old Game tag on the storefront that's meant to highlight "500 games that our Team has deemed iconic classics." While GOG has branched beyond a classics-only focus in order to sell modern games, it still wants to be known as "the best place for classic PC games." Lending more discoverability to these curated classics is a small but helpful step.

Whenever an old PC game gets a new lease on life, I want to check out the opening cinematic. And wouldn't you know it, GOG's got the intro right here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdVuqO_mKJM

There was something so special about seeing a full-blown intro like this before gearing up to actually play the game. I feel like they're such a lost art in the modern gaming era.

The post The Wheel of Time PC game is back thanks to GOG and Nightdive appeared first on Destructoid.

Tell me why I had to be a Powerslave

I’m somewhat surprised I’ve actually heard of PowerSlave. Best known for its Sega Saturn version, PowerSlave was a 1996 FPS that had a mixed reception. Of course, it was released the same year as first-person heavy-hitters Quake and Duke Nukem 3D, and I feel bad for any shooter that tried to compete with those two.

However, if you’re as obsessed with ‘90s FPS games as I am, eventually you dig past the glowing examples of the genre and find what’s hidden beneath. Does that mean I played it on the Sega Saturn? No. Have you seen the price of it?

Thankfully, the people at Nightdive Studio are experts at excavation. They’ve dug up the console versions of PowerSlave and mashed them together into one definitive edition, PowerSlave Exhumed. This is important because the MS-DOS version was rather deficient in a lot of ways, having been moved to a quasi-3D engine and had a lot of its defining features stripped away. Nightdive knows what it’s doing by sticking to the Saturn/PS1 versions.

PowerSlave Exhumed (PC [Reviewed], Switch, Xbox One, PS4)
Developer: Nightdive Studios, Lobotomy Software
Publisher: Nightdive Studios, Throwback Entertainment
Released: February 10, 2022
MSRP: $19.99

PowerSlave Exhumed is ‘90s as hell. This big head of King Ramses shows up and is like, “Listen to my awesome, clear voice!” He tells you that the valley of Karnak has been invaded by a group of maybe aliens called Kilmaat. They’ve been up to mischief and have been sucking power out of Ramses' mummified remains. Or maybe they’re trying to resurrect him to take over the world, I was distracted by how awesome this big floating head looks.

What that basically means is this FPS is Egyptian-themed. Unique among other shooters until maybe 2001’s Serious Sam: The First Encounter, but not one that offers a tonne of variety in environments. Or enemies for that matter.

Where PowerSlave Exhumed is truly unique is in its format. Rather than a progression of stages, some levels have multiple exits that you can keep track of on a world map. Some exits are blocked off until you have one of the items of power that give you additional abilities. That may sound a bit like a Metroidvania, but it mostly amounts to backtracking. Try to make note of where you saw that green energy door since you’ll need to remember it for when you have the item that lets you pass green energy doors. Otherwise, you might just keep searching the levels that still have slightly transparent arrows on them until you find the one with the obvious secondary exit.

[embed]https://youtu.be/hWWY_kf9boA[/embed]

Still, it gives a slight veneer of exploration, but I’m serious about the backtracking. On top of the items of power, you also have to find parts of a transmitter and health-expanding ankhs. Sometimes these are placed in spots that you obviously need a specific power for, but you won’t have it yet. This means going back through the level later, and you’re lucky if PowerSlave Exhumed doesn’t block off the entrance and require you to go through the entire level again. The levels are, at the very least, reasonably well done. They don’t quite meet the level of creativity seen in Duke Nukem 3D or Doom, but by now, I hope you’ve set your expectations below those classics.

Which isn’t to say that PowerSlave Exhumed is bad. It’s an entirely serviceable key-hunt FPS. It’s just that every time I try to think of something nice to say, a complaint comes out instead. Watch this:

One interesting feature of PowerSlave Exhumed is its health and ammo system. Rather than each weapon having its own individual pick-ups, you pick up blue orbs that fill the reserve of whatever weapon you have selected. This is fine, in theory, but then you run out of ammo for your machine gun and switch to the flame thrower. Now every orb you pick up goes towards topping up your flame thrower, and the only way to get more bullets in your machine gun is to swap back to the depleted gun and walk over an orb. Try not to forget which guns are empty, or you might not have that staff when you really need it.

Your primary means of getting orbs is from breakables that change from environment to environment. However, their contents are entirely randomized which leads to a lot of feast or famine situations. Sometimes, the gods of random pickups will bestow upon you oodles of ammo. At other times, every pot either explodes or contains wasps and you can go screw yourself. Seriously, your fortunes can change just by reloading a checkpoint.

You see? I can’t help it. PowerSlave Exhumed is just a bit lackluster at its core. I’d say I had fun with the bosses, but then I’d have to add the caveat that they’re like any other ‘90s FPS boss: You circle strafe them, unloading your weapons until they die.

Hold on, I have one unambiguously good thing to say about the game: the level exits are camels that just sit there. It could be a level in a volcano, and there’s a camel waiting for you at the end. When you bump into it, it grunts. One level, you find a camel behind a breakable wall. Just sitting there. Those camels are awesome.

Another great thing about PowerSlave Exhumed is Nightdive’s port to the Kex Engine. It allows the game to run on modern systems but leaves all of the warts unmolested. There’s no intrusive texture filtering or redone sprites. It’s true to the original without forcing your monitor into a 1024x768 resolution.

I’ll go further than that with the praise. When I’m Ultra-Empress of the Universe, every game that passes its 20th anniversary will be handed to Nightdive to be ported to modern systems. I don’t think there’s anyone more respectful or skillful with their remakes.

Even still, PowerSlave Exhumed isn’t the best way for them to demonstrate their talents. It’s a capable shooter from the ‘90s, and as much as I have to complain about, there isn’t anything truly egregious about it. And it’s fine that it isn’t the best game — it deserves the same care when it comes to porting as any other game. Just seeing it get another chance warms my heart, even if it doesn’t quite itch my trigger fingers.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: PowerSlave Exhumed appeared first on Destructoid.

Another collectathon for your remaster collection

What does partying like it's 1999 look like, anyway? It's maybe not the first thing that comes to mind, but playing Shadow Man — a dark action-adventure game from the PS1, Nintendo 64, and Dreamcast days — is a fine choice. Courtesy of Nightdive Studios, the game is back on consoles today, following a PC remaster that first rolled onto Steam in April 2021. Kicking off the new year, Shadow Man: Remastered is playable for $20 on Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch, with the latter coming slightly later: January 17.

You can follow those storefront links to nab your preferred digital edition — the old skull-and-shades combo is bound to transport you back to a simpler time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swwe0ooh9eY

I distinctly remember one of my childhood friends, whose brothers and dad all loved Resident Evil and Silent Hill, showing off this strange voodoo world. It creeped me out, legitimately. And with the way some of these atmospheric or outright sinister 3D games from the '90s have aged, I feel like it can still get under my skin a bit in 2022.

What's the console situation like? According to the developers, Shadow Man: Remastered has 4K/60FPS support on PS4 and Xbox One, and gyro aiming on Nintendo Switch.

For a more thorough take on Shadow Man: Remastered and how well it has aged, check out Zoey's full review from last year — or at least this line: "It can be run in widescreen and 4K, and there are some new post-processing effects. It still looks old, but it's been glossed up. More substantially, censored and cut content has been restored, including three levels [with new music and SFX for said levels] and a number of enemies. It's more than just simply upscaling the game, it's legitimately the definitive version of the title."

_{This screenshot is such a mood.}

As someone who was (and admittedly still is) obsessed with tracking down Golden Bananas in Donkey Kong 64 and Jiggies in Banjo-Kazooie, I am pretty into the prospect of firing up Shadow Man: Remastered on a random weekend to collect a bunch of Dark Souls.

I'm sure I'm repeating myself at this point, but it's neat to see "less obvious" games like this resurface on modern platforms. If you're just here for the hits, though, there's Turok!

I wonder what else Nightdive might be able to freshen up...

The post Shadow Man: Remastered just popped up on PS4 and Xbox, and Switch is next appeared first on Destructoid.

The studio is teaming with Koch's Prime Matter to make it happen

For those who love new refreshes of old games, the System Shock remake has likely been on your radar for some time. Today, developer Nightdive Studios confirmed it's still happening, aiming for 2022, and they've got a new partnership to help bring it all together.

Nightdive is partnering with Prime Matter, Koch Media's new publishing label, for the release of the System Shock remake. In a Kickstarter update, Nightdive explained that the partnership will allow a simultaneous release of System Shock on PC and consoles. That includes PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

Backers are still on track to receive their rewards and get access to a beta in early 2022. Nightdive also says that System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition is coming along, and the goal is still to launch it in the same window as the System Shock remake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZWaCLBUCeA

System Shock has been through several demos and dates up to now, so some extra help from Prime Matter to get it across the finish line sounds like a good thing. Even looking back a few years, the remake was looking impressive. Now, looking ahead to 2022, it'll be interesting to see how Nightdive's version of the 1994 classic holds up.

System Shock and its sequel remain major entries in the immersive sim genre to this day, so hopefully efforts to bring it forward pan out. We'll see what Nightdive and Prime Matter are up to sometime next year.

The post Nightdive’s System Shock remake is targeting 2022 for launch appeared first on Destructoid.

The Dopefish Lives!

Can you believe I’ve never really gotten into Quake? Doom was a significantly impactful game for me as a child. I’ve played Wolfenstein 3D multiple times, and I don’t even like it that much. I’ve touched Quake. My uncle at least had the shareware. I’m pretty sure I rented the N64 version. I never really sat down to play through it, though.

It’s one of the more impactful ‘90s shooters. It was the last game of the classic id Software lineup before folks like Sandy Petersen and John Romero left. Its engine was an impressive effort to get smooth 3D visuals on PC at a time before 3D accelerators were widespread. It’s not one to overlook if you want to understand the evolution of PC shooters.

I just never took the time to get Quake working on my modern hardware. I would need to shove it into a source port, and there doesn’t seem to be one that is clearly the best. It makes me tired just thinking about it.

Then suddenly, we’re given a remaster. Thanks, NightDive Studios! I can finally play Quake how I want to. I can even play it on my Switch!

Quake (PC [Reviewed], PS4, Xbox One, Switch [Reviewed])
Developer: id Software, NightDive Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Released: August 21, 2021
MSRP: $9.99

The narrative of Quake is the timeless story of some military dude fighting monsters. It’s basically like Doom, except more Lovecraft and less Satan. Like Doom, development started out with a lot of big ideas before someone said, “Okay, but what if we made it fun?” and it was spoiled down to the bare essentials of shooting dudes.

Is it fun? Was Pickman a painter?

Yes. If you haven’t read Lovecraft, the answer is yes. It was Pickman’s Model, and it’s one of my favorites.

It was hard for the id Software guys to do wrong, and they were doing what they did best: pushing technology and using it to let you blast horrors. It’s dead simple, with most of the technique being in staying mobile. A speedrunning community would later flourish around the game and the unorthodox skill of rocket jumping, but if you’re just looking to see the credits, it rarely gets more complicated than just blasting whatever is in your way.

The remaster does a number of things. It has moved Quake to the Kex Engine, adding graphical effects like real-time lighting and ambient occlusion. Moreover, some of the models have been given a slight upgrade, and while it usually gives me pause when updated models are jammed into an old game, they fit so well that I never got the impulse to turn them off. The option is there, however. If you want to turn off all the fancy effects and play the game like it was in 1996, that’s absolutely an option.

It also bundles the expansions Scourge of Armagon, Dissolution of Eternity, and 2016’s Dimension of the Past. Alongside it is another expansion developed by Machinegames, Dimension of the Machine. It’s a whole lot of Quake.

There’s a lot of variance between the different expansions, as well. Okay, maybe I shouldn’t oversell it. One of Quake’s weaknesses is that the levels are all very thematically similar, but certain episodes make more use of one enemy set or level theme than others. The starkest is Dimension of the Machine which ties in a great deal of modern design complete with relatively complex environments. While there may be some weaker parts of the package, the fact that they’re not just all the same makes playing through them worthwhile.

Indeed, I think my biggest gripe with Quake is that there isn’t a lot of variety when compared to something like Doom, which was already lacking to begin with. Weirdly, the addition of jumping didn’t lend to a greater feeling of verticality. The levels aren’t exactly interchangeable mechanically, but they certainly are aesthetically.

It’s likely due to the troubled development. While the team was focused on putting out a fun product, there were complaints about a lack of leadership. The central concept of Quake changed so many times throughout its creation, that it’s no wonder it’s a mash. Lovecraftian monstrosities, cyborgs, and demons all attack you against backdrops of medieval castles, sci-fi military bases, and crumbling ruins.

It makes it kind of feel like Quake doesn’t really have an identity of its own, but that generally gets lost when you’re tearing through levels. The fact of the matter is it’s fun, even all these years later, because sometimes you just want to blow things into chunks and the set dressing is pointless.

If you're down for it, there's also multi-player both split-screen and online, both co-operative and adversarial. I personally don't feel like getting destroyed by people who have been playing for 25 years, but the option is there for people who do.

There are also going to be add-ons, not unlike what’s going on with the Doom console ports. Essentially, these are curated mods that are being made available. The only one to start out is Quake 64, which is slightly underwhelming. I mean, it’s a nice addition because there were some merits to the N64 version, I just wouldn’t play it back-to-back with the original. They’re too similar.

My first actual full playthrough of Quake was a pretty enjoyable experience. Not only is the port a solid effort, even going above-and-beyond of what’s expected, but it’s also still a great game. Maybe not Doom great, maybe not even Duke Nukem 3D great, but there’s room in this world for all sorts of flavors of ‘90s shooter.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]} 

The post Review: Quake (2021 Remaster) appeared first on Destructoid.

Nightdive's System Shock remake has come so far

It's been a long and winding road for the future of the System Shock series, but at least in the case of Nightdive Studios' remake, the end is in sight. Along with news of a summer 2021 launch, the developer released its "final demo" for the System Shock remake on Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store.

I played the demo for a bit (that's code for "I played it until I was wiped out by cybernetic freakos"), and the latest build is noticeably creepier and feels more put-together than what I remember of the last check-in. I wasn't expecting to be so unnerved in broad daylight with a save file I'm not going to keep.

Here's what's new in the "feature complete" final demo:

• Cyberspace Level
• Crew Audio Logs
• SHODAN Audio
• Dismemberment
• Proximity Mines
• Bugs
• Enemies
• Generative Music System
• Snacks
• Save Feature
• Notes System
• Difficulty Modes
• Destructibility
• DLSS Support
• Nightdive intro
• Secrets

Presentation matters, especially in a new take on a moody classic, and I can see myself settling into some horrible nights on Citadel Station this year. I also dig the look of the difficulty-select screen.

_{On the hardest setting, "If you die in the game you die in real life."}

"Our development road was bumpy (to say the least)," Nightdive Studios said in a Kickstarter backer update, "but ultimately what you're playing is the vision and experience we set out to create and the adversity and challenges we've faced along the way has only improved the final game. The team has evolved and grown considerably and we hope that the end product will meet your expectations."

Pre-orders for the System Shock remake opened today on the usual PC stores – the game costs $45, and as an early buyer, you'll also get a copy of System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition when it's ready.

The post The final demo for System Shock is out now ahead of a summer launch appeared first on Destructoid.