Wrath: Aeon of Ruin review

Then it went back to sleep for five years.

In 2021, developer KillPixel admitted the project had been sorely hindered by the Covid 19 pandemic.

But the full game would be out in Summer 2022.

A screenshot of Wrath: Aeon of Ruin, depicting the player fighting a giant humanoid boss coloured alabaster and gold.

That became Spring 2023, which then became February 2024.

This has nothing to do with Wrath’s fundamentals, which are all meticulously designed.

The premise is typical FPS fare.

Cover image for YouTube video

There are three episodes that take place in three different worlds, each containing five levels.

Wrath’s initial hours promise gleeful FPS mayhem.

The cannon fodder Wrath trains you on is delightfully squishy too.

A screenshot of Wrath: Aeon of Ruin, depicting the player looking out into a vast basalt cavern, with crumbling rock platforms suspended above an enormous cauldron of lava.

Horribly mutated undead warriors will carry on fighting even after losing their heads.

Fun as all this is, it’s nothing that hasn’t been done in a thousand other shooters.

Where Wrath stands out from the crowd is in its level design.

A screenshot of Wrath: Aeon of Ruin, depicting the player inside a large hub area made of flesh and bone, standing beside a white, bald figure holding a staff.

I cannot emphasise enough how much I appreciate and admire the craft in these spaces.

The talent, imagination, and generosity on show is astonishing.

But here’s where I drop the other shoe.

A screenshot of Wrath: Aeon of Ruin, depicting the player shooting an enemy with a laser weapon that turns its victims into purple crystals.

I’ve been sceptical about this system since Wrath’s debut into early access.

But now that I’ve played the full game, I can confidently say that I hate it.

Then, about three levels from the game’s end, I discovered an option that enables infinite saves.

A screenshot of Wrath: Aeon of Ruin, depicting the player firing glowing orange projectiles at a masked executioner enemy down a gunmetal corridor.

I’ve never checked a box so hard in my life, and it unquestionably improved the experience.

But it didn’t instantly solve the problem as I expected to.

It’s a difficult problem to explain, but it ultimately comes down to flow.

A screenshot of Wrath: Aeon of Ruin, depicting the player battling a floating three-headed canine creature beside a glowing white shrine.

Wrath’s combat can be like this, but it’s generally more staggered and incremental.

I don’t mind the former too much.

The Widow is a shrieking hag with teeth running down to her navel who rushes you from behind corners.

A screenshot of Wrath: Aeon of Ruin, depicting the player fighting giant toad-like monsters in a garden grove surrounded by large stone walls.

She’s great fun to counter with a close-range shotgun blast or timed blade thrust.

The corner peeping, however, is a real pipe between the spokes.

There’s one enemy called the Wretch that I grew to utterly despise.

A screenshot of Wrath: Aeon of Ruin, depicting a rugged desert landscape with a row of crooked pillars running down the centre.

Some levels are better at pacing than others.

The Priory, by comparison, manages its scope best.

Wrath: Aeon of Ruin can be a frustrating, exhausting experience.

A screenshot of Wrath: Aeon of Ruin, showing the player standing over a river of lava, with a snowy graveyard in the distance.

But in levels like The Priory and Twilight Archives, it’s as thrilling as any retro-shooter around.

There is something demonic in making a pact with this game.

A copy of Wrath: Aeon of Ruin was provided for review by 3D Realms.