Ion Fury
While Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison earned her codename defusing bombs for the Global Defense Force, when evil transhumanist mastermind Dr. Jadus Heskel unleashes the members of his cybernetic cult onto the streets of Neo DC, she knows it’s time to start causing explosions instead of preventing them. Her quest to slay Heskel leaves a trail of carnage throughout huge, multi-path levels filled with gigantic explosions, more secret areas than we can count, and inhuman foes behind every corner. There’s no regenerating health here; stop taking cover and start running and gunning. Shelly’s crusade to take down Heskel’s army will see her leave destruction in her wake with a wide arsenal of weapons, complete with alternate fire modes and different ammo types. Her signature revolver, the tri-barreled Loverboy, brings enemies pain and players pleasure with both single shots and Old West-style hammer fanning action. Who needs a regular shotgun when you can load buckshot into your grenade launcher? Violent, over-the-top Bowling Bombs rip enemies apart with ease.
Game Discussion
Steam User 8
This game feels like it's from an alternate timeline where technology didn't move as quickly into true 3D environments. It is the epitome of classic FPS game design. The level design is incredible. The music rocks. Every weapon feels great to use from start to end. Exploring is rewarding. The combat never feels unfair. Where has this game been all my life?! It's perfect!
I couldn't put this game down for weeks. It's an all-time great, so when I say that it would be even better with a bit less time spent in tunnels and a little tightening up the zone theming to be as strong as Zone 3 (Heskel's office building) across every zone, that is nitpicking of the highest order. I love the addition of a radar item to help find secrets. I still couldn't find them all without guides, but I was able to get about 90% of them on my own and I adored the abundance of easter egg references to other games and media.
I'd love to gush more about this game, but I think my time - and yours - is better spent just playing it.
Steam User 5
Think of this game as if you were dating Duke Nukem's daughter: She's always gushing about how cool her dad is, and how similar she is to her father, even when you can tell that there are several differences and improvements. But, even though it looks like easy fun, there's a deceptively complex experience to be had here, and one that's pretty much a love letter to "Boomer Shooters".
Pros:
- Gameplay's fun and responsive
- Beautiful environments
- Shooting enemies is fun and enjoyable
- Shelly, our protagonist, is a mashup of Caleb and Duke's one liners, with her own extra kick
- It packs a punch in higher difficulties, giving you that old-school feel
- Lots of secrets, easter eggs, and pop culture references
- The game has a lot of content, even more with the Aftershock DLC
Cons:
- Lots of visual clutter, especially early on. Both the enemies and the environment are bright, neon, and colorful, making for a LOT of "Where the hell am I getting shot from"? moments.
- In line with Boomer Shooter tradition, some enemies are "hitscanners" which can be frustrating, especially in higher difficulties: "What do you mean I lost 30 HP the moment I turned a corner??"
- Finding all the secrets and ending all the enemies as the game encourages you can be a chore
- In line with the previous con, why in the hell did the devs think it was a good idea to make hidden enemies that don't show up in the radar?! This is idiotic, since the game pushes you towards 100%
Ion Fury is great, but not perfect. You'll enjoy it best if you have some background with the BoomShoot genre or if you enjoy some of the older fashioned games. I think it's great for the crowd it's aimed for, but probably won't be enjoyable for people who are used to modern features.
A solid 8/10 for me, but gets -1 for completionist-unfriendly design and -1 for the visual clutter + hitscanners.
Tldr: What Blood is to horror films, Shadow Warrior to martial arts movies, and Duke Nukem is to pop culture, Ion Fury is to the "Boomer Shooter" genre.
P.S. This is apparently a prequel in a trilogy of sorts. Seems like the game "Bombshell" and "Phantom Fury" are part of the same universe with the same character. Too bad those two are less polished than this one.
Steam User 9
I didn't start with Doom (1993).
I started with Doom (2016).
That game made me ask a simple question:
"Where did this feeling come from?"
So I went backwards.
I played Doom, Quake, Unreal, Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, Shadow Warrior, DUSK, Amid Evil... and finally arrived at Ion Fury.
What I expected was another excellent boomer shooter.
What I got was the culmination of an entire lineage.
Every few hours I'd notice another piece of FPS history woven into it. The interconnected progression reminded me of Half-Life. The industrial sewer sections evoked Doom 3. The crisp, weighty combat carried the spirit of Blood, Duke Nukem 3D, and Shadow Warrior. Even small details, like the Quake-esque grenade launcher sound, felt like quiet nods rather than cheap nostalgia.
Yet Ion Fury never feels like a collage.
It has its own identity.
The greatest surprise wasn't the shooting, it was the level design. I found myself enjoying sewer levels because they were full of clever environmental puzzles and believable geography. The game feels like one continuous journey. You don't finish "levels"; you escape a cyberpunk city, descend underground, ride a train, and eventually emerge into the countryside. The transitions make the world feel real.
This isn't just one of the best boomer shooters ever made.
It's a love letter to the entire history of first-person shooters, written by people who clearly understand why those classics mattered in the first place.
10/10. A fitting culmination of one of gaming's greatest genres.
Steam User 5
The newer generation of players may not appreciate the game, but the one ones who are drawn to the simple, run-and-gun, load-outs be damned, just get in there and lay out the foe while having a completionist angle of the game reminding you that you have 9 or so secrets left before you leave a level takes this game's reply value into orbit.
Steam User 2
A joyful game to play showing the full capabilities of the Build Engine! Highly recommend it for the gunplay alone!
Steam User 4
Easily, the best game of the whole "saga".
A great boomer shooter, powered by a build engine. If you enjoyed Duke Nukem 3D back in the day, you must play this.
Level design is great, lot of references, humor, guns, one-liners, you name it. Enjoyed every minute of it, and the expansion is also great.
Steam User 2
Ion Fury has some of the best environmental storytelling of any FPS, ever. It is at its best when one is skulking around, infiltrating, and navigating intriguing enemy environments—of which, the game has droves.
The only thing I have to add to the discourse is that I loathed its final boss level. I never thought Build Engine games did arena battles well: leave that to Serious Sam, seriously.