Remember that Twitter post by Evolve PR weeks ago that sparked rumors about a return to the Quake series? The firm said that a classic franchise would make its return and be revealed this week at QuakeCon 2012. The Quake aspect was quickly nuked, but that still left us wondering what classic FPS would get the reboot.
Now we know.
Games publisher Apogee Software and developer Interceptor Entertainment announced during QuakeCon the "rebirth" of Rise of the Triad (ROTT), vowing to make the reboot bigger, better and more ludicrous than the original DOS-based version from 1994/1995. But unlike the classic shooter which used John Carmack's Wolfenstein 3D engine (heavily modified), Apogee switched teams and signed on id Software rival Epic Games to use Unreal Engine 3 instead of id Tech 5. Ouch.
"We were seeking a strong, independent, hard-working development partner to herald the eagerly-anticipated return of Rise of the Triad," said Terry Nagy, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Apogee. "We have indeed found that partner in Interceptor Entertainment."
Here's a list of features Rise of the Triad will offer:
* Step into the shoes of the H.U.N.T. (High-Risk United Nations Taskforce) with five unique characters, each with different play styles.
* Blast through over 20 of levels of explosive single-player action.
* Unique multiplayer maps bring back all the fun and excitement of classic ROTT.
* The full arsenal of over-the top weapons is back, including the Flamewall, Firebomb, Split Missile, Drunk Missile and, of course, the Excalibat!
* The maniacal modes return, too, with God mode, Elasto mode, Mercury mode, Shrooms mode and everyone's favorite, Dog mode!
* Build your own levels, mods and share them with Valve's Steamworks.
* Offline single-player and multiplayer allows for instant action.
* Find tons of secrets, collectables, special events and hidden areas to explore.
* Get more than 100 achievements to add to your score, which is tracked on our worldwide leaderboard and stat-tracking system.
* ROTT is bloodier and more ludicrous than ever, with full character and enemy dismemberment.
* The iconic original soundtrack has been completely re-forged in the fires of heavy metal!
* Nostalgia abounds with the option to play with all the original sounds and music.
* Built on fully-licensed Unreal Engine 3 technology, ROTT will run on low-end PCs and push high-end PCs to their limits!
The original Rise of the Triad appeared in the shareware scene at the end of December 1994, and then went full retail in February 1995. It featured the typical FPS gameplay of the time: kill everything you can, find all the hidden areas, and collect keys to progress through the level. The game was originally meant to be a sequel to Wolfenstein 3D, titled "Wolfenstein 3D II: Rise of the Triad." But it was reportedly canceled as a Wolfenstein title by Carmack because id Software didn't want the spotlight taken away from its own upcoming FPS called DOOM. Apogee thus moved forward with the product and released it as a standalone FPS.
The current Rise of the Triad is slated for the PC late this year, distributed on Valve's Steam platform. More information about the rebooted shooter can be accessed here once the site actually goes live (it's down as of this writing).
