The PC shooter Rise of the Triad has returned to PC, and despite being a remastered release of the original game, it has remained true to its classic roots. There are no stealth mechanics in this game; you’ll find nothing but fast-paced action and insane gunplay.
The single-player experience is as old-school as you can get as far as FPS are concerned. The gameplay has remained the same and it feels like you stepped back in time. There are no grand cinematic stories to follow or character development like today; it’s just continuous action the way FPS used to be.
Rise of the Triad includes a small arsenal of weapons. This selection includes everything from duel welding pistols to massive rockets that can explode your enemies into small pieces. Even after all these years, the game still has a certain charm about it.
Rise of the Triad also brings back all the secrets and hidden locations that gamers would spend hours trying to find back in the day. Discovering any of the secrets usually rewards the player with special weapons and power-ups. This adds a tremendous amount of replay value to the gameplay. Plus, it gives the player incentive to revisit previous levels to find that ‘next’ secret.
Aside from the blood and carnage, the game combines the right amount of levity at some of the most awkward moments. Don’t be alarmed if you hear the occasional burp, fart or funny one-liner during a bloody encounter. As odd as it may seem, this adds some relief to all the violence. Most games wouldn’t be able to pull this off, but Rise of the Triad does a surprisingly good job despite the serious nature of the gameplay.
The game includes a handful of online multiplayer modes; you can choose to participate in Standard Death Match, Capture the Flag and Team Death Match. Online competition is not only unforgiving, but absolutely brutal. The action is more fast-paced than single-player. Your life expectancy is extremely short as gamers frantically kill each other repeatedly. There isn’t much skill involved either since the object is to quickly kill the other players. The bright side to dying so quickly is that you respawn almost instantly.Allowing multiplayer via the Steam Network is a fantastic idea; it extends Rise of the Triad’s longevity as a product.
The remastered graphics look gorgeous while staying true to the game’s original design. The music is sensational; it has been revised as Heavy Metal/Deathmetal tracks that keep your adrenaline pumping. The rich-sounding music carries over to the multiplayer experience as well. Heavy guitar riffs flood your speakers as you fight for your life amongst the carnage.
Rise of the Triad offers classic FPS gameplay for a new generation of gamers. While classics such as Doom, Duke Nuke’em and Quake will always be remembered for their contributions to the genre, Rise of the Triad is a testament to how the first-person shooter genre evolved over the years into the behemoth it has become today.
James ‘ Daripp3r’ Pittaro
Platform: PC
System Requirements
Minimum:
OS: Windows XP or Vista 32-bit
Processor: 2.4 GHz Dual Core Processor or Better
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 3870 / NVIDIA 8800 GT
DirectX: 9.0
Hard Drive: 7 GB HD space
Sound: DirectX Compatible
Additional: Multiplayer requires the creation of an account on the ROTT Multiplayer network.
Developer: Interceptor Entertainment
Publisher: Apogee Software
ESRB: N/A
Price: $14.99
Rise of the Triad’s Official Website
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |   |
| A modern twist on a FPS classic; it’s as good today as it was back then. | |
| Sound | |
| The burps and farts will raise the occasional smile. The sound track will keep you rockin’ the entire time you play. | |
| Gameplay | |
| Fantastic non-stop shoot'em up action. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| The best remake I have ever played. It brings back memories of an era long since past, where games like Rise of the Triad ruled the genre. | |
