The Quake engine never really got a chance to shine.  Quake came out in 1996, Quake II in 1997, and that was basically it for the blocky, chunky low-def look it excelled in creating.  The race to graphics realism is still going on today but now that we’ve come this far people are looking at what was left behind and considering the possibilities.  Wrath: Aeon of Ruin is a new dark-fantasy action-FPS, and while the choice of a somewhat-enhanced Quake engine didn’t necessarily require it to be a dark-fantasy action-FPS, there’s no denying it just feels right that way.

Wrath released on Steam’s Early Access today, bringing with it the hub world, two regular levels, and a nice selection of weapons and enemies to populate its under-construction worlds with.  The roadmap is right on the game’s Steam page, with the plan being to bring the game to release over a series of updates ending this Summer, with the last one including the story elements and opening area.  Right now, though, you can hop in and start slicing, blasting, and otherwise eviscerating the undead monstrosities shambling through Wrath’s corridors, caverns, and wide open areas, wreaking havoc like it’s 1996 all over again.