Ludicrously AWESOME remaster of a underrated Apogee Software Classic! (Something somethin, RoTT '23)

Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition is a joint effort remaster of Apogee's Rise of the Triad by Nightdive Studios, New Blood, and Apogee Software themselves. It takes the 1995 FPS game and remasters it for modern hardware, including and ton of visual and audio options and practically EVERYTHING related to RoTT included as well, like expansion packs, a level editor, resorted unused sprites, among much more. It's such a utter love letter to the original game remaster by people who care about remastering the best way possible, a studio made from people who made the 2013 game, and even the revived version of the original company. All coming together to make RoTT: LE the best version of RoTT you can buy!

Gameplay of Rise of the Triad is relatively unchanged from the original game. As the game runs off of a modified Wolfenstein 3D engine you play through levels with a similar structure, looking for keys, collectibles, and blowing up any enemies in your way with a variety of weapons. Although there's a higher focus on more experimental level design and tons of pushwalls and traps. Staring in the game is the H.U.N.T team consisting of 5 different playable members each with different stats ranging from Speed, Hitpoints, and Accuracy with Bullet Weapons. With that comes the arsenal, as RoTT, has 3 bullet based weapons of the Pistol, Dual Pistol, and Mp40 and a ludicrous amount of Missile Weapons such as a Rocket Launcher, Heat-Seeker, Drunk Missile, and the Fire Bomb to name a few that swap out in the 4th weapon slot. Also you have infinite bullets, don't ask you just do. The Triad Members that make up the enemy roster are quite unique for the time as they often don't simply just gravitate to your location and shoot at you. For example the Lighting Guards will try to steal your weapons and use them against you, or how Overpatrols just throw nets at you that you need to wiggle out or use a knife against, Or the infamous Triad Enforcer that throws devastating Grenades at a annoyingly fast rate. There's also Robot enemies that make up the enemy cast as well as Monks, so, so many monks. Furthermore each Episode ends with a boss fight which all aren't as straight forward as just "shoot it until it dies." Lastly to note is the sheer amount of powerup items, H.U.N.T can take advantages or disadvantages from. Cause yes, there's also power downs. These range from different armors types, to iconic powerups like God Mode, and of course Dog Mode, because why not? All of these different gameplay aspects make RoTT triumph more than just a Wolfenstein 3D clone with better graphics and into something truly unique especially for 1994 and still noteworthy to this day.

Included in this Remaster is also a ton of bonus campaigns, Firstly is the exclusive campaign made for the game's Shareware release as unlike other shareware demos at the time, RoTT just had completely new levels not seen in the main game. You also have EXTREME RoTT which is well... well it's not for the faint of heart. As this campaign is infamous for being brutally hard and unfair. Lastly, multiple map makers between the 3 studios working on this remaster came together to make a brand new campaign with new levels and plot! Not to mention all the warp only levels stuffed into the level select If that wasn't enough a newer version of RoTT's level editor is included and even has Steam Workshop support. So now the amount of RoTT content possible is basically endless!

One of the things that RoTT is most famous for is it's absolutely insane original soundtrack. being some of the best if not THE best Midi tunes you could find at the time. Composed by both Lee Jackson and Bobby Prince of both Duke 3D/Shadow Warrior and Doom fame respectfully, all of their tracks have made the passage over to the remaster. If that wasn't enough you even have the option to listen to the soundtrack through different emulated soundcards because why not? And if even THAT wasn't enough Andrew Hulshult's, probably most well known for his work on DUSK and Doom Eternal, soundtrack from Rise of the Triad 2013 is also here in it's entirety.

Overall, RoTT: LE is a perfect teamwork of 3 studios. You have the master of remasters with Nightdive Studios, people who are super passionate about the original game and even made that 2013 version with New Blood, and the revived studio that made the original game with Apogee Software. They easily could have done just a simple remaster of the base game but they went above and beyond to include almost every single RoTT related thing into this remaster and that alone is so commendable. Is this kind of passionate remaster, that all true games STRIVE for! Give or take being buried in a lunchbox!