Bombshell (video game)

Last updated
Bombshell
Bombshell game logo.png
Developer(s) Interceptor Entertainment
Publisher(s) 3D Realms
Director(s) Frederik Schreiber
Producer(s) Khaled Ibrahimi
Designer(s) Daniel Hedjazi
Leon Zawada
Vitaliy Bondarenko
Jacob Ostergaard
Paulo Rosa
Programmer(s) Grzegorz Zawadzki
Artist(s) Chris Pollitt
Simon Rance
Arturo Pahua
Writer(s) Adam Meadows
Composer(s) Andrew Hulshult
Engine Unreal Engine 3
Platform(s) Windows
Release
  • WW: January 29, 2016
Genre(s) Multidirectional shooter
Mode(s) Single-player

Bombshell is a multidirectional shooter developed by Interceptor Entertainment and published by 3D Realms. The game was released on January 29, 2016, for Microsoft Windows. The game runs on Unreal Engine 3.

Contents

Plot

The game allows the player to control Shelly "Bombshell" Harrison, a colonel in the Global Defense Force. Her career is abruptly brought to an end after an event titled "the Washington Incident", which caused her to lose her arm and her team. Shelly is then offered a new contract by a private military contractor and offered a second chance and a new mechanical arm.

Development

The game was conceived during Gearbox Software's lawsuit against Interceptor regarding the video game Duke Nukem: Mass Destruction, as they did not authorize any new development. Interceptor was working on the game for the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows; however, due to a lawsuit by Gearbox Software, who owns the right to the Duke Nukem franchise, the game's name was changed to Bombshell and the main character was changed to Shelly Harrison, who was originally meant to play a supporting role in the Duke Nukem game. [1] [2] In April 2014, a website NoGumNeeded.com was launched by Interceptor Entertainment that showed a countdown. [3] The game was revealed with the title Bombshell in development for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4 on May 14, 2014, along with a trailer and was scheduled to be released in 2015. Some details about the gameplay and the protagonist Shelly "Bombshell" Harrison were revealed in the announcement. It was also announced that the game utilised the Unreal Engine and it will launch with modding tools. [1] [4] [5] Due to the negative reception to the trailer, 3D Realms started the development of the game from scratch. [2] The gameplay trailer was released on March 2, 2015, during Game Developers Conference. [6] The E3 2015 trailer was released on June 25, 2015. [7] On July 23, a ten-minute long video showing gameplay of the game was released during QuakeCon 2015. [8] On August 27, a game trailer of the boss battle against "Zeroth Guardian" was released during PAX Prime 2015. [9] In January 2016, the game's voice cast was announced, including Valerie Arem as Bombshell and Duke Nukem voice actor Jon St. John as Professor Jadus Heskel. [10] The release of the Windows version of the game was delayed to January 29, 2016, so as to give additional time for the developer to fix bugs. [11]

Reception

GameSpot awarded it a score of 2.0 out of 10, calling it a "buggy, bland game with some of the worst writing you're likely to hear in some time." [12] Hardcore Gamer rated the game a 2 out of 5 saying "What once began as something that had potential to become a so-stupid-it's-awesome classic ended up being merely... well, it isn't even really that stupid as a whole, just dull." [13] PC Gamer awarded it 30%, saying "An [action role-playing game] with weak combat and too many bugs, Bombshell isn't worth your click-click-clicks." [14] IGN rated the game 6.9 out of 10 saying the game "Bombshell is a fast-paced, energetic, deliberately absurd action shooter that's mostly competent at everything it tries to do". [15] Leo Espada of GoneWithTheWin rated it 6/10 and stated, "Bombshell features a solid core of combat mechanics, visual design, and a genius soundtrack. It is light on the RPG side, with little depth to sink your teeth into". [16] It has a score of 44% on Metacritic. [17]

Legacy

A prequel for Harrison's story, entitled Ion Fury , was developed by Voidpoint and released in 2019 by 3D Realms. It uses an updated version of the original Build engine. [18] [19] Harrison will also appear in the upcoming game Phantom Fury . This game serves as sequel to Ion Fury and it is developed by Slipgate Ironworks (the new name of Interceptor Entertainment). [20]

Related Research Articles

<i>Duke Nukem 3D</i> 1996 first-person shooter video game

Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter video game developed by 3D Realms. It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II, published by 3D Realms.

<i>Duke Nukem Forever</i> 2011 video game

Duke Nukem Forever is a 2011 first-person shooter game developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It is the fourth main installment in the Duke Nukem series and the sequel to Duke Nukem 3D (1996). Players control Duke Nukem as he comes out of retirement to battle an alien invasion. Like its predecessor, Duke Nukem Forever features pop culture references, toilet humor, and adult content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3D Realms</span> Video game publisher

3D Realms Entertainment ApS is a video game publisher based in Aalborg, Denmark. Scott Miller founded the company in his parents' home in Garland, Texas, in 1987 as Apogee Software Productions to release his game Kingdom of Kroz. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the company popularized a distribution model where each game consists of three episodes, with the first given away free as shareware and the other two available for purchase. Duke Nukem was a major franchise created by Apogee to use this model, and Apogee published Commander Keen and Wolfenstein 3D the same way.

<i>Shadow Warrior</i> (1997 video game) 1997 video game

Shadow Warrior is a first-person shooter video game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive. The shareware version was released for the PC on May 13, 1997, while the full version was completed on August 25, 1997 and released in stores on September 16, 1997. Shadow Warrior was developed using Ken Silverman's Build engine and improved on 3D Realms' previous Build engine game, Duke Nukem 3D. Mark Adams ported Shadow Warrior to Mac OS in August 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gearbox Software</span> American video game company

Gearbox Software is an American video game development company based in Frisco, Texas. It was established as a limited liability company in February 1999 by five developers formerly of Rebel Boat Rocker. Randy Pitchford, one of the founders, serves as president and chief executive officer. Gearbox initially created expansions for the Valve game Half-Life, then ported that game and others to console platforms. In 2005, Gearbox launched its first independent set of games, Brothers in Arms, on console and mobile devices. It became their flagship franchise and spun off a comic book series, television documentary, books, and action figures. Their second original game series, Borderlands, commenced in 2009, and by 2015 had sold over 26 million copies. The company also owns the intellectual property of Duke Nukem and Homeworld.

<i>Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project</i> 2002 video game

Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project is a platform game developed by Sunstorm Interactive, produced by 3D Realms, and published by Arush Entertainment. It was released on Microsoft Windows on May 14, 2002, in North America and on June 14, 2002, in Europe. A port of the game would be released for the Xbox 360 on June 23, 2010, by 3D Realms directly, followed by an iOS port on January 9, 2014.

<i>Prey</i> (2006 video game) 2006 video game

Prey is a first-person shooter video game developed by Human Head Studios, under contract for 3D Realms, and published by 2K Games, while the Xbox 360 version was ported by Venom Games. The game was initially released in North America and Europe on July 11, 2006. Prey uses a heavily modified version of id Tech 4 to use portals and variable gravity to create the environments the player explores.

<i>Duke Nukem II</i> 1993 platform video game

Duke Nukem II is a 1993 platform game developed and published by Apogee Software. The game consists of four episodes, the first available as shareware. It is the follow-up to 1991's Duke Nukem, and followed by Duke Nukem 3D in 1996. Todd Replogle was the primary designer of all three games.

Duke Nukem is a media franchise named for its main character, Duke Nukem. Created by the company Apogee Software Ltd. as a series of video games for personal computers, the series expanded to games released for various consoles by third-party developers. The first two games in the main series were 2D platformers, while the later games have been a mix of first-person and third-person shooters.

<i>Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded</i> Video game

Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded is a suspended first-person shooter fan project. The title was announced on the Gearbox forums on October 13, 2010 and is based on the Duke Nukem series. The game was intended to be a next generation reimagining of the 1996 game Duke Nukem 3D.

The video game Duke Nukem Forever spent more than 14 years in development, from 1997 to 2011. It is a first-person shooter for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, developed by 3D Realms, Triptych Games, Gearbox Software and Piranha Games. It is the sequel to the 1996 game Duke Nukem 3D, as part of the long-running Duke Nukem video game series. Intended to be groundbreaking, it became an infamous example of vaporware due to its severely protracted development schedule. Director George Broussard, one of the creators of the original Duke Nukem game, announced the development in 1997, and promotional information for the game was released from 1997 until its release in 2011.

Numerous video games were released in 2016. New hardware came out as well, albeit largely refreshed and updated versions of consoles in the PlayStation 4 Pro, PlayStation 4 Slim, and Xbox One S. Commercially available virtual reality headsets were released in much greater numbers and at much lower price points than the enthusiast-only virtual reality headsets of earlier generations. Augmented reality also became mainstream with Pokémon Go. Top-rated games originally released in 2016 included Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Inside, Overwatch, Forza Horizon 3, Madden NFL 17, WWE 2K17, NBA 2K17, Dark Souls III, and Battlefield 1 and Doom 2016. The top five highest-grossing video games of 2016 were League of Legends, Honor of Kings/Arena of Valor, Monster Strike, Clash of Clans, and Dungeon Fighter Online.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slipgate Ironworks</span> Danish video game developer

Slipgate Ironworks ApS is a Danish video game developer based in Aalborg, founded in 2010 by Frederik Schreiber.

<i>Shadow Warrior</i> (2013 video game) 2013 video game

Shadow Warrior is a 2013 first-person shooter game developed by Flying Wild Hog and published by Devolver Digital. The game is a reboot of the 1997 original of the same name, developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive, licensed out by Devolver Digital. It features the same character Lo Wang and a modern era setting with Asian mythology elements, all of which were redesigned with modern, full 3D graphics and new gameplay features, while also being a throwback to classic first-person shooters.

<i>Paragon</i> (video game) Video game

Paragon was a free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed and published by Epic Games, powered by their own Unreal Engine 4. The game started buy-to-play early access in March 2016, and then launched free-to-play access to its open beta started in August 2016. After failed attempts to make the game sustainable and having trouble keeping a player base, Epic Games made the decision to shut down Paragon servers in April 2018.

<i>Ion Fury</i> 2019 first-person shooter video game

Ion Fury is a 2019 cyberpunk first-person shooter video game developed by Voidpoint and published by 3D Realms. It is a prequel to the 2016 video game Bombshell. Ion Fury runs on a modified version of Ken Silverman's Build engine and is the first original commercial game to utilize the engine in 20 years, the previous being World War II GI. An expansion, Ion Fury: Aftershock, was released in October 2023.

<i>Little Devil Inside</i> Upcoming action-adventure video game

Little Devil Inside is an upcoming action-adventure video game developed and published by Neostream Interactive. The game's single-player and co-operative multiplayer modes both follow the professional and personal lives of explorers searching for monsters & supernatural events in a 19th-century-inspired world. It is planned for initial release on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, and will be followed by Nintendo Switch and Xbox One shortly after.

Dungeon & Fighter, sometimes abbreviated to DNF, is a series of video games created by Neople, a subsidiary of Nexon. While early games were only developed and published by Neople, Nexon began to publish other entries in the series as well as outsource the development to other companies.

References

  1. 1 2 Jenna Pitcher (May 14, 2014). "Bombshell is 3D Realms and Interceptor Entertainment's action RPG for PC, PS4". Polygon . Vox Media . Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Plante, Chris (March 4, 2015). "Bombshell looks and sounds like a Duke Nukem game starring a bionic woman". The Verge . Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  3. ↑ Owen S. Good (April 15, 2014). "Teaser site hints at Interceptor game with Duke Nukem removed". Polygon . Vox Media . Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  4. ↑ Martin, Micheal (November 20, 2015). "PS4, PC action RPG Bombshell revealed, runs on Unreal Engine". GameSpot . Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  5. ↑ Purchese, Robert (May 15, 2015). "3D Realms reveals PC and PS4 action-RPG Bombshell". Eurogamer . Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  6. ↑ Wong, Steven (March 2, 2015). "3D Realms Returns with Bombshell at GDC 2015". Shacknews . Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  7. ↑ Maiberg, Emanuel (June 27, 2015). "Watch the New Trailer for Bombshell, the Game That Could Have Been Duke Nukem". GameSpot . Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  8. ↑ Lewis, Joe (July 24, 2015). "3D Realms Airs Bombshell Gameplay Video". GameSpot . Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  9. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (August 25, 2015). "Watch PS4/Xbox One/PC Bombshell's New Boss Battle Trailer". GameSpot . Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Bombshell's final voice cast revealed in latest trailer". 5 January 2016.
  11. ↑ Martin, Michael (November 20, 2015). "3D Realms Delayed Bomshell Until January 2016". IGN . Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  12. ↑ VanOrd, Kevin (29 January 2016). "Bombshell Review".
  13. ↑ "Review: Bombshell". Hardcore Gamer. 2016-01-29. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  14. ↑ "Bombshell review". PC Gamer . 29 January 2016.
  15. ↑ Hafer, TJ (29 January 2016). "Bombshell Review". IGN. Retrieved 2016-01-30.
  16. ↑ Espada, Leo. "Someone has set us up the Bombshell: Review". GoneWithTheWin. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 2016-01-29.
  17. ↑ "Bombshell". Metacritic.
  18. ↑ Purchese, Robert (28 February 2018). "3D Realms' new but old-school FPS Ion Maiden on Steam Early Access now". Eurogamer .
  19. ↑ "3D Realms shows neo-retro shooter Ion Maiden". 28 February 2018.
  20. ↑ "One of 2019's best shooters is getting a surprise sequel from a new developer". PC Gamer . 17 September 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.