Ion Fury: Aftershock has more of a 90's Expansion Pack flair, with its 7+ hour campaign, solid level design, heart-pumping action, and low-price tag. A such, it comes with a glowing recommendation for all fans of the base game.

Ion Fury: Aftershock‘s road to release was long and, at times, seemed uncertain. Now, after numerous delays, I’m happy to report that this expansion was well worth the wait. Developer Voidpoint and 3D Realms have succeeded in delivering fans an explosive, feature-rich update with tons of stages to explore, new enemies to butcher, and a sleek new ride to help them get around its cyberpunk world. Throw in a soul-crushing new difficulty setting and an arranged mode that breathes new life into the original release, and there’s never been a better time to step into Bombshell’s combat boots and gib some techno cultists.

For me, Aftershock has simply proven that I’m not going to enjoy Ion Fury no matter how hard I try. My main issues with the game are hard to nail down, but the reality is that it’s just about everything. It’s a game of highs and lows, which just makes an aggravatingly coarse surface. That feeling carries over to the Aftershock expansion. The Build Engine just isn’t enough for me to completely overlook its flaws.