Paradox Vector
Explore impossible mazes while battling the Ancient Ones and their bio-mechanical servitors in this retro first-person, Lovecraft inspired shooter. Paradox Vector's graphics are inspired by the old-school vector graphics games of the early 1980's.
Important Note for AMD Graphics Cards Users.
Scroll to bottom to read about this emerging issue. There is a free DEMO of the game if you are unsure about whether your computer will run the game properly.
Paradox Vector is a kind of homage and sequel to "At the Mountains of Madness" by H.P. Lovecraft. The story is revealed slowly through various locations and interactions throughout the games many levels. The gameplay takes place in immense cyclopean structures where you must face dangers from the Ancient Ones and their Servitors, as well as navigate the structures' non-euclidean geometry.
Paradox Vector is at its core, a first person shooter. It's gameplay is directly influenced by classics like Doom, Quake and Half-Life. The vector graphics and impossible geometry of the levels offer the two main points of departure from these original masterpieces of the genre.
Paradox Vector imagines if vector graphics were still popular when the first-person shooter genre got started. In Paradox Vector you can witness a different kind of retro shooter. As Chris McMullen of Gamespew put it: “Remember the heady days of the first-person on-foot wireframe shooter? No, me neither, but it hasn’t stopped Paradox Vector from revisiting a genre that never existed.”
Inspired by arcade games from the early 1980s like Tailgunner, Battlezone, and even the original Star Wars game, Paradox Vector takes this abandoned style, and brings it up to date.
The impossible art of M.C. Escher along with the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, have had a big influence on Paradox Vector. This is not a puzzle game, but an action game set in a puzzling environment. Hallways appear to go one way but actually go another, enemies may attack from angles you might not expect, and navigating the levels may require you to think outside of the box.
Don't think it's going to be easy though! The ancient alien stronghold you are exploring is not abandoned. The Ancient Ones and their Bio-Mechanical Servitors will foil your every effort while you unearth the secrets of the mysterious, eldritch citadel!
Following in the footsteps of games like Metroid Prime, Paradox Vector does not limit players to a simple series of levels, but allows you to explore an open environment, retracing steps as needed. Some weapons and items will allow you to unlock secrets and upgrades, thus rewarding those who are curious and persistent. Don't let the minimalistic graphics fool you, there is a lot to be discovered in this puzzling and challenging adventure.
About AMD Graphics Cards:
It looks like AMD cards are not really compatible with the line draw commands used in Paradox Vector, and users may experience a very low frame rate. I am not 100% sure that AMD cards are the issue, but so far there are several reports that point to this being the most likely cause of the issue. It may be that there is a setting that could help resolve the issue, but so far nothing has improved the situation. Sorry if this has caused anyone inconvenience.
I activated the free DEMO of the game if you are unsure about whether your computer will run the game properly. I will be looking at ways in which this issue might be resolved. If you, as a player, have any thoughts or feedback, please feel free to reach out to michael@schmidtworkshops.com
