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Farewell, Witchaven? The First Legal Build Engine Game Faces Delisting!
Greetings, fellow aficionados of pixelated history and vintage gaming! We’ve just received news that’s bound to prick the ears of retro gaming enthusiasts: the Witchaven series, a pair of historically significant first-person slashers, is about to be delisted from digital storefronts. Revivalist publisher SNEG announced that both Witchaven titles will disappear come June 15th.
Developed by Capstone, the Witchaven games, released in 1995, plunged players into a dark fantasy world. You take on the role of a knight, armed with an arsenal of melee weapons and a smattering of spells, ready to cleanse a volcano teeming with goblins, witches, and other greeblies. Imagine classic Dungeons & Dragons dungeon crawling, but from a visceral first-person perspective.
While perhaps not the most polished gems of their era, these games hold a special place in gaming history. Witchaven holds the unique distinction of being the first commercially released title to legally utilize Ken Silverman’s revolutionary Build Engine. This groundbreaking tech later powered legendary vintage FPS games like:
- Duke Nukem 3D
- Blood
- PowerSlave
- Shadow Warrior
Ah, the Build Engine! Before Witchaven, an early version saw unauthorized use in Taiwan, but Capstone’s release truly opened the floodgates for what would become an iconic era of PC games. Shortly after, it even powered another Capstone title, William Shatner’s TekWar.
Now, let’s be honest, Witchaven’s gameplay wasn’t without its quirks. Combat could be a bit “hit and miss,” especially judging those tricky melee distances, and controls had a tendency to feel a tad floaty. PC Gamer’s Brett Jones memorably summarized Witchaven 2’s issues in 1996 with the cutting line, “a pig in a dress is still a pig,” scoring it a 58%.
Yet, Jones also praised its innovative AI, noting how enemies would engage in their own squabbles or react with surprise if you burst through a door. It’s these peculiar charms and historical footnotes that make Witchaven an essential, if imperfect, piece of the gaming preservation puzzle.
The reason for the delisting remains shrouded in mystery. Is a licensing agreement expiring, or could this be a precursor to long-awaited remasters? Only time will tell, but for now, this is your last chance to legally own these digital artifacts.
If you’ve ever wanted to experience this foundational piece of Build Engine history, now is the time. Both games are currently on deep discount, with an 89% off bundle on Steam and an even steeper 90% off on GOG (thanks to a lower base price there). Don’t miss this opportunity to add them to your collection before they vanish into the digital ether.
Amplo Insights: This delisting highlights the ongoing challenges of game preservation, especially for older titles with complex licensing. While Witchaven isn’t a universally beloved masterpiece, its role as the first legal Build Engine game makes it a crucial historical artifact for anyone interested in the evolution of first-person PC gaming. Grab it now and own a piece of that legacy.
