Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Commander Keen 3: Keen Must Die! builds on the tight platforming action of its predecessors while introducing an innovative overhead map that doubles as a level-select hub. Unlike a strictly linear progression, you can explore various Vorticon cities in any order, giving you freedom to tackle easier stages first or dive into the tougher challenges right away. Each city functions as a self-contained world, and your choices on the map can drastically alter your strategy for conserving lives and resources.

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The core mechanics center on Keen’s trusty raygun and pogo stick. The raygun offers straightforward shooting action against the mind-controlled Vorticons, while the pogo stick encourages risk-reward gameplay—landing on enemies or reaching hidden platforms. Precision is key; missing a pogo bounce or mistiming a jump can send Keen plummeting into bottomless pits. Collectible power-ups like the Ankh for temporary invulnerability and keycards for unlocking secret areas add an extra layer of depth.

Lives and score management are front and center. The game punishes mistakes by booting you back to the overhead map, costing a life every time you fall into a hazard or get shot. However, gathering bonus points and 1-ups rewards careful exploration. Secret rooms tucked behind destructible blocks or off-beat pogo routes can reward you with score ribbons and extra lives—making each revisit to a level feel potentially lucrative.

Graphics

Visually, Keen Must Die! retains the vibrant EGA palette that defined earlier Commander Keen titles. Each stage is drawn with crisp, cartoon-like sprites, giving enemies and environmental hazards a distinct silhouette against the backdrop. The Vorticon cities feature a blend of industrial walkways, jagged platforms, and neon-colored signage that captures the alien atmosphere without overwhelming the eyes.

The overhead map screen is both functional and atmospheric. Simple but effective icons represent each city, and Keen’s sprite walking between them adds a sense of journey and anticipation. While not as detailed as later VGA titles, the art direction leverages limited colors to create memorable boss rooms, secret alcoves, and maze-like corridors. The overall aesthetic remains charming decades later.

Animation frames are relatively sparse by modern standards but deliver smooth movement for both Keen and his foes. The pogo stick bounce is exaggerated enough to feel impactful, and enemy reactions—whether flickering out after a raygun blast or collapsing into a pile of pixels—provide satisfying feedback. Given the game’s 1991 heritage, the graphics strike the right balance between functionality and personality.

Story

In Commander Keen 3: Keen Must Die!, Earth is safe once more, but the threat has followed Keen across space. The mysterious Grand Intellect has enslaved the native Vorticons of their home planet and ordered them to eliminate Earth’s young hero. Keen must now infiltrate multiple Vorticon cities to reach the Intellect’s lair and shatter its mind-control over the populace.

Although the narrative plays out mostly in the game’s manual and brief stage intros, it provides clear motivation for the action. The sense of urgency—every Vorticon chanting “Keen must die!”—adds stakes to each jump and gunshot. Discovering logs, secret easter eggs, or hidden branches offers small story beats that hint at the Grand Intellect’s nature and the Vorticons’ plight under its rule.

The storytelling style harks back to early ’90s shareware adventures: minimal in-game cutscenes, maximum in-game imagination. Players project themselves onto Keen as they piece together the larger threat through environmental clues and level design. While not packed with dialogue, the game’s premise is engaging enough to drive you through to the final confrontation.

Overall Experience

Commander Keen 3: Keen Must Die! remains a standout example of early 1990s platform design. Its overhead map system offers non-linear progression that keeps you engaged in exploring and replaying levels to master every jump and secret. The mixture of punishing hazards and hidden rewards ensures that veteran players have plenty to chew on, while newcomers can ease in by tackling the simpler cities first.

The game’s charm and challenge age well: it’s straightforward to pick up but devilishly hard to perfect. Retro enthusiasts will appreciate the EGA graphics and chiptune soundscape, while modern platform junkies can find value in its tight controls and inventive level layouts. Though some may find the lives-based structure unforgiving, the sense of accomplishment upon overcoming a tough city makes each victory memorable.

Whether you’re revisiting Bellaire’s classic shareware roots or discovering Keen Must Die! for the first time, the adventure offers a delightful blend of action, exploration, and nostalgia. Commander Keen’s journey into Vorticon territory remains a shining moment in platforming history—one that’s definitely worth experiencing.

Retro Replay Score

7.3/10