Some people really love Rise of the Triad, but I didn't enjoy this game at all, even back at the time. A wannabe Doom-killer, this game feels actually like Wolfenstein 3D 2.5, with lots of b-movie flavour and silliness.
The game is mindless action with virtually no plot, but lots of humour, thanks to creative director Tom Hall. Levels look and feel blocky, and it's immediately obvious why all the maps are square-like, with no curves whatsoever: the level design was of the "drag and drop on a grid" type. If you want to play this game, you have to be aware that you are going to feel like a "rat in a maze", with arbitrary traps and platforms standing in your way.
The graphics consist of digitized characters taking shots at you in boxy surroundings. There are many weapons but you can only carry a few, and the most powerful ones have very limited ammunition. Still, they enable you to see the high point of the game, which is of course the amazing "ludicrous gibs!" (the enemy gets blown up in chunks).
I have to admit that Rise of the Triad is not my cup of tea. Still, it's simple enough, and if you like over-the-top FPS action and brutal Prince-of-Persiaesque labyrinths full of traps (yes, there's a lot of jumping), you may want to try it. Not all players will appreciate it, so it's always a good idea to try the demo before getting the full game. This is a release from the shareware era, so the first levels were available for free!