ACKNEX Reborn

Play classic 3D GameStudio A3 games on modern Windows and Linux, with widescreen, mouse look and smooth high frame rates.

Beta 0.4

Download for Windows64-bit · Beta 0.4 Download for Linux64-bit · Beta 0.4

Games are not included: you need the game's own files. Questions and bug reports: Discord.

Update 0.4 available: what's new

Modded graphics: put PNG images in a game's mod folder to replace its textures, sprites, sky, panels, fonts and model skins, at any resolution (see Modded graphics).
OpenGL: panels, text and the mouse pointer are drawn with OpenGL too.
Windows MIDI: on Windows, MIDI music now plays through Windows' own synthesizer by default, so it sounds the way the games sounded when they came out. The built-in synthesizer is still there: turn off Windows MIDI on the Devices tab.
SoundFont: MIDI music can use a SoundFont (.sf2) of your choice.
Saints of Virtue: plays its ending video from INSTALL.MPG, made from the CD's INSTALL.DAT (see Game videos).
Video converter: makes the game videos' .MPG files, in the releases area of our Discord (see Game videos).
Black Bekker: the "no signal" screen covers the mini map in OpenGL.
OpenGL: signs and other wall decals no longer flicker or break up at a distance.

ACKNEX Reborn is a native port of the ACKNEX 3 engine, the runtime behind games made with 3D GameStudio A3 in the late 1990s. It runs those games directly on today’s systems, with no DOS box or Windows 98 needed. You can play them just as they looked in 1998, or turn on modern graphics and controls.

Screenshots

Features

Native Windows and Linux

64-bit builds for both.

Two renderers

A new OpenGL renderer, or the original software renderer. Switch between them while you play.

Widescreen and any resolution

Fill the whole screen, at any window size up to 4K and beyond.

Better graphics

Filtered textures, optional ambient occlusion and an adjustable field of view.

Modern controls

Mouse look, WASD movement, key rebinding, and joystick look and button bindings.

Smooth at high frame rates

Games run at a constant speed on every device.

Fixes for modern computers

Issues that only show up on today's computers are fixed, so games play the way they were meant to.

Many compatible games

See the list below.

Easy launcher

Pick a game, choose your options and play.

In-game panel

Press F11 while playing to change options.

Compatible games

These are some of the games known to work. Many other A3 games have been tested as well, so this is not a complete list: if a game you have isn’t here, try it, and tell us on Discord how it went.

3D Hunting: Grizzly
3D Hunting: Shark
3D Hunting: Trophy Game
3D Hunting Trophy: Whitetail
Alien Anarchy
Angst: Rahz' Revenge
Black Bekker (Download)
Der Name des Bruders
Hades 2 (Download)
Incidente em Varginha
Mr. Pibb: The 3D Interactive Game
Saints of Virtue (Download)
Shadow of the Lost Citadel
Skaphander: Der Auftrag
Taco Bell Tasty Temple Challenge
Virus Explosion

Downloads are on each game’s own site. ACKNEX Reborn does not include any game.

Getting started

Download the build for your system and extract it to a folder of its own, for example C:\Games\ACKNEX Reborn or ~/acknex-reborn.
Start it. Run acknexreborn.exe on Windows, or acknexreborn on Linux. It opens the launcher.
Pick the game. On the Game tab, press Browse next to Script and choose the game’s .WDL file. For a game shipped as one archive, choose its .WRS file under Archive instead. The game’s folder is filled in for you.
Press Run. Your choices are saved and will be there next time.

For most of the compatible games there is a quicker way: extract the package into the game’s own folder and run acknexreborn there. The game starts straight away. A few games first ask about their own options, such as the language or skipping the intro.

While playing:

Key	Does
`F11`	Opens the in-game panel (you can change this key in the launcher)
`Alt`+`Enter`	Switches between fullscreen and a window
`F10`	Quits, in most games

You can also skip the launcher and start a game from its folder: acknexreborn GAME.WDL followed by any of the switches listed below, for example acknexreborn GAME.WDL -GL -WS -ML. For one of the compatible games you can name its folder instead, from anywhere: acknexreborn D:\games\hades2. Settings from the launcher still apply; switches on the command line win.

Launcher options

Every option in the launcher also has a command-line switch, shown in brackets in the launcher and below. The Command line box at the bottom of the launcher shows exactly what will be used. Reset settings… puts everything back to the defaults listed here. Hover over any option in the launcher for a short description.

Game

Option	Switch	What it does
Script	`-WDL`	The game’s main script (`.WDL`) to run.
Archive	`-WRS`	The game’s resource archive (`.WRS`), for games shipped as one file.
Map	`-WMP`	Loads a different map instead of the one the game names.
Data file	`-WDF`	Uses a different data file. Only needed if a game’s instructions ask for it.
Game folder		The game’s folder. Filled in when you pick a file with Browse.
Save path	`-DIR`	Where saved games go.
Define	`-D name,value`	Passes a setting to the game. Only needed if a game’s instructions ask for it.
Error limit	`-E`	Keeps going past this many script errors instead of stopping at the first.

Devices

Option	Switch	What it does
No sound	`-OS`	Turns off sound effects.
No music	`-OM`	Turns off MIDI music.
Windows MIDI	`-WINMIDI`	Plays MIDI music through Windows’ own synthesizer instead of the built-in one. Windows only. On by default.
SoundFont	`-SOUNDFONT`	A .sf2 file to play MIDI music with. Empty uses FluidR3_GM.sf2. Not used with Windows MIDI.
No CD audio	`-OCD`	Turns off CD audio.
No audio at all	`-OT`	Turns off all sound and music at once.
No joystick	`-NJ`	Ignores any joystick.
No mouse	`-NM`	Ignores the mouse.
Sound volume	`-SVOL`	Sound effects volume, in percent. Default 100.
Music volume	`-MVOL`	Music volume, in percent. Default 100.

Display

Option	Switch	What it does
Start in a window	`-WND`	Starts in a window instead of fullscreen. On by default.
Show the console	`-CONSOLE`	Opens a window with the engine’s messages. Useful when reporting a problem.
Exclusive fullscreen	`-FSEXCL`	Fullscreen changes the monitor’s resolution. Off: borderless fullscreen at desktop resolution.
Fullscreen as a window	`-FSWIN`	Fullscreen as a borderless window. Use it if the Windows Game Bar or another overlay doesn’t appear over the game.
No vsync	`-NVSYNC`	Turns off vsync. Very high frame rates can break some games.
Frame cap when vsync is off	`-MAXFPS`	Limits the frame rate while vsync is off. Default 500; 0 is no limit.
Window size	`-RESW` / `-RESH`	The window’s size. Default 1600 × 1200.

Network

Two players can play games made for network play, over the local network or the internet.

Option	Switch	What it does
Node number	`-NODE`	Starts a two-player game. One player picks node 0, the other node 1.
Player name	`-PLAYER`	Your name in a network game.
Peer address	`-NETIP`	The other player’s address. Leave it empty to find them on the local network.
Base port	`-NETPORT`	Both players need the same value. For internet play, open this port and the next one. Default 2300.

Demo

Records what you play to WDLTape.REC in the game’s folder with Record a demo (-R), and plays it back with Replay a demo (-P).

Enhancements

These options are new in ACKNEX Reborn. Options marked OpenGL need the OpenGL renderer.

Graphics

Option	Switch	What it does	Default
OpenGL renderer	`-GL`	Draws with OpenGL instead of the original software renderer.	On
Override the field of view	`-FOV`	Sets the field of view in degrees. The game’s own zoom effects stop working.	Off, 90°
Widescreen	`-WS`	OpenGL. Fills the whole window instead of 4:3 with black bars.	On
Stretch the HUD to the widescreen	`-SHUD`	OpenGL. Stretches the HUD across the wide view instead of keeping it 4:3.	On
Ambient occlusion	`-SSAO`	OpenGL. Darkens corners and creases for extra depth. Costs GPU time. Radius and Strength set how far and how dark.	Off
Smooth distant textures	`-MIPMAPS`	OpenGL. Smooths distant textures and stops shimmering. Uses more memory.	On
Smooth fog	`-SMOOTHFOG`	OpenGL. Distant surfaces fade into darkness smoothly instead of in bands.	On
2D layer in OpenGL	`-GL2D`	OpenGL. Draws panels, text and the mouse pointer with OpenGL as well.	On
Modded graphics	`-MODS`	OpenGL. Uses replacement PNG images from the game’s `mod` folder (see Modded graphics).	On
Show FPS	`-FPS`	Shows the frame rate in the corner of the view.	Off

Input

Option	Switch	What it does	Default
Mouse look	`-ML`	Turns the view with the mouse, with separate X and Y sensitivity. Some cutscenes that turn the camera may not work.	On
Modern WASD movement	`-MI`	The keys set on the Keys tab walk and sidestep, replacing the game’s own movement.	On
Trigger WASD events	`-MIEV`	W, A, S and D still work for the game’s own keys, such as cheats. Turn it off if one of them does something odd while you walk.	On
Pin the cursor to the view’s centre	`-CURLOCK`	Keeps the cursor on the crosshair, so clicks hit what you face.	Off

Timing and physics

Option	Switch	What it does	Default
Fixed game speed	`-DETERMINISTIC`	The game runs at a fixed rate, the same on every computer.	On
Steps per second	`-SIMHZ`	Higher is smoother.	32
Smooth movement between steps	`-INTERP`	Smoother motion on high refresh rate displays.	On
Fix texture animation speed	`-FCD`	Animated textures run at their intended speed, not as fast as the frame rate.	On
Fix jumps and falls	`-FVZ`	Jumps and falls behave the same at any frame rate. Jump and fall strength adjusts them.	Off, 400%
Fix walking through walls at corners	`-FWALL`	Stops the player slipping through walls at some corners.	On
Don’t fall through narrow gaps	`-FEDGE`	Stops the player falling into gaps narrower than they are.	Off

Compatibility

Option	Switch	What it does	Default
CD music from .ogg files	`-OGGCD`	Plays `track2.ogg`, `track3.ogg`… from the game’s folder instead of the CD.	On
Play game videos	`-VIDEOS`	Plays a game’s videos from `.MPG` files in its folder. Any key skips.	On
Video volume, percent	`-VVOL`	Volume of the game videos’ sound.	100
Load game patches	`-PATCH`	Applies ACKNEX Reborn’s fixes for some games.	On
Engine default keys	`-IWDL`	Adds standard keys such as `F10` to quit, unless the game uses them itself.	On
Support games for engine V3.680	`-V368`	Lets games made for the older V3.680 engine load.	On
Support games for engine V3.56	`-V356`	Lets games made for the older V3.56 engine load.	On
Support games for engine V3.08	`-V308`	For some games from 1995. Known games turn it on by themselves; leave it off for others.	Off

Some games need particular settings to work, for example with mouse look off. ACKNEX Reborn recognises these games and applies those settings for you.

Keys

Option	What it does	Default
Open the in-game panel	The key that opens the in-game panel.	`F11`
Modern WASD movement keys	Walk forward, walk backward, strafe left, strafe right. Used when Modern WASD movement is on.	`W` `S` `A` `D`
Key rebinding (`-REBIND`)	A list of rows, each making one key or mouse button also press another. The key you press keeps doing what it did before.	On

The … button next to a key lets you press the key instead of choosing it from the list (Windows only). The default rebinding rows give most games modern controls:

Press	Also presses	Usually means
`Space`	`Home`	Jump
`C`	`End`	Duck
`E`	`Space`	Use / open
`F`	`E`	Whatever `E` did before
Left mouse button	`Ctrl`	Fire

Joystick

Option	Switch	What it does	Default
Turn the view with the stick	`-JL`	Turns the view with a second stick.	Off
Look axis X / Y	`-JLAX` / `-JLAY`	Which axes turn the view.	3 and 4
Yaw / Pitch speed	`-JLX` / `-JLY`	100% is one full turn a second with the stick pushed all the way.	100%
Deadzone	`-JLDZ`	Ignores small stick movements near the centre.	8%
Invert pitch	`-JLINV`	Flips up and down.	Off
Strafe instead of turning	`-JSTRAFE`	Pushing the stick left or right sidesteps instead of turning. Use it with joystick look or mouse look.	Off
Strafe axis X / Y	`-JSAX` / `-JSAY`	Which axes walk and sidestep.	0 and 1
Joystick bindings	`-JBIND`	A list of rows, each making a button or trigger press a key. A trigger counts as an axis: pick Axis + and its number.	Off

When joystick bindings are turned on, the default rows are: right trigger presses Ctrl, the bottom face button presses Space, and the left face button presses E. To find a stick’s axis and button numbers, open the in-game panel’s Joystick tab, which shows each axis and button live.

The in-game panel

Press F11 while playing to open the panel. It has most of the launcher’s options, and changes apply right away. They are saved for the next time you play.

Troubleshooting

The Run button is greyed out

Choose the game first: on the Game tab, use Browse to pick the game’s .WDL script or .WRS archive.

"The script name is longer than 12 characters"

Use Browse rather than typing a path: it puts just the file name in the box and the folder in Game folder.

Windows warns that the program is from an unknown publisher

The beta builds are not signed yet; the warning does not mean anything harmful was found.

Choose More info, then Run anyway.
Or, before unpacking, right-click the downloaded .zip, choose Properties, tick Unblock and press OK. Files unpacked from it will then start without the warning.

Windows Defender or another antivirus removes or blocks the program

This is a false alarm.

Download ACKNEX Reborn only from this page or Discord.
Restore the file from quarantine (Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Protection history) and allow it.
You can report the false alarm to Microsoft at https://www.microsoft.com/wdsi/filesubmission, and let us know on Discord so we can follow it up.

On Linux, nothing happens when I start it

Make sure the file is executable: chmod +x acknexreborn.
Start it from a terminal to see any error message.
The launcher needs GTK 3, which most desktops already have. You can also skip the launcher and start a game directly: ./acknexreborn GAME.WDL.

The game stops with a script error while loading

Check that Support games for engine V3.680 and V3.56 are on (Enhancements tab). Many older games need one of them. For a game from 1995, also try V3.08.
If the game still stops, turn on Error limit on the Game tab and set it to a few errors, so the game keeps going past them.
Please report the game on Discord, with the error message.

A cutscene freezes, or the camera doesn't turn when the game wants it to

Turn off Mouse look, and Modern WASD movement if the controls also feel wrong.

The controls don't match the game's instructions

Modern WASD movement and Key rebinding change the controls on purpose. To play with the game’s original controls, turn both off. To change a single key, edit the rows on the Keys tab.

A cheat or a typed word doesn't work

Make sure Trigger WASD events is on (Enhancements tab), or turn Modern WASD movement off.

The game runs too fast, or animations are too fast

Keep Fixed game speed and Fix texture animation speed on, and leave vsync on (No vsync off). If you turned vsync off, set Frame cap when vsync is off to a normal value such as 144.

Jumps are too high or too low

Turn on Fix jumps and falls (Enhancements tab) and adjust Jump and fall strength. You can do this live in the in-game panel (F11) to find the right value for a game.

Widescreen, ambient occlusion or other graphics options are greyed out

Those options only work with the OpenGL renderer. Turn it on first.

I can't open the Windows Game Bar

Turn on Fullscreen as a window (Display tab).

The game stutters or runs slowly

Turn off Ambient occlusion, which costs the most.
Try a smaller window size, or turn off Smooth distant textures.
Update your graphics driver.
If it happens only in OpenGL, try the original software renderer (turn off OpenGL renderer).

There is no music

For MIDI music, keep FluidR3_GM.sf2 in the same folder as acknexreborn.
For CD music, copy the CD’s audio tracks into the game’s folder as track2.ogg, track3.ogg and so on (the same numbers as on the CD), and keep CD music from .ogg files on.
Check that Music volume is above 0 and that No music and No audio at all are off.

Mouse clicks miss what I'm aiming at

Turn on Pin the cursor to the view’s centre, so clicks land on the crosshair while mouse look is on.

Two-player games can't find each other

One player must be node 0 and the other node 1.
Both must use the same Base port.
Enter the other player’s address, or leave it empty on the same local network.
Allow the program through your firewall (it uses UDP).

I changed too many settings and want to start over

Press Reset settings… in the launcher. Your settings are stored in wwrun.cfg next to the program; deleting that file does the same.

The game crashed

Note the message in the crash window, turn on Show the console on the Display tab, and try again. Then report it on Discord with the game’s name, what you were doing and what the console showed.

Game videos

Incidente em Varginha, Alien Anarchy, Saints of Virtue and Saints of Virtue X can play their original videos. The ACKNEX Reborn video converter makes them from your own copy of the game: get it in the releases area of our Discord, and ask there if you get stuck.

These files are for your personal use. ACKNEX Reborn does not distribute them, and ACKNEX Reborn, its developers and contributors are not responsible for unauthorised or illegal redistribution of copyrighted game files.

Modded graphics

With the OpenGL renderer, a game’s images can be replaced by PNG files at any resolution, from a mod folder in the game’s folder. How to make them, with examples, the WRS extractor to get the original images out, and other players’ mods: the #modded-graphics channel of our Discord.

About

ACKNEX 3 (3D GameStudio 3) is (C) oP group Germany GmbH.

ACKNEX Reborn is developed and maintained by Ricardo Reis, with permission from Johann Christian Lotter (oP group).

ACKNEX Reborn is free. It may not be sold, or included with anything that is sold, without permission. The games it runs belong to their owners, and ACKNEX Reborn includes none of them.

Special thanks to:

Johann Christian Lotter, creator of ACKNEX / 3D GameStudio, and the entire ACKNEX Reborn community.

Third-party software:

SDL 3 - zlib License
SDL_mixer - zlib License
TiMidity - Artistic License
stb_vorbis - MIT License
TinySoundFont - MIT License
PL_MPEG - MIT License
Dear ImGui - MIT License
libui-ng - MIT License
FluidR3_GM SoundFont, by Frank Wen and Toby Smithe - MIT License

Website: https://rickomax.github.io/acknex-reborn
Discord: https://discord.gg/Fdz6kjX8Jk
oP group: https://www.opgroup.de
Support the project: https://ko-fi.com/X8X3MRF5W