Retro Machina (2021)

Who doesn’t love a good dystopian sci-fi affair? Growing up reading stories like 1984, The Handmaid’s Tale, Brave New World, even stories like The Road or some of the more recent tales written by smaller name authors. I fell in love with the genre and write in it to this day.

Retro Machina is a game that includes themes that have been explored countless times before, yet brings its own understanding and take of these views to the table. It is the care put into creating the game’s backstory and world that made me fall in love with this title and wonder just how horrible a world without humans would be…

At the first glance I had at this game, I was absolutely floored. I thought I will be going back to write only praise in this Retro Machina review. However, I may have judged it too soon. The gorgeous visuals, creative puzzles, and engaging plot make for a great game; however, combat and exploration make the good moments few and far between. Retro Machina is still worth playing because the good parts are really good. If you’re quickly frustrated you should look elsewhere. But, If you are a fan of the genre, you’ll be able to still enjoy the gems beneath the thick layer of clunk.

With its unique, effective art design and plethora of satisfying puzzles, Retro Machina has many of the ingredients of a memorable and rewarding game. It’s unfortunate that combat and some key control mechanics discolor what could be a vibrant experience. Thematically, Retro Machina doesn’t cover new ground but the way it approaches puzzles and story makes sense and feels consistent with the world it has created. As an early game from a new studio, Retro Machina is an auspicious, if flawed, debut.

Retro Machina is a beautiful adventure that ends up stumbling on several aspects. The enemy controlling mechanics are interesting and there are some notable uses, as in certain more elaborate puzzles. The ambience captivates with a beautiful hand-drawn retro-futuristic universe and great character design. However, there are lots of problems: inconsistent pace, overly simple puzzles and repetitive combat.