Gunmetal Arcadia Zero
- May 6, 2016
- J. Kyle Pittman
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Get on itch.io Store"Gunmetal Arcadia Zero" is a retro-style action-adventure platformer where you play as the young elf Vireo, choosing weapons and allegiances to defend the city of Arcadia from an approaching enemy. The game features six stages with numerous enemies and bosses, as well as NPCs to visit, gear to buy and sell, and an original 8-bit soundtrack. Additional features include speedrun mode, CRT simulation, and customizable controls.
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Reviews
- The game features responsive controls and a nostalgic 8-bit aesthetic that appeals to fans of classic platformers.
- It offers a fun and straightforward gameplay experience, making it suitable for short play sessions.
- The CRT filter and chiptune music enhance the retro feel, providing an enjoyable atmosphere for players.
- The game is very short, with many players completing it in under two hours, leading to concerns about its value for the price.
- The plot and character development are considered weak and generic, failing to engage players.
- Many weapons and items feel underutilized or ineffective, resulting in a lack of depth in gameplay mechanics.
- music26 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its catchy 8-bit style and memorable tunes reminiscent of classic titles like Mega Man, while others criticize it for being simple, repetitive, and lacking in variety. Despite the retro aesthetic, some players feel the soundtrack falls short, describing it as low-effort and not particularly engaging. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, but opinions vary on its quality and impact.
“The music is wonderful and the game isn't too hard or overly cheap.”
“Nice 8-bit style soundtrack with some really memorable tunes.”
“Music is amazing too, sounds like some of the best Mega Man music you've ever heard.”
“The music is simple and repetitive, and the game can be beaten in just a couple of hours.”
“The era-accurate but low-effort soundtrack features very short tracks with no catchy melody.”
“Sometimes the music is either decent or annoying because it has such a short loop, kinda like the NES games back in that era.”
- graphics22 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of Gunmetal Arcadia Zero are generally praised for their retro NES-style aesthetic and cute CRT filter, creating a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic sidescrollers. However, some users noted issues such as glitches, bad aliasing in cutscenes, and a lack of consistency in the retro presentation, which detracted from the overall experience. While the in-game visuals are considered pleasant, the execution of the retro theme is seen as a mixed bag, with some elements failing to capture the charm of old-school graphics.
“The art style and the cute fake CRT is solid as ever.”
“Gunmetal Arcadia Zero is a nice little throwback sidescroller (be sure to put the graphics into CRT mode!) that plays just like a classic NES game.”
“Sure, the game is cute... the in-game graphics are nice quality NES-style with good use of black space... the play control is solid... there's nothing really bad to say about any of it.”
“Just another sidescrolling platformer trying to give a retro feel, but as many others, mistake retro for crappy graphics, ambience, and music.”
“The aesthetic was decently retro, pretty cute soundtrack, but some of the 'cutscene' type pictures were kind of weirdly awful, with lots of bad aliasing that didn't mimic the 'retro' style at all but just looked wonky.”
“Most new indie games that do that tend to screw up the graphics or music or something, so it doesn't feel true to the old tech.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as basic and generic, with mechanics that feel under-utilized and a short playtime of just a couple of hours. While some players appreciate the smooth controls and nostalgic 8-bit feel, others find the experience lacking in depth and replay value, with few secrets and an unnecessary lives mechanic. Overall, the game offers a mix of enjoyable elements but fails to stand out in a crowded genre.
“100 minutes of fantastic gameplay.”
“Great physics, responsive gameplay, rewarding, mild exploration, nice CRT emulation, just enough difficulty and not too grindy.”
“That old 8-bit feel is all in its glory; the gameplay is smooth and good. It's good stuff, very good stuff.”
“The game is very short, the lives mechanic is unnecessary and annoying, there are few secrets and what secrets there are are easy to find and contain nothing interesting.”
“There is nothing that makes me want to go back and play it again as the gameplay certainly wasn't good enough to warrant a replay.”
“My personal opinion is that it's far too generic and 'lowest common denominator' as far as gameplay goes to be worth spending your time on.”
- story8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being overly simplistic and lacking depth, with a plot that feels generic and characters that fail to engage. Despite attempts at worldbuilding, the narrative does not elevate the gameplay experience, which is further hampered by poor cutscene art and a repetitive soundtrack. Overall, the brevity and lack of challenge contribute to a disappointing storytelling experience.
“The plot and gameplay are genre basic, the music is simple and repetitive, and the game can be beaten in just a couple of hours.”
“- Lame plot and characters.”
“However, with issues such as the honestly quite terrible cutscene art and design of the main characters, the era-accurate but low-effort soundtrack (very short tracks with no catchy melody), brevity of the game with a complete lack of difficulty throughout, mostly pointless optional upgrades and treasure, odd balance such as a huge variety of weapons that are far too similar with later tiers barely feeling stronger if at all, shops every 2 steps, and a story as basic as they come despite attempts at worldbuilding, I can't really recommend this.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Players find "Gunmetal Arcadia Zero" enjoyable for short sessions, but note that it can become repetitive and tedious during extended play. While the game features great physics and responsive gameplay, it strikes a balance with just enough challenge without being overly grindy.
“Great physics, responsive gameplay, rewarding, mild exploration, nice CRT emulation, just enough difficulty and not too grindy.”
“Gunmetal Arcadia Zero is a fun game to play, yet sometimes it feels repetitive and can become boring and tedious if played for a long time.”
“The game is enjoyable in short bursts, but the grinding aspect can make it feel tedious over extended play sessions.”
“While the gameplay is rewarding, the grinding can detract from the overall experience, making it feel less engaging over time.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game features appealing graphics, but players have reported occasional glitches that detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game remains enjoyable.
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted for being both amusing and brief, contributing to a lighthearted experience that may leave players wanting more.
“It's also hilariously short.”
