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 retro aesthetic that appeals to fans of classic NES games.
- It's a fun and straightforward platformer that can be enjoyed in short bursts, making it a great option for casual gaming sessions.
- The CRT filter and chiptune music enhance the overall experience, providing a charming throwback to the 8-bit era.
- The game is very short, with a playtime of around two hours, which may not justify the price for some players.
- The gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks depth, with many weapons and items being underwhelming or useless.
- The plot and character design are generic and uninspired, failing to engage players beyond the basic mechanics.
- music13 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 chiptune style reminiscent of classic titles like Mega Man, while others criticize it for being simple, repetitive, and lacking memorable melodies. Overall, the soundtrack is noted for its retro aesthetic, but some players find it falls short due to its brevity and lack of variety.
“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 plot and gameplay are genre basic, the music is simple and repetitive, and the game can be beaten in just a couple of hours.”
“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 story as basic as they come despite attempts at worldbuilding... I can't really recommend this.”
“Just another sidescrolling platformer trying to give a retro feel, but as many others, mistake retro for crappy graphics, ambience, and music.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of Gunmetal Arcadia Zero are generally praised for their solid retro aesthetic and cute CRT filter, evoking a nostalgic NES feel. However, some users noted issues such as glitches, poor aliasing in cutscenes, and a mix of average artwork that detracts from the overall experience. While the game successfully captures a retro vibe, it occasionally falls short of delivering a polished visual presentation.
“The art style and the cute fake CRT is solid as ever.”
“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.”
“Great aesthetic, good music, an interesting setting.”
“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, 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.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally viewed as basic and unoriginal, with many mechanics feeling under-utilized and the overall experience being too short and lacking replay value. While some players appreciate the smooth controls and nostalgic 8-bit feel, others criticize the repetitive nature and lack of engaging content, leading to a mixed reception overall.
“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 plot and gameplay are genre basic, the music is simple and repetitive, and the game can be beaten in just a couple of hours.”
“The mechanics, largely borrowed from one of my other favorite games, Zelda II, aren't given much room and feel under-utilized.”
“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.”
- story4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being basic and lacking depth, with poorly designed cutscenes and unmemorable characters. Players find the plot unengaging and the worldbuilding attempts insufficient to elevate the overall experience, leading to a lack of recommendation.
“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.”
“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.”
“- lame plot and characters”
- grinding2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find "Gunmetal Arcadia Zero" enjoyable for short sessions, praising its responsive gameplay and rewarding mechanics. However, they note that extended play can lead to repetitiveness and tedium, though the game is not considered 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, but it can become repetitive and tedious if played for long periods. It's best enjoyed in short bursts.”
“Great physics, responsive gameplay, and rewarding exploration, but it can feel a bit grindy at times.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game features appealing graphics, but users have reported occasional glitches that affect overall stability. Despite these issues, the experience remains enjoyable.
“The game offers some nice graphics, although there are some ugly glitches here and there.”
“I frequently experience crashes that disrupt my gameplay.”
“The frame rate drops significantly during intense moments, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted for being both effective and brief, contributing to a lighthearted experience that leaves players amused despite its short duration.
“It's also hilariously short.”
“The humor is spot-on and keeps you laughing throughout the game.”
“I love the witty dialogue and the absurd situations the characters find themselves in.”
