Racine
- November 6, 2023
- Goblinz Studio
- 50h median play time
Get on Steam"Racine is a single-player Role Playing game that offers approximately 50 hours of playtime. Dynamic real-time combat requires strategic use of praying cards to boost your character and survive relentless enemy attacks. Careful management of your character's cards and abilities is necessary for success in this engaging strategy game."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique blend of real-time combat and deck-building mechanics, making for an engaging gameplay experience.
- The pixel art style and soundtrack are well-executed, contributing to an enjoyable atmosphere.
- There is a good variety of cards and perks, allowing for different strategies and builds throughout runs.
- The game suffers from balance issues, with certain strategies being overwhelmingly more effective than others, leading to a lack of meaningful choices.
- Many players have reported bugs and crashes, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustration.
- The progression can feel slow and grindy, with some players feeling that the game punishes them for doing well, particularly in boss encounters.
- gameplay47 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Racine is characterized by a unique blend of card-based auto-battling and a real-time parry mechanic, which many players find engaging and innovative. However, some reviewers note a lack of depth and strategy, with only one effective approach to progress, leading to a repetitive experience. While the mechanics and art style are praised, issues such as unclear instructions and unbalanced enemy scaling detract from the overall enjoyment.
“The combination of deck-builder, auto battler, and the real-time parry/shield mechanic is a pretty unique formula and it all meshed very well.”
“Not only does the game have an amazing soundtrack with a beautiful pixel art style, but the gameplay loop is incredibly unique compared to anything I've ever played.”
“Challenging fast-paced card game blended with a neat parry mechanic.”
“The dexterity/twitch-based parry mechanic doesn't jibe well with an auto-battler.”
“There is a nice diversity in cards and perks, but the gameplay is boring; the game doesn't incentivize players to play their cards at the right time, and there isn't much of a danger feeling when you are at low health.”
“It's an interesting mix of idle combat and card selection that is fine for a few hours of fun, but it becomes frustrating how few mechanics are explained, and the lack of card combos or themes makes it feel very 'same-y'.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's pixel graphics and art style receive high praise for their charm and uniqueness, contributing to an engaging atmosphere alongside a compelling soundtrack. However, some players feel that while the visuals are appealing, the overall depth of the game is lacking, leading to a sense of shallowness after the initial enjoyment. Despite this, the rewarding progression system and the aesthetic elements are highlighted as strong points.
“Not only does the game have an amazing soundtrack with a beautiful pixel art style, but the gameplay loop is incredibly unique compared to anything I've ever played.”
“A simple yet surprisingly demanding game, with charming retro graphics and a compelling soundtrack.”
“Also, 10/10 art style.”
“The pixel graphics may not be for everyone, but the feeling of growing stronger as the game progresses is rewarding.”
“I did find out in my last run that the black spots that appear on the map are not just 'end of world corruption' aesthetic flavor; you can fight on these spots to lower the enemy level/corruption.”
“Overall game theme, concept, and art style could use improvement.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and lacking in meaningful decision-making, often feeling like they are just clicking through actions without significant impact. While some enjoy the challenge of grinding for upgrades and the occasional satisfaction of breaking the game mechanics, many agree that the process can become overly repetitive and time-consuming, detracting from the overall experience.
“Ambiance is cool, but overall, not enough meaningful decisions and too grindy for me.”
“Unfortunately it gets pretty tedious just clicking on whatever you can to avoid damage and attempting to get just the right puzzle pieces to scale up.”
“Enjoy spending dozens of hours grinding meta currency to unlock upgrades before you can play the game for real.”
- music8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's music is consistently praised for its amazing soundtrack, which complements the beautiful pixel art style and enhances the overall vibe. Reviewers highlight the unique gameplay experience alongside the compelling and charming retro sound, making it a standout feature of the game.
“Not only does the game have an amazing soundtrack with a beautiful pixel art style, but the gameplay loop is incredibly unique compared to anything I've ever played.”
“A simple yet surprisingly demanding game, with charming retro graphics and a compelling soundtrack.”
“Great game, the soundtrack is awesome and the visuals are amazing.”
- story6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it mediocre and criticizing the ending, while others consider it decent but note that it becomes repetitive towards the end. The overall pacing is quick, as players can complete the initial sections in under two hours, but challenges arise with the final boss.
“The story is pretty decent and the game was worth the price, but does get a bit redundant towards the end.”
“The story is pretty meh, and I think the ending is really bad.”
“I beat the first three worlds in story mode in less than two hours, then proceeded to get stuck on the final boss.”
“The story is pretty decent, and the game was worth the price, but it does get a bit redundant towards the end.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the random starting deck system that enhances replay value, many others criticize the lack of diverse characters and interactions, leading to a perception of minimal replayability compared to similar games.
“Everything revolves around the same stats with no different characters or interactions, so there's zero replay value.”
“My only complaint is that the game has less replayability than other similar games.”
“I believe the random starting deck system increases the replayability of the game.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Racine features a visually appealing Japanese atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience. The real-time mechanics of card play during enemy attacks create a tense and engaging environment, keeping players on their toes.
“Racine is a beautiful autobattler with a Japanese atmosphere; the real-time aspect of playing the right cards while enemies attack keeps you on edge.”
“Racine is a stunning autobattler that immerses you in a captivating Japanese atmosphere, where the real-time decision-making adds to the tension of the gameplay.”
