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."
Reviews
- The game features a unique blend of deck building, real-time strategy, and rhythm elements, providing an engaging gameplay experience.
- Players enjoy the sense of progression as they build their skills and stats throughout each run, making for a rewarding experience.
- The pixel art and overall artistic vision are well-received, contributing to a charming atmosphere.
- The game suffers from balance issues, with certain strategies being overwhelmingly more effective than others, leading to a lack of viable options.
- Many players report technical issues, including crashes and bugs that disrupt gameplay and hinder progress.
- The lack of meaningful decisions and the repetitive nature of combat can make the game feel tedious over time.
- gameplay24 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game features a unique blend of card-based mechanics, auto-battling, and a real-time parry system, which many players find engaging and innovative. However, some reviewers note a lack of depth and variety in strategies, leading to a repetitive experience, while others express frustration with unclear mechanics and balancing issues. Overall, the game offers a fun and visually appealing experience, but it may not sustain long-term interest due to its limitations.
“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.”
“Racine has some innovative mechanics that make it the only real-time deckbuilder game that I believe actually works as a benefit to the gameplay as opposed to a hindrance.”
“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'.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game feature charming pixel art that appeals to many players, complemented by a beautiful soundtrack. While some find the visuals engaging and rewarding, others note that the overall depth of the game may not match the initial visual impact. The art style is consistently praised, though it is accompanied by critiques regarding gameplay mechanics and enemy scaling.
“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.”
“Overall game theme, concept, and art style are impressive.”
“The pixel graphics may not be for everyone, but they can feel outdated and lack detail compared to modern standards.”
“The overall game theme and art style feel inconsistent, making it hard to immerse myself in the experience.”
“While I appreciated the artwork, the graphics often felt underwhelming and didn't do justice to the game's potential.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and lacking meaningful decisions, often feeling like a chore rather than an engaging experience. While some enjoy the challenge of optimizing strategies, many express frustration with the excessive time spent grinding for upgrades and the imbalance in card effectiveness, leading to a sense of monotony. Overall, the grind detracts from the enjoyment of the game, making it feel more like a time sink than a rewarding endeavor.
“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.”
- music4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's music is widely praised for its amazing soundtrack, which complements the beautiful pixel art style and enhances the overall vibe. Reviewers highlight the unique gameplay experience, noting that the compelling soundtrack adds to the charm of the retro graphics.
“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.”
“Great pixel art, music, and overall vibe.”
“A simple yet surprisingly demanding game, with charming retro graphics and a compelling soundtrack.”
- story3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it lackluster and the ending unsatisfactory, while others consider it decent but repetitive as the game progresses. Overall, it seems to provide a brief experience, with the first three worlds completed quickly, but can become frustrating at 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.”
“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.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, reviews indicate a mixed perception of replayability; while some players feel the lack of diverse characters and interactions significantly diminishes replay value, others appreciate the random starting deck system as a factor that enhances replayability.
“I believe the random starting deck system increases the replayability of the game.”
“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.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of Racine is characterized by its visually appealing Japanese aesthetic, which enhances the gameplay experience. The real-time mechanics create a sense of urgency and tension, keeping players engaged as they strategically play cards while under attack.
“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.”
“The game's atmosphere is immersive, drawing you into its world with stunning visuals and captivating sound design.”
“Every moment in the game feels alive, with a rich ambiance that enhances the overall experience.”
