Re:Fresh
- April 24, 2023
- Merge Conflict Studio
"Re:Fresh" is a single-player violence platformer game with a stunning story and great gameplay. Explore a beautiful open-world environment as a robot, collecting materials to repair your town after a storm while enjoying stellar visuals and music. Upgrade your movement options and forge your own path in this relaxing solarpunk adventure on Steam.
Reviews
- The game is incredibly cute and charming, with delightful character designs and a relaxing atmosphere.
- Gameplay is simple and enjoyable, featuring fun movement mechanics that make exploration rewarding.
- It's a short but sweet experience, perfect for a casual gaming session, and offers a sense of accomplishment without being overly challenging.
- The game is very short, typically taking only 1-2 hours to complete, leaving players wanting more content.
- There are several bugs and optimization issues, particularly with controller support and minor gameplay glitches.
- Many quests feel repetitive, primarily revolving around collecting the same materials, which can detract from the overall experience.
- story27 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as cute and charming, focusing on exploration and community-building through simple fetch quests. While the narrative is enjoyable and visually appealing, many players noted that it is relatively short and repetitive, primarily revolving around collecting materials for townsfolk. Overall, it offers a laid-back experience with an adorable storyline, making it a delightful choice for fans of casual platformers.
“This game is a must play, it's beautiful, the story is adorable and the characters are cute as hell.”
“Great story, great visuals, and great gameplay.”
“The play experience is delightful beyond just aesthetics, the story is cute, and the controls feel tight and responsive!”
“The story was a little short, but for $5, it was a well-made game.”
“There are a lot of fetch quests; actually, the whole game is based on fetch quests.”
“Most of the quests are the same (get the same materials, give the materials).”
- gameplay26 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its fun and relaxing mechanics, particularly the satisfying movement and platforming elements that encourage exploration. While there are some unpolished aspects, such as controller issues and minor bugs, the overall experience is enjoyable, with a charming aesthetic and engaging progression systems. The game is accessible to all ages, making it a delightful adventure for players seeking a lighthearted experience.
“It's fun, relaxing, cute, and the jump mechanics (which must have been a challenge to code and implement) are spot on. I had so much fun just being able to jump and dash around from tree to tree and between the cliffs!”
“The controls are tight, the platforming segments are incredibly clever, and the quality of life details like the quest journal and the cosmetic options really just top off the gameplay experience.”
“The progression mechanics are fun, and the environments encourage and reward exploration!”
“Currently has some issues with controller/kb+mouse overriding each other among other visual/gameplay annoyances (i.e. camera sensitivity is one slider that applies in both directions, menus are sometimes janky, etc.).”
“- unpolished, with some gameplay and graphics bugs.”
“The moment to moment gameplay is solid, though I think I would like the game more if there was something that really felt like it tested the player more.”
- graphics24 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming and cute aesthetic, with simple visuals that complement the gameplay and story. However, many users report significant performance issues, including frame drops and glitches, even on low settings, which detracts from the overall experience. While the art style is generally well-received, the lack of optimization and advanced graphics settings has been a common point of criticism.
“I really enjoyed its movement and aesthetic, particularly the adorable robot designs.”
“Fun mechanics, gorgeous graphics, cute soundtrack.”
“This game is very cute, its art style and solar-punk aesthetic is very satisfying to watch as you dash and jump around a small town area.”
“Despite the simple graphics, frames drop below 30 on the Deck OLED on low graphics when looking in the distance.”
“Admittedly, my machine is a bit older, but even after lowering the resolution to 640x480 and running the game at the 'low' graphics preset, the framerate still dipped into the single digits in the forest region.”
“This game is very cute, its art style and solar-punk aesthetic is very satisfying to watch as you dash and jump around a small town area, but it needs a bit of optimization and some polishing on the graphics.”
- music15 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its charm and ability to fit the game's mood perfectly. The soundtrack is described as adorable and lively, contributing to a cozy and relaxing experience, although some noted minor issues with music triggering in specific areas. Overall, the sound design, including the music and sound effects, significantly enriches the gameplay and environment.
“The OST is amazing.”
“Re:fresh has such adorable characters and warm, lively music, and I really want more from it.”
“There are other more minor issues, like the music restarting frequently on the edges of the forest area, since they didn't make its trigger zone large enough.”
“The game is short and sweet with relaxing music.”
“Minor request though, I'm totally biased but you've gotta put the soundtrack for the game on Spotify or Bandcamp.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its wholesome and heartwarming nature, with players praising its cute and inviting atmosphere. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to evoke mixed feelings in a positive way, emphasizing its short yet impactful adventure that leaves a lasting impression. Overall, it is celebrated as a delightful experience that fosters a sense of community and joy.
“I have mixed feelings on both 'wholesome' games and solarpunk, but this is a pretty good case for the communal, inviting, aspirational best of both.”
“Heartwarming jaunt through a beautiful little world.”
“It was an adorable little adventure, and super wholesome.”
- stability6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while mouse and keyboard controls are reported to be smooth and it runs well on the Steam Deck, users have noted occasional bugs and glitches that can detract from the experience. Some players found the visual glitches particularly off-putting, though none were deemed game-breaking.
“Totally worth the price and runs great on Steam Deck.”
“The game was pretty cute, but the game itself is very buggy.”
“Very short, not really worth it, but had a lot of potential - the glitches in the visuals were a huge turn off though.”
“Gameplay is good, but occasionally buggy!”
- optimization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, players have noted optimization issues, particularly in asset-dense areas, leading to mild performance problems. While some users are less concerned about these issues, others find the game's optimization lacking, especially when attempting to load the entire world simultaneously.
“I suspect there are some optimization issues with trying to load everything in the world at once.”
“Kinda janky and weirdly poorly optimized if you care about that stuff (I don't).”
“If I had a singular complaint, it would be that I experienced some mild performance issues in one of the more asset-dense areas of the game, but I'm not exactly running on modern hardware.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while grinding can be enjoyable and engaging, with some players appreciating the item collection aspect, others find it excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it may require a significant investment of time to fully experience the game.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Collecting items didn't ever feel tedious except for one section where I just needed to think outside of the box.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the character designs and environments are praised for their aesthetic appeal, the reviews do not provide substantial insights into the depth or progression of character development within the game.
“I really loved the character designs and the environments are really nice to look at.”
“The character designs are super cute.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for having little to no replay value, suggesting that once completed, players may not find enough incentive to revisit it.
“There is no replay value.”
“The game lacks any incentive to play again after finishing it.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little reason to return.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting it as a top-tier element that complements the engaging gaming mechanics.
“Absolutely loved this game; the gaming mechanics and atmosphere were both top tier.”
“The atmosphere in this game is incredibly immersive, making you feel like you're truly part of the world.”
“Every detail contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that keeps you engaged from start to finish.”