RefRain: Prism Memories

About

"RefRain: Prism Memories" is a rhythm game where players tap notes in time with music. The game features a visual novel element, telling the story of a world where humans and virtual beings called RefRains coexist. With a variety of songs and characters, players can customize their gameplay experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+25

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 115 reviews

music52 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

RefRain features unique mechanics that emphasize aggressive play and bullet-cancelling, making it a refreshing take on the shmup genre.
The game boasts a beautiful cyberpunk aesthetic, with stunning visuals and an outstanding soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
With three distinct ships and a variety of difficulty options, RefRain offers replayability and caters to both newcomers and veterans of the genre.

Some players have reported issues with enemy visibility, particularly with projectiles blending into the background, making it difficult to track attacks.
The final bosses are often criticized for being overly tanky and having unclear attack patterns, leading to frustration during encounters.
The game's story and character writing have been described as lacking depth, with some players finding the dialogue and character interactions to be clichéd and unengaging.

music
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
31%
4%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its outstanding quality and ability to enhance the overall experience. The soundtrack features a mix of calming and frenetic tracks that sync well with gameplay, creating a captivating atmosphere. Overall, the music is described as beautiful, engaging, and integral to the game's design, making it a standout feature that complements the visuals and mechanics effectively.
- “The music is brilliant and the presentation is top-notch.”
- “The hypnotic, colorful visuals are simple but beautiful, and the pulsing trance soundtrack is top-notch.”
- “Great trance soundtrack that often syncs to gameplay and stage progression.”
- “Even now, I can't remember when the game transitioned from calming music to more frenetic techno stuff.”
- “For this reason, I recommend turning the sound volume far below the music volume - in the 30-40% range - in the game's rather awkward configuration menu only accessible from an out-of-game configuration launcher.”
- “I want the soundtrack to draw me into the trance from the start.”
gameplay
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
72%
4%
The gameplay of this shmup is praised for its unique mechanics, including a bullet cancel system and a special meter that encourages aggressive play and strategic use of abilities. Players appreciate the beautiful visuals, engaging music, and the balance of challenge and accessibility, making it suitable for both newcomers and seasoned players. While some find the gameplay initially stiff, mastering the mechanics leads to a rewarding experience with high replayability and a focus on scoring rather than just dodging.
- “A very well designed shmup with interesting mechanics - a bullet cancel and a 'special meter' similar to fighting games, that fills when killing enemies and can be used to perform 4 different levels of special attack.”
- “Refrain does a great job of distinguishing itself in a genre of very similar titles by mechanically focusing on offense-heavy gameplay and scoring rather than pure dodging.”
- “It looks beautiful, it plays amazingly, and has an original play mechanic, something not often found these days.”
- “There's a lot of fast stuff to deal with, so you are expected to abuse the mechanics to their fullest in order to survive.”
- “The entire mechanics of the game prioritize well-planned ability usage in order to not even have to deal with fields of bullets.”
- “Fun game, it is more about playing smart than having the most sick skill due to the mechanics the game has.”
graphics
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
68%
9%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews; while some players find them dull and simplistic, others appreciate the harmonious integration of visuals with gameplay and music. The cybernetic aesthetic is well-executed, with crisp visuals and clever details enhancing the overall experience. However, performance issues like frame rate drops can detract from the visual enjoyment, particularly on lower-end hardware.
- “The hypnotic, colorful visuals are simple but beautiful, and the pulsing trance soundtrack is top-notch.”
- “The game supports a cybernetic aesthetic and plot (not overstated, but in that arena without question) which translates to the in-game visuals excellently.”
- “Visuals are crisp and clear, and the soundtrack is truly amazing.”
- “The graphics are a bit dull, but do their job and bullet visibility is okay.”
- “There's emails for each of the three playable characters and some text on the stage screen, but the color and graphics barely convey this.”
- “The graphics themselves are largely simple shapes for enemy designs.”
story
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
77%
10%
The story in the game is delivered through a series of emails and logs that players unlock as they progress, creating an engaging narrative that ties into an overarching plot connected to previous titles. While the storytelling is described as mildly engaging and somewhat simplistic, it effectively complements the game's cyber theme. Players are encouraged to explore the narrative further by playing earlier games, although it's not essential for understanding the current storyline.
- “Most of all, I want to feel the need to take a deep breath to steel my nerves every time I descend into what will likely be a suicide mission.”
- “Refrain puts a lot of emphasis on the overarching story and theme of being set inside a computer.”
- “There is a story - and just the right amount for a shooter, all told through IM logs the characters get on their desktops.”
- “There's a story that's told through emails that slowly unfolds after you defeat each boss.”
- “While the first game, Samidare, and the second, Redrive, are not available on Steam and relatively less-known, it is not so important that you must play them to get what is going on in the Refrain storyline.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
The game's optimization has seen significant improvements in graphics and engine performance compared to its predecessor, Samidare. However, players noted that it can be challenging to find the most efficient gameplay strategies, and the visuals may appear blurry due to being optimized primarily for a 3:4 aspect ratio.
- “About graphics and game engine performance, the rebrank has improved a lot since Samidare.”
- “A little blurry too, since it is only optimized for 3:4 size.”
- “Gameplay took a while for me to figure out a more optimized way to play.”
- “The graphics and game engine performance have improved a lot since Samidare, but there's still room for optimization.”
- “The visuals are a little blurry too, since the game is only optimized for a 3:4 aspect ratio.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers significant replayability through its three distinct playable characters, each with unique styles, alongside engaging art direction and music. Players are encouraged to improve their skills, as unlocks are tied to performance, enhancing the replay value beyond mere scoring.
- “Lots of replayability with the three playable characters and their different styles, fantastic art direction and music, and satisfying gameplay.”
- “Since the unlocks depend on how well you play, there is good replayability here, not just for scoring.”
- “The variety of characters and their unique playstyles really enhance the replayability, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”