Retaliation

About

Retaliation is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Cameron Baxter and was released on December 18, 2015. It received negative reviews from players.

"Retaliation" is a student project set in the mysterious location of Verdant Creek, where players must solve puzzles and uncover secrets. The game encourages feedback for improvement, with ongoing development and a focus on enhancing player experience. Players will find themselves lost and alone, yet in a place that feels strangely familiar, as they navigate through this immersive and engaging game world.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

38%

Audience ScoreBased on 61 reviews

story12 positive mentions

stability8 negative mentions

The game features a story-driven experience that, while jumbled, is engaging and offers a decent amount of content for a free title.
Players appreciated the good sound design, including voice acting and music, which contributed to the overall atmosphere.
Despite its flaws, some players found it to be a fun and playable horror title, especially for those who enjoy exploring and piecing together a narrative.

The game is plagued by numerous technical issues, including buggy controls, poor collision detection, and a lack of a pause menu, making it frustrating to play.
Graphics and overall presentation are subpar, with many assets appearing unfinished or poorly designed, leading to a lack of immersion.
The gameplay experience is often described as tedious and confusing, with unclear objectives and a lack of meaningful interaction with the environment.

story
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
57%
11%
The game's story is described as ambitious and intriguing, tackling themes like drug abuse and mental illness, but suffers from poor execution and unclear narrative delivery. Players can explore the environment freely to piece together the plot, which can lead to confusion and a sense of missing key elements. While some appreciate the unique premise and atmospheric storytelling, many criticize the lack of depth, inconsistent pacing, and technical issues that detract from the overall experience.
- “The story is interesting; it's different from the standard narrative you get from most games as it tackles the idea of a lost person in a ghost town and his journey to understand what happened to the people.”
- “As you travel throughout the town and discover more recordings of the story, you gradually learn more about the children of the town and how some drug called oxy had a devastating effect on everyone.”
- “This game, however, has a very interesting story behind it which has kept my interest so far.”
- “The story itself can come to you in a jumble, and although I visited every location, I still feel like I'm missing something.”
- “However, there's never any indication given that you've gotten everything you can from an area, and in the last location, you can end up walking straight into the ending while missing over half of the final bits of story.”
- “I can see what he's trying to achieve here, story-wise and so forth, and I won't deny that there's potential, for the game and/or himself as a designer.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The graphics in the game are highly inconsistent, with some players noting a mix of underdeveloped visuals and surprisingly good scenes, while others criticize the overall quality as lackluster or clunky. Despite some moments of beauty, such as a well-rendered night sky, many reviews highlight significant issues with model designs and technical performance, leading to a generally negative reception. Overall, the graphics seem to be a major point of contention, with opinions ranging from "top tier" to "the worst ever."
- “Very deep and interesting story, graphics are top tier.”
- “Great graphics”
- “No graphics, sound, or control options; no way to improve the lackluster visuals here.”
- “The graphics vary a lot from underdeveloped to surprisingly good.”
- “I can look past many of the bad graphics and janky model designs (they're students!), but some things I couldn't look past.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay has received mostly negative feedback, with users highlighting its lack of intuitiveness and numerous technical issues, such as glitches, poor controls, and frustrating mechanics. While some players find it fun despite its rough edges, many criticize the overall experience as janky and unpolished, making it difficult to enjoy, especially for those familiar with more refined games.
- “Pretty good gameplay; it's not a horror game and it may not be everyone's thing, but it still is fun.”
- “From the description, it says it's some sort of student project, so it could have been the 'first game' made for these devs. I don't know, but I think if mystery/horror is something you like, and you don't mind rough gameplay or indie-level game development, you might enjoy it now that it is free.”
- “Gameplay is janky; you have to jump to get on stairs, sidewalks, even doorways.”
- “Everything is glitchy (textures, sound effects, gameplay...)”
- “There's little gameplay, few jumpscares not worth mentioning...”
- “Aside from jumping framerates, there are terrible texture flickers, popping textures, some of the worst mechanics imaginable, and controls that make it feel like you're moving a ten-ton boulder instead of a human being.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is generally described as buggy and clunky, with numerous glitches and technical issues that can detract from the experience. While these problems are not game-breaking and the game remains playable, they significantly impact the overall enjoyment and design quality.
- “Buggy, clunky mess.”
- “However, it's extremely buggy and the story is incredibly slow.”
- “Sadly, it has lots of glitches and bugs, but is still good playable.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with a strong soundtrack and effective sound effects that contribute to a good atmosphere. Voice acting is considered satisfactory, enhancing the overall audio experience.
- “The game has good atmosphere due to sound effects and music mostly.”
- “In my opinion, the soundtrack is actually pretty good and the voice acting is ok.”
- “Good soundtrack”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its effective use of sound effects and music, creating a spooky and immersive experience. While some players experienced frustration with gameplay issues, the overall ambiance is considered well-executed and contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The game has a great atmosphere due to the sound effects and music.”
- “Despite some initial frustration, it is very nicely done and delivers a good creepy atmosphere.”
- “The game features a cool story, first-person perspective, and a spooky atmosphere.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring additional lives to effectively progress.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it still feels like I'm nowhere.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is characterized by its bizarre and hilarious moments, particularly in the context of clunky controls and buggy physics, which add to the overall comedic experience despite some gameplay frustrations.
- “The physics and puzzles are buggy, and the controls are clunky, but it's bizarre and hilarious to have to jump back onto the sidewalk; it's by no means unplayable.”
- “The humor in this game is top-notch, with witty dialogue and absurd situations that keep you laughing throughout.”
- “I love how the game doesn't take itself too seriously, making even the most frustrating moments funny and enjoyable.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted through the poignant journey of the protagonist, Druggie Steve, as he navigates his past and the bittersweet memories of his hometown, blending nostalgia with the darker themes of addiction and its impact on the community.