Retchid
- August 18, 2023
- From Beneath Software
- 6h median play time
Get on Steam"Retchid is a single-player Action game with 6 hours of playtime, offering an atmospheric First Person Shooter experience with cosmic horror influences and Mesoamerican themes. As a TEC Engineer, retrieve classified research data and encryption keys from a nefarious discovery deep within a Mining Facility on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, whileMeeting intense and visceral combat."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Retchid successfully captures the atmosphere and gameplay style of Doom 3, providing a nostalgic experience for fans of the genre.
- The level design is intricate and encourages exploration, with plenty of secrets to discover and a rewarding sense of progression.
- The game shows promise with its solid graphics, sound design, and engaging combat mechanics, making it a fun experience despite its current rough edges.
- The game suffers from poor enemy AI and frustrating combat mechanics, making encounters feel unbalanced and often leading to player frustration.
- The save system is cumbersome, requiring players to backtrack to specific save points, which can lead to significant loss of progress and disrupt the flow of gameplay.
- Many players have noted that the game feels incomplete, with issues such as lack of a map, confusing level layouts, and a need for better storytelling and character development.
- atmosphere17 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently described as dark, spooky, and immersive, drawing strong influences from titles like Doom 3 and Dead Space. Reviewers praise the moody lighting, environmental storytelling, and sound design, which collectively create a compelling sci-fi horror experience. However, some players note that certain gameplay elements, such as enemy AI and level layouts, can detract from the overall atmosphere, suggesting that improvements in these areas could elevate the game to a masterpiece.
“The atmosphere gives a vibe of a mix between Doom 3 (from which it took most of its influence) and Dead Space, with the mining station and the player being an engineer.”
“The atmosphere is on point; if you loved the atmosphere in id Tech 4 games (Alien Isolation too, with heavy Black Mesa/Half-Life influences), then this should feel almost just as great. You have those submarine-esque cramped, dimly lit corridors with flickering dynamic fluorescent lights and dark shadows cast across the scenery of a facility on a harsh alien planet now fallen into chaos, with bodies littering the corridors, machinery breaking and sparking everywhere. The accompanying soundscape complements it with moody ambient tracks and the sounds of machinery, vents, pipes, humming, and hissing as you crawl through it all.”
“While the game does not shy away from showing its influences and roots, ultimately the excellent sci-fi atmosphere, exceptional sound design and score, dazzling graphics, and a unique feel make sure we are seeing the rise of a truly original new IP.”
“The atmosphere gives a vibe of a mix between Doom 3 (from which it took most of its influence and the game doesn't shy away from it) and Dead Space with the mining station, the player being an engineer and all.”
“It's positives are atmosphere and creepy sound but the level layouts can be confusing and finally the enemy AI is somewhat off, so if these issues could be fixed then a Doom 3 inspired masterpiece it could be!”
“The lighting and environmental storytelling especially add to the atmosphere.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a nostalgic homage to early 2000s FPS titles, blending elements from Doom 3 and Quake 4 with a survival horror vibe. While it captures the atmospheric and methodical pacing well, some players find the save system frustrating, as losing significant progress can detract from the experience. Overall, the gameplay feels slightly unpolished but retains a charm reminiscent of classic eurojank shooters, appealing to fans of retro-style games.
“This is a great retro-shooter aiming to recreate the early 2000s era of FPS gameplay.”
“The atmosphere is really on point; it has decent pacing for both the gameplay and difficulty.”
“Retchid will sadly most likely go unnoticed by many, I fear. It's a really fun, moody, methodical shooter with a sprinkle of survival horror mechanics mixed in, and it has a lot of attention to detail by a small independent team who are trying to do something a bit more rare and ambitious in the indie FPS space currently.”
“I love the Doom 3-style difficulty and gameplay, but dying and losing over half an hour of progress just because you forgot to find a save room before a boss fight isn't fun.”
“I understand what the devs are going for design-wise, but it doesn't blend well with the gameplay style.”
“The gameplay does still feel a bit unpolished, so you could say it has a little bit of that looseness of early 2000s eurojank FPS games as well, which in my opinion isn't a bad thing.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics are a blend of nostalgia and modernity, showcasing the id tech 4 engine with a visually striking aesthetic that evokes classic titles while avoiding the typical Unreal Engine 4 look. While some elements feel dated, with washed-out colors reminiscent of 2007, the overall execution is praised for its atmospheric depth and immersive quality, contributing to a unique sci-fi experience. Despite minor graphical inconsistencies, the game successfully captures a compelling visual style that enhances its original identity.
“The immersion is spectacular and the graphics excellent, ratcheting up that id tech 4 mystique a few notches.”
“The atmosphere is moody in all the right ways, combat feels juicy and satisfying, and the aesthetic is very pleasing to the eye.”
“The graphics are brilliantly executed - it feels like an id tech 4 game but has the visual punch more like the recent System Shock remake.”
“However, the graphics are straight out of 2007 with faded and washed out colors.”
“Although it doesn't quite capture the gloominess and dread that Doom 3 exuded, some of the graphics do look similar.”
“While still rough in places, with some AI issues and graphical inconsistencies, what's here is a deeply promising opening that knows how to create tension and interesting moments of terror.”
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally perceived as underdeveloped and lacking in character depth, with many players feeling it serves as an afterthought. While the environmental storytelling and atmosphere are praised, there is a strong desire for more engaging narratives, cutscenes, and fleshed-out characters to enhance player investment. Overall, the focus seems to be more on gameplay mechanics and exploration rather than a compelling storyline.
“The lighting and environmental storytelling especially add to the atmosphere.”
“Btw, episode 1 in early access is rather long, with complex levels that can last you hours; for me, all 7 missions lasted 9 hours, yours might be 6-8.”
“The story seems to be an afterthought, so don't expect to be invested in it; plus, as far as I can tell, there is near zero characterization.”
“Cutscenes, better fleshed-out characters, environmental storytelling, and NPCs would be welcome.”
“The story does not need to be deeply intricate, but it should be more engaging.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its solid optimization, with players reporting a consistent 60fps on high settings and no significant performance issues. Improvements in combat mechanics and overall gameplay experience have been noted since the demo, indicating that the developers have effectively enhanced the game's performance and visual fidelity. Minor areas for further decoration exist, but they are rare and do not detract from the otherwise detailed environments.
“The game is well optimized, so I commend the developer for that.”
“I played a lot of the demo when it was available in the Next Fest, and the early access release has seen some really cool improvements in performance and subtle juicy touches to gunplay, enemies, and animations that make the moment-to-moment combat loop on top of the exploration all feel pretty fleshed out. Now, in early access so far, it feels like 90+% of systems are there or on paper (like in the PDA you can see some upgrade stuff that hasn't yet been implemented into the world but is given to the player at the start for now). Most of the rest of the work will probably be making levels, fleshing out some story elements, and maybe some minor polishing up (a handful of rooms could use a tiny bit more decoration, but like 1 out of 100 rooms you'll visit, you'll only notice it because of how rare it is and it stands out to the otherwise detailed environments).”
“Performance is really solid; I haven't seen a single dip so far from my locked 60fps with settings at very high. There's ultra, but I don't think ultra probably adds much more if it's at all like UE4 'cinematic'/4 setting, which usually just ups shadow resolution and some other minor things to be really expensive. Very high seems to correspond to the typical 'epic'/3 setting in UE4. I haven't run into the usual UE4 bugs either in settings resetting, and you can tweak stuff further in the engine ini, maybe enable TAAU Gen 4/TSR if you need to squeeze more performance.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate that while there are numerous secrets to discover, the process of finding them is engaging rather than tedious, making the grinding aspect feel rewarding and enjoyable.
“Secrets are everywhere but not tedious to find.”
“The grind feels rewarding, as each level brings new abilities and challenges.”
“I love how the grinding process allows me to explore different strategies and playstyles.”
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a positive experience with stability, noting that the game plays and runs smoothly without significant issues.
“It plays and runs great for me.”
“The game is incredibly stable, with no crashes or bugs.”
“I've experienced smooth gameplay without any interruptions.”
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its terrifying soundtrack, which effectively complements the scary sci-fi horror visual style, reminiscent of classic titles like Doom 64. The combination of atmospheric soundscapes enhances the immersive experience of exploring the sprawling map filled with secrets and shortcuts.
“The soundtrack is a terrifying blend that perfectly matches the game's atmosphere, reminiscent of the classic Doom 64.”
“The music enhances the experience with a haunting quality that draws you deeper into the game's sci-fi horror world.”
“The combination of a sprawling map design and a chilling soundtrack creates an immersive experience that pays homage to the classic Doom games.”
“The music feels repetitive and lacks the intensity needed to enhance the gameplay experience.”
“I found the soundtrack to be uninspired and forgettable, failing to create the atmosphere the game aims for.”
“The audio design is disappointing; the music doesn't match the action on screen and often feels out of place.”
