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Retro Commander

Retro Commander Game Cover
77%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
monetization, optimization
77% User Score Based on 202 reviews

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Retro Commander Game Cover

About

Retro Commander is a single player and multiplayer casual real-time strategy game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Noble Master ᴳᵃᵐᵉˢ and was released on November 24, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Retro Commander is a post-apocalyptic real-time strategy wargame.

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Retro Commander screenshot
Retro Commander screenshot
Retro Commander screenshot
Retro Commander screenshot
Retro Commander screenshot
Retro Commander screenshot
Retro Commander screenshot
Retro Commander screenshot
Retro Commander screenshot
Retro Commander screenshot
Retro Commander screenshot
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77%
Audience ScoreBased on 202 reviews
gameplay13 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • Retro Commander successfully captures the nostalgic feel of classic RTS games like Command & Conquer and Supreme Commander, offering enjoyable gameplay and a variety of units.
  • The game features a solid tactical depth with diverse landscapes and unit interactions, making for engaging strategic gameplay.
  • It's free to play, allowing players to experience the game without upfront costs, and it has potential for community-driven content through modding.
  • The game suffers from balancing issues, particularly with certain units and AI behavior, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
  • Many features, including additional maps and modding tools, are locked behind a paywall, making the free version feel limited and somewhat deceptive.
  • The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, which can hinder the overall experience and make it difficult for new players to learn the game.
  • gameplay
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is generally praised for its enjoyable and well-designed mechanics, drawing comparisons to titles like Supreme Commander and Command & Conquer. However, players note issues with clunky controls, a lack of clarity in objectives, and a poorly designed tutorial that fails to adequately explain key mechanics. While the game has solid potential and fun elements, concerns about monetization practices and limited strategic incentives detract from the overall experience.

    • “It has enjoyable and well-designed mechanics.”
    • “Gameplay exceeded my expectations and has the potential to become an esport with a livestreaming scene, many concurrent players, and an ever-evolving meta.”
    • “Awesome in every way.. looks beautiful, smooth gameplay and absolutely replayable.”
    • “Despite the game having the worst tutorial ever, I think it had its own unique gameplay, but it also lacked other features.”
    • “I bought the maps & mods upgrade after one game because I really dig the gameplay and wanted to support the developers, but then noticed all these weird monetization methods as I kept playing and it just makes the entire experience of starting a round extremely tedious and unfun, and also made me lose my goodwill towards the developers.”
    • “The coin pay-to-play, 'map sponsors', and regulatory questionable betting mechanics still exist in the game and is what's advertised to users when you try to play the game as intended, and that makes it not worth the trouble for most people.”
  • story
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is generally perceived as underwhelming and simplistic, with many reviewers noting a lack of depth and engaging characters. While some find the premise amusing, the execution is criticized for being generic and predictable, often feeling like a tedious tutorial rather than a full campaign. Additionally, the limited content and the perception of the game as a demo contribute to a disappointing narrative experience.

    • “This game is very fun and has an interesting story.”
    • “Most people who play RTS are looking for a good campaign, a good story.”
    • “C&C was good not just for funny multiplayer, but for an epic story and special missions.”
    • “Characters are bland and say whatever is needed at the moment. The story progresses slowly and feels aimless for a while; it's quite predictable and simple.”
    • “Back to the campaign, the story is really underwhelmingly simple, and the levels lack interesting challenges and incentives to play with strategy.”
    • “Very weak story campaign, no plot, no charismatic characters.”
  • graphics
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are a mixed bag, with some players criticizing the pixel art as subpar and reminiscent of outdated styles, while others appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic that aligns well with the RTS genre. Many reviews highlight that, despite the simplistic visuals, the game effectively captures a retro feel and offers enjoyable animations and effects. Overall, opinions vary, with some finding the graphics adequate for the gameplay experience, while others feel they detract from it.

    • “The graphics fit this traditional style of strategy well, and the nuke effects on terrain (among other effects) blend really well in the final presentation.”
    • “The rts genre is not in its best moment and that’s why Retro Commander hits harder by bringing back the glory days of the genre with a nostalgic art style of the classic titles that made it popular.”
    • “Graphically, the game is great within the means of its 'retro' art style, and the sprite-work and animations are all very enjoyable to witness while causing mass destruction to your enemies.”
    • “It's an RTS with one of the worst interfaces ever to disgrace the genre, and even worse graphics.”
    • “This features really godawful pixel crap 'art' instead of real graphics.”
    • “It's hard to say if this was because the developer didn't have the skill to create 3D visuals, or couldn't afford to hire someone who does, but it also doesn't matter.”
  • monetization
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's monetization strategy has been widely criticized for being predatory, featuring excessive microtransactions reminiscent of mobile games, which detracts from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the gameplay and support the developers through purchases, the convoluted and exploitative monetization methods, including in-game betting, have led to frustration and disappointment, overshadowing the game's potential. Many hope for a shift towards more reasonable monetization practices, such as paid DLC, to enhance rather than hinder the gaming experience.

    • “Removing 'pay per match' was the best decision the developers could make, and I sincerely hope they keep it that way and look at more realistic monetization methods, like offering paid DLC for new classes and official map packs.”
    • “I bought the maps and mods upgrade after one game because I really enjoyed the gameplay and wanted to support the developers, but then noticed all these weird monetization methods as I kept playing, which made the entire experience of starting a round extremely tedious and unfun.”
    • “It's simply a predatory monetization scheme that deserves no support.”
    • “On pricing and value for gamers, this isn't really free as the game is infested with mobile app store-like microtransactions.”
    • “It's a predatory monetization strategy that's further leveraged through in-game match betting (yes, real gambling with coins that are bought with USD) and other methods described below.”
    • “It's disappointing because the game is a 10/10 RTS worthy of an esports and livestreaming scene, but the monetization methods basically ruin what could otherwise be the next RTS.”
  • humor
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is polarizing; while some players find it entertaining, especially those who enjoy games like Command and Conquer and Starcraft, others criticize it for feeling juvenile and lacking originality. The comedic elements are seen as generic, with some characters and storylines failing to resonate, leading to mixed feelings about the overall execution of humor in the game.

    • “Very funny games, especially if you like Command and Conquer and Starcraft.”
    • “A little generic with some things like agent 'Johnson' (generic white guy lol) or 'Major Tom', and I guess the origin story is not unique, but it's funny though. Well made/scripted, though (campaign stuff, FYI).”
    • “C&C was good not just for funny multiplayer (actually Starcraft and Warcraft are much better), but for epic story and special missions. A lot of missions, not just 'kill them all'.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its mobile performance, particularly with the radar map-like zoom feature. However, players suggest improvements in the selection and mobilization of unit groups, as well as enhancing the visual distinction among unit types and structures for better gameplay clarity.

    • “I also liked how, when zooming out, it resembled a radar map, which I understand is beneficial for mobile performance.”
    • “Only constructive criticism I can provide right now would be for further optimization of selecting groups of units, mobilizing groups of units, and having some more distinct and varied unit types and structures (specifically in the build menu, but on the field would be nice too), as sometimes it can be hard to visually distinguish between them.”
  • music
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with some players appreciating its charm, particularly the way combat music fades in and out during battles. However, there are criticisms regarding the use of text-to-speech voices for units, which detracts from the overall audio experience. While the music itself is good, its implementation could be improved for a more immersive experience.

    • “Worth noticing is the music, which is good on its own right but the implementation got me the most with combat music fading in and out when there is a battle on screen, not necessarily innovative or impressive but quite charming.”
    • “Audio is another positive, and while we don't get exact recreations or knock-off quotes, catch-phrases, or music; what is provided is well done, and can only get better with time.”
    • “On top of that, the voices of most units seem to be text-to-speech voices, which makes them super annoying to order around. The 'music' feels like I'm listening to a construction site (and talking about construction, the noises of that are super annoying as well).”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and unfun, particularly due to the monetization methods that complicate gameplay and create additional burdens for finding opponents. While some enjoy the core gameplay, the overall experience is marred by the excessive grind required to progress.

    • “I bought the maps and mods upgrade after one game because I really enjoyed the gameplay and wanted to support the developers, but then I noticed all these weird monetization methods as I kept playing. It just makes the entire experience of starting a round extremely tedious and unfun, and also made me lose my goodwill towards the developers.”
    • “It only adds more tedious tasks for players if you want to find other people to play with.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers highlight that the game offers significant replayability, suggesting that players will find value in returning to it for years to come.

    • “This will certainly increase the replay value for years to come!”
    • “The variety of choices and outcomes makes me want to play again and again!”
    • “Each playthrough feels fresh and exciting, offering new experiences every time!”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users report significant stability issues, including bugs when selecting multiple units and frequent freezes during skirmish matches that affect the entire system, not just the game.

    • “There are issues with selecting many units at once; it becomes buggy at times.”
    • “The game freezes everything in the middle of a skirmish match, not just the game.”
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14h Median play time
14h Average play time
14-14h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Retro Commander is a casual real-time strategy game with science fiction theme.

Retro Commander is available on PC, Web Browser, Mac OS, Phone and others.

On average players spend around 14 hours playing Retro Commander.

Retro Commander was released on November 24, 2023.

Retro Commander was developed by Noble Master ᴳᵃᵐᵉˢ.

Retro Commander has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its monetization.

Retro Commander is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include 8-Bit Armies, Crossfire: Legion, Grey Goo, Rusted Warfare - RTS Strategy, Act of Aggression and others.