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Retro Commander

76%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
monetization, optimization
76% User Score Based on 344 reviews

Platforms

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About

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

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
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
+21

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 344 reviews
gameplay24 positive mentions
music3 negative mentions
  • Fun to play with a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic RTS games like Command and Conquer.
  • Offers a lot of potential for modding and community-created content, enhancing replayability.
  • Free to play with enjoyable mechanics, making it accessible for players looking for a classic RTS experience.
  • Limited initial content with only a few maps available for free, requiring additional purchases for more gameplay options.
  • Controls and user interface can be clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult for new players to navigate.
  • The game feels more like a demo due to its monetization model, which locks essential features behind paywalls.
  • gameplay
    56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is generally praised for its enjoyable mechanics and solid execution, drawing comparisons to classic RTS games like Supreme Commander and Command & Conquer. However, players note that the controls can feel clunky, the tutorial is inadequate, and monetization practices detract from the overall experience. While the game has potential for strategic depth and replayability, unclear objectives and a lack of incentives for strategic gameplay are common criticisms.

    • “Some mechanics and quality of life need to be explained a bit more in the tutorial, such as unit ferrying and neutral/civilian buildings, but once you understand the game, this becomes a really straightforward and sharp RTS game with quality elements from its inspirations.”
    • “Awesome in every way... looks beautiful, smooth gameplay, and absolutely replayable.”
    • “Gameplay exceeded my expectations and has the potential to become an esport with a livestreaming scene, many concurrent players, and an ever-evolving meta.”
    • “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
    54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is criticized for being underwhelming, predictable, and lacking depth, with characters described as bland and generic. While some players find the humor and script entertaining, many feel that the overall narrative fails to engage, especially given the limited campaign missions and the perception that the game functions more as a demo than a complete experience. Overall, the story does not meet the expectations of players seeking a compelling campaign akin to classic RTS titles.

    • “This game is very fun and has an interesting story.”
    • “Edit: so after a little more time I discovered that you can only really get a good story experience.”
    • “In some cases, people may be asking for multiple factions, and for some, this may mean multiple races (like in Blizzard RTS, which would be ideal), but for many, they just want a heavier story to give reason for fighting.”
    • “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
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a nostalgic retro art style that evokes classic titles, with pixel graphics reminiscent of games like Advance Wars and Command & Conquer. While some players appreciate the unique aesthetic and sprite animations, others find the visuals simplistic or lacking in depth. Overall, the graphics are considered adequate for the genre, successfully capturing a retro feel while maintaining a modern touch.

    • “The visuals nail the style that the game is set in and the gameplay is fun.”
    • “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.”
    • “The modern yet retro graphics are timeless.”
    • “Free retro real-time strategy with many features, but very simple graphics.”
    • “Art style looks okay in images, but in practice, I disliked it.”
    • “I'm not a fan of this aesthetic, but that's on me; it looks good enough and does a great job replicating the retro feel.”
  • monetization
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as predatory, with players expressing frustration over in-game match betting and microtransactions that detract from the overall experience. While the removal of "pay per match" was seen as a positive change, many hope for a shift towards more reasonable methods, such as paid DLC for new content, to enhance rather than hinder gameplay. Overall, the current monetization approach is viewed as self-destructive, overshadowing the game's potential as a top-tier RTS.

    • “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, and also made me lose my goodwill towards the developers.”
    • “But the current monetization method is just self-destructive.”
    • “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.”
    • “I bought the maps & 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. 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'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
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is described as inconsistent and often lacking depth, with some reviewers feeling it resembles the work of a teenager. While certain elements, like character names, are seen as generic, there are moments of genuine humor that are well-executed. Overall, the tone is perceived as too "not-serious," detracting from the potential of a solid story.

    • “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 (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
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its mobile performance, particularly the radar map-like zoom feature. However, players suggest improvements in the selection and mobilization of unit groups, as well as the need for more distinct unit types and structures to enhance visual 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
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players find it charming, particularly the implementation of combat music that fades in and out during battles, others criticize it for feeling unoriginal and reminiscent of construction site noises. Additionally, the use of text-to-speech voices for unit commands has been noted as annoying, detracting from the overall audio experience. However, there is a consensus that the audio quality is generally well done and has potential for improvement.

    • “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).”
    • “The 'music' or whatever it is, lacks any real depth or engagement, making it forgettable and uninspiring.”
    • “The audio experience is marred by repetitive and bland tracks that fail to enhance the gameplay.”
  • grinding
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unfun, primarily due to the excessive monetization methods that complicate the experience. Many feel that the need to grind for resources or to connect with other players detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to frustration rather than engagement.

    • “I bought the maps & mods upgrade after 1 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. 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.”
  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players report significant stability issues, including frequent freezes during skirmish matches that affect the entire system, not just the game. Additionally, selecting multiple units often leads to buggy behavior, further detracting from the overall experience.

    • “There's issues with selecting many units at once; it becomes buggy at times.”
    • “Freezes everything in the middle of a skirmish match, not just the game.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users highlight that the game offers significant replayability, suggesting it will remain engaging and enjoyable for years to come.

    • “This'll certainly increase the replay value for years to come!”

Buy Retro Commander

14h Median play time
14h Average play time
14-14h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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