Retro/Grade
- March 20, 2013
- 24 Caret Games
A clever twist on rhythm-style games featuring all that the retro scene has to offer.
Get on SteamRetro/Grade is a single-player shooter game with a good plot, where you play in reverse, un-firing attacks while navigating through enemy waves. With 10 vibrant worlds, epic boss fights, and 6 difficulties, the game features 50+ minutes of original music and various unlockable rewards. Control time's flow using the Retro-Rocket, and restore space-time continuity before a temporal anomaly wreaks havoc.
PC
Windows
PlayStation
Playstation 3
Reviews
- Unique concept that combines rhythm gameplay with a reverse shoot 'em up mechanic, providing a fresh experience.
- Visually stunning with vibrant graphics and a catchy soundtrack that enhances the gameplay.
- Offers a variety of difficulty levels and challenge modes, allowing for replayability and catering to different skill levels.
- The visuals can be overwhelming and distracting, making it difficult to see important gameplay elements, especially at higher difficulties.
- Limited content with only 10 tracks, which can lead to repetitiveness and a lack of long-term engagement.
- Some players experience technical issues, such as performance problems on modern systems, which can hinder the overall enjoyment.
- music131 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its catchy and well-composed tracks that enhance the gameplay experience, particularly in rhythm-based challenges. However, some players find the limited selection of only ten songs leads to repetitiveness, diminishing long-term enjoyment. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally considered enjoyable and fitting for the game's theme, its lack of variety may deter some players.
“The music is great, and the backwards time idea is super cool when you see that after you finish a level, it plays it forward in time for you.”
“The soundtrack is a bop, the difficulty isn't overly annoying, and the optional challenges are overall interesting.”
“The music can be quite catchy and each level has its own unique feel whilst maintaining a coherent style across the entire game, none of it feels out of place at all.”
“The music is way too repetitive and monotonous.”
“The music is well composed but it's not very exciting and there are only 10 tracks.”
“In its current state, most of the songs sound similar to each other, and playing each one for several minutes quickly creates a droning state of mind where you're just going through the motions, but not really feeling it.”
- graphics53 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising their vibrant and detailed design, while others criticize them for being overly busy and distracting, making it difficult to focus on important gameplay elements. Many players appreciate the colorful and polished visuals, but note that the flashy effects can sometimes obscure vital information, leading to confusion during gameplay. Overall, while the graphics are considered impressive by some, they may overwhelm or detract from the experience for others.
“The graphics are gorgeous.”
“The graphics are very slick and offer a light show that syncs with the beat, and overall the game feels very polished.”
“Original electronic sound, flashy neon graphics, and intense gameplay meld together into an almost synesthetic experience of audiovisual rhythmic meditation.”
“After playing for ten minutes, my eyes and head hurt from the cluttered mess that the graphics are.”
“Visuals too busy to see the important information you need to react to.”
“The graphics are so unappealing and the effects can be overpowering.”
- gameplay50 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a unique blend of rhythm and shoot-'em-up mechanics, offering a fresh twist on traditional rhythm games with its reverse shooting and dodging elements. While many players appreciate the vibrant visuals and engaging music, opinions are mixed, with some finding the gameplay monotonous or overly simplistic, especially at higher difficulty levels where the mechanics can feel undermined. Overall, it is praised for its originality and replayability, making it a noteworthy entry in the rhythm game genre.
“Excellent, tight gameplay; great music; fun story; explosive visuals; and an interesting concept on top of it all.”
“The gameplay is unique; it's a shmup/rhythm game hybrid.”
“A rhythm game disguised as a side-scrolling shooter, or a side-scrolling shooter that plays like a rhythm game, retro/grade brings a refreshing twist to the guitar hero note catching gameplay that has long since worn thin for most people.”
“The gameplay is pretty boring and monotonous.”
“Unfortunately on the highest difficulty settings, the basic gameplay mechanics do become a little undermined since the notes coming from the right become so frequent that they actually guide you around the majority of the hazards coming from the left.”
“Very short (1.5 hours), music not great, gameplay not fun.”
- story21 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as fun and amusing, primarily conveyed through stage descriptions and cutscenes, though some players wished for a deeper narrative. While the story mode offers a straightforward progression through ten levels, it is complemented by a challenge mode with over 100 unique challenges, though progress in one does not affect the other. Overall, the plot is light and humorous, fitting well within the game's rhythm and gameplay mechanics, but it may not satisfy those seeking a more intricate storyline.
“Excellent, tight gameplay; great music; fun story; explosive visuals; and an interesting concept on top of it all.”
“Last of all, the game's plot is actually quite amusing for one that is mostly conveyed through stage select descriptions and the credits cutscenes.”
“The story and aesthetics of a side-scrolling shooter crossed with the gameplay and soundtrack of the best rhythm games, Retro/Grade is an excellent trip.”
“The problem is that progress in one mode does not affect the other; story progress does not unlock challenges.”
“If you complete the story, you'll have to start from the very beginning with very easy challenges for a long while before you can unlock challenging ones on par with the last mission.”
“The plot is fairly simplistic.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game offers a solid replayability factor, particularly through its multiple difficulty levels and challenges, which can extend gameplay beyond the initial campaign. While some players feel the game is short with only 10 levels, the inclusion of higher difficulties and scoreboards provides enough incentive for repeated play. Overall, it balances a brief campaign with engaging mechanics that encourage players to return for a more challenging experience.
“Probably one of the most interesting rhythm games of the last decade. It has top-notch design and mechanics that flow perfectly with the whole theme, which also leads me to what I think is a key factor for any rhythm game: replayability.”
“Although the campaign has only 10 levels (1-1.5 hours), there's a lot of challenge and replay value in the higher difficulties.”
“This is the most innovative rhythm game; it’s worth the purchase. It's just very short, but the replay value is very high.”
“Interesting concept and good music, though I don't think there's much replay value there for me.”
“The game appears to have little replay value when it's played for the first time, but in reality, it contains 10 levels, 6 difficulties, and scoreboards which should be enough to keep you entertained for at least 6 hours (especially because the last difficulty is brutal).”
“Yes, there are challenges to be completed which might increase the replay value a bit, and yes, there are other difficulties to choose from.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is criticized for being unplayable on higher-end hardware like the 1080 Ti, while offering some performance presets for less powerful machines. Conversely, it runs smoothly on lower-spec laptops when graphics settings are reduced, indicating a mixed optimization experience across different systems.
“The lower graphics settings allow the game to run smoothly on my non-gaming-oriented laptop, which is primarily built for work.”
“The optimization options make it accessible for a variety of hardware configurations.”
“Unplayable performance on my 1080 Ti (Corsair One PC).”
“For the less powerful machines out there, there are a few preset performance options, though you can select or deselect features as you wish.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its retro music, flashy graphics, and amusing game mechanics, particularly the concept of reversing actions and the comedic elements of the storyline. Players appreciate the witty feedback related to timeline distortions and find the narrative both entertaining and cleverly composed.
“If you like retro music, flashy graphics, and funny game mechanics, do not miss this game!”
“I liked the humor about doing everything in reverse.”
“The feedback for messing up (distorting the timeline, where Rick had performed perfectly) is clear, and the scant story to this game is a humorous read, both in scenario and composition.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express that the emotional aspect of the game resonates deeply, often reflecting their own struggles and experiences. This connection can evoke feelings of nostalgia and introspection, highlighting the game's ability to impact players on a personal level.
“One of the earliest novelties I picked up in my emotionally broken state, where I wasted so much money on Steam games, but only just now playing.”
