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Retro/Grade

A clever twist on rhythm-style games featuring all that the retro scene has to offer.
Retro/Grade Game Cover
83%Game Brain Score
music, gameplay
replayability, optimization
86% User Score Based on 283 reviews
Critic Score 79%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

Playstation 3PCWindowsPlayStation
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Retro/Grade Game Cover

About

Retro/Grade is a single player shooter game. It was developed by 24 Caret Games and was released on March 20, 2013. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Retro/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.

Genres & Tags
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Retro/Grade screenshot
Retro/Grade screenshot
Retro/Grade screenshot
Retro/Grade screenshot
Retro/Grade screenshot
Retro/Grade screenshot
Retro/Grade screenshot
Retro/Grade screenshot
Retro/Grade screenshot
Retro/Grade screenshot
Skip User Reviews

86%
Audience ScoreBased on 283 reviews
music90 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • Unique gameplay that combines rhythm mechanics with a side-scrolling shooter, played in reverse.
  • Visually stunning with vibrant graphics and a catchy soundtrack that enhances the experience.
  • Offers multiple difficulty levels and a challenge mode, providing replayability and catering to various skill levels.
  • Limited content with only 10 levels, which can lead to repetition and a lack of long-term engagement.
  • Visual clutter can make it difficult to see important gameplay elements, especially at higher difficulties.
  • The music, while decent, can become monotonous and may not appeal to everyone, reducing the overall enjoyment.
  • music
    206 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its catchy and enjoyable soundtrack that complements the gameplay, particularly in the rhythm and timing aspects. However, some users noted that the limited number of tracks (only ten) leads to repetitiveness, which can detract from the overall experience. While the music fits well within the game's unique concept of a backwards space shooter, opinions vary on its excitement level, with some finding it too laid-back or monotonous for a rhythm game.

    • “It's a wonderful experience with great music, enjoyable gameplay with different ways to play, and gorgeous (if a bit distracting) visuals.”
    • “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 music can be quite catchy and each level has its own unique feel while 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 very repetitive and most of the tracks all sound very similar; this makes the game very boring if you are not into the slow techno music.”
    • “The challenge mode ended up being too tedious for me to want to trudge through entirely... playing through the same few songs over and over with slightly different rules is not very exciting.”
  • gameplay
    81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is a unique blend of rhythm and shoot-'em-up mechanics, where players navigate a visually striking environment while dodging enemy fire and shooting to the beat of the music. While many praise its innovative time-reversal mechanic and engaging design, some find the gameplay overly complex or monotonous, particularly at higher difficulty levels. Overall, it offers a fun and challenging experience, enhanced by a great soundtrack and vibrant visuals, though opinions on its execution and depth vary.

    • “It's a wonderful experience with great music, enjoyable gameplay with different ways to play, and gorgeous (if a bit distracting) visuals.”
    • “The time rewind theme used goes well with the rhythm game mechanics, making it stand out.”
    • “The gameplay is unique; it's a shmup/rhythm game hybrid.”
    • “My main issue with the game is that there is a lot going on, there's a lot of mechanics, most are unnecessary and a few are completely unintuitive.”
    • “The gameplay is pretty boring and monotonous.”
    • “But for all its efforts, retro/grade suffers from some poor execution, some baffling design and odd choices of gameplay mechanics.”
  • graphics
    79 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising their vibrant and colorful design, which enhances the overall experience. However, several players note that the visuals can be overly flashy and cluttered, making it difficult to focus on important gameplay elements. While some appreciate the artistic style and detail, others find the graphics distracting and overwhelming, potentially detracting from the rhythm-based mechanics.

    • “It's a wonderful experience with great music, enjoyable gameplay with different ways to play, and gorgeous (if a bit distracting) visuals.”
    • “The graphics are very slick and offer a light show that syncs with the beat, and overall the game feels very polished.”
    • “Beautiful graphics, solid gameplay, 130 challenges and, most important of all, a stunning soundtrack which keeps you from stopping playing.”
    • “After playing for ten minutes, my eyes and head hurt from the cluttered mess that the graphics are.”
    • “Graphics are a bit overdone; half of the time I had trouble seeing the shots due to too much clutter on the screen and no clear division in foreground and background.”
    • “The downside to this game is that the visuals will strain your eyes after prolonged play.”
  • story
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is minimal and primarily conveyed through mission descriptions and cutscenes, featuring a protagonist named Rick who is portrayed as unlikable yet humorous. While the main campaign is short, lasting about an hour, it serves as a backdrop for a more extensive challenge mode that offers varied gameplay experiences. Overall, the narrative is not deeply engaging but adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay, which is complemented by excellent music and visuals.

    • “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.”
    • “Not a captivating story that will stay with you.”
    • “The plot is fairly simplistic.”
    • “I would have liked a deeper story, but I understand it's not that sort of game.”
  • replayability
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers a mix of replayability through its multiple difficulty levels, challenge modes, and scoreboards, which can extend playtime beyond the initial campaign. While some players feel the base game lacks replay value after the first playthrough, the inclusion of various challenges and the potential for high scores provide enough incentive for repeated play. Overall, the combination of engaging mechanics and music contributes to a satisfying replay experience, especially for those seeking a challenge.

    • “Probably one of the most interesting rhythm games of the last decade. I'll start off by saying 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.”
    • “A combination of these increasing difficulties and the challenge mode (which varies from messing with a track's speed to having the entire level mirrored) really adds replayability to the game.”
    • “Interesting concept and good music, though I don't think there's much replay value there for me.”
    • “Wish there was a way to make this game match your own music or something else that could add to the replayability of this game.”
    • “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).”
  • humor
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its fresh concept and entertaining mechanics, particularly the comedic twist of reversing actions and the amusing narrative elements. Players appreciate the colorful graphics and retro music, which enhance the overall fun and addictive experience, making it a delightful way to spend time despite occasional frustrations.

    • “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 level story points are humorous, and the graphics are really colorful.”
  • emotional
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players describe "Retro/grade" as an emotionally engaging experience that combines chaotic gameplay with a captivating soundtrack and visuals, leading to a sense of hypnotic enjoyment. Despite initial confusion, many find that the game evokes positive feelings and nostalgia, making it a memorable journey through its unique mechanics.

    • “Retro/grade is what happens when a side-scrolling shooter gets absolutely blackout drunk, wakes up next to Guitar Hero, and nine months later gives birth to a time-reversing space-baby that nobody is emotionally prepared for.”
    • “It was a bit confusing at first, but after a while, when I had gotten used to the controls and the music, it became quite hypnotizing, with all the lights and the music, and it made me feel all good inside.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is mixed; while it runs smoothly on lower graphics settings even on non-gaming laptops, users with more powerful hardware, like the 1080 Ti, report unplayable performance. There are preset performance options available, allowing customization for less powerful machines.

    • “The lower graphics settings allow the game to run smoothly on my non-gaming laptop, which is primarily designed for work.”
    • “For less powerful machines, there are several preset performance options available, and you can customize features to suit your needs.”
    • “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.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the challenge mode to be tedious and repetitive, as it often involves replaying the same songs with minor variations, leading to a lack of excitement and motivation to continue.

    • “The challenge mode ended up being too tedious for me to want to trudge through entirely. Playing through the same few songs over and over with slightly different rules is not very exciting.”
    • “Grinding feels like a never-ending chore, where progress is painfully slow and the rewards just aren't worth the effort.”
    • “I found myself stuck in a repetitive loop, doing the same tasks repeatedly without any real sense of achievement or fun.”
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79%Critics’ scoreBased on 4 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

Retro/Grade is a shooter game.

Retro/Grade is available on PC, Windows, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation.

Retro/Grade was released on March 20, 2013.

Retro/Grade was developed by 24 Caret Games.

Retro/Grade has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its replayability.

Retro/Grade is a single player game.

Similar games include Neon Drive, Aaero, Steredenn, 140, Bot Vice and others.