Retrovirus

About

Retrovirus is a single player and multiplayer shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Cadenza Interactive and was released on January 31, 2013. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Retrovirus is a Sci-Fi shooter game that offers both single and multiplayer modes, with a focus on 6-degrees-of-freedom movement and customizable combat. As an antivirus program, players explore and eradicate a threatening virus in a computer system's depths. The single-player campaign immerses players in the game's engrossing plot, while multiplayer allows for cooperative and competitive play with a friend."

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73%

Audience ScoreBased on 146 reviews

story12 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and imaginative setting where players take on the role of an antivirus program navigating through a computer, which is visually appealing and reminiscent of classic titles like Descent and Reboot.
The combat system is engaging with a variety of weapons and an RPG-like ability tree that allows for tactical customization and playstyle experimentation.
The atmosphere and humor, particularly through the emails collected throughout the game, enhance the overall experience and keep players immersed.

The game suffers from significant bugs and performance issues, including memory leaks, crashes, and awkward controls that can hinder gameplay.
Many players find the pacing slow and the level design repetitive, leading to a lack of excitement and engagement as the game progresses.
Multiplayer functionality is largely non-existent due to a low player base, and some achievements are reportedly unachievable, which can be frustrating for completionists.

story
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
64%
7%
The story revolves around a virus infecting a computer, with players taking on the role of an antivirus program navigating through a zero-gravity environment to eliminate the corruption. Engaging elements include collecting emails that provide context and backstory, as well as well-voiced AI characters that add personality to the narrative. While some find the plot repetitive, it is generally viewed as a fun and original theme that enhances the gameplay experience.
- “The story was interesting and kept me engaged throughout - I felt driven to keep going and see what happened.”
- “The plot is fun, each major program that you would normally use on a computer has a well-voiced character.”
- “You can uncover the real-world story behind the virus by finding emails hidden throughout the levels.”
- “Love the concept, albeit the story is a bit repetitive and drawn out.”
- “The story is what it is: an excuse to get you into fighting a lot of nasty bad guys.”
- “I also wish they'd done a better job editing the story/levels.”
gameplay
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
50%
11%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it smooth and engaging, particularly praising its unique mechanics like the scan ability and customizable perks. However, others have reported bugs and a lack of variety, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness. While the core gameplay loop is described as addicting, some mechanics feel tacked on, and performance issues can detract from the overall experience.
- “Extremely addicting and satisfying core gameplay loop.”
- “The gameplay is smooth; so far I've experienced no major bugs.”
- “I've only played through part of the game, but the different weapons and the unlockable perk system (which can be altered at any time) make for some interesting variety and customizable gameplay.”
- “Unfortunately, the bad ratings for buggy gameplay are valid... I encountered a bug that made me restart several minutes into the game, and honestly, the gameplay itself wasn't interesting enough to warrant starting over, so I quit pretty quickly.”
- “The game's narrative over-extends its welcome, and some mechanics, such as using your system scan setting to activate alternative uses for your guns, feel tacked on rather than integral to the experience.”
- “Graphically it's neat, but the gameplay is kind of samey and lacking.”
graphics
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
62%
9%
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, showcasing a colorful and unique art style that reflects a lot of care and polish. However, some players note that the graphics can be unoptimized, leading to significant lag and glitches that detract from the experience. Overall, while the visuals are appreciated for their detail and creativity, there are calls for improvements to performance and optimization.
- “It's obvious a lot of love and care went into this game - every aspect is polished and refined, including but not limited to the voice acting, music, and visuals.”
- “Visuals are awesome!”
- “The game itself is quite detailed graphics-wise.”
- “It's very unoptimized even at low graphics and the lag will make you sick.”
- “There are some graphic glitches that the devs could spend some time polishing, and a few bugs (like oracle speaking but the UI showing courier's icon).”
- “I like this game; it's fun, but there needs to be a way to tone down the graphics, because I eventually can't play because of the intense graphical lag.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The game is widely criticized for its poor optimization, with many players experiencing significant performance issues and lag, even on low graphics settings. While some users on gaming laptops report minimal problems, the consensus is that it requires high-end GPUs from 2011 or later to run smoothly. Overall, the optimization is considered a major drawback.
- “I use a gaming laptop and have not really noticed much in the way of performance issues that some people have commented about on the Steam forum.”
- “However, do keep in mind it is horribly optimized and only runs on the best GPUs from 2011 and onward.”
- “It's very unoptimized even at low graphics and the lag will make you sick.”
- “It is horribly unoptimized.”
- “Some performance errors and brutal as all hell, but a great game.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous players reporting bugs that disrupt gameplay, including graphic glitches and compatibility problems with newer hardware. These issues have led to frustration, with some players abandoning the game due to the lack of engaging content to justify restarting after encountering bugs. Overall, the game's stability is a major concern that detracts from the overall experience.
- “Unfortunately, the bad ratings for buggy gameplay are valid. I encountered a bug that made me restart several minutes into the game, and honestly, the gameplay itself wasn't interesting enough to warrant starting over, so I quit pretty quickly.”
- “It's very buggy, and the old engine doesn't work well with newer hardware.”
- “There are some graphic glitches that the devs could spend some time polishing, and a few bugs, like the oracle speaking while the UI shows the courier's icon.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
62%
The music in the game has received high praise for its quality and polish, with many players expressing a desire to purchase the soundtrack. It is noted as a standout aspect that complements the overall refined experience of the game, alongside the visuals and voice acting.
- “It's obvious a lot of love and care went into this game - every aspect is polished and refined, including but not limited to the voice acting, music, and visuals.”
- “I like the visuals of Retrovirus and the music (would buy the soundtrack).”
- “The soundtrack is good.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a cast of quirky characters representing different computer sections, which many players find consistently amusing. The spam emails, while overly exaggerated, provide comedic relief and add depth to the narrative, although some players feel they miss the mark. Overall, the voice acting contributes to the humor, enhancing the entertaining experience.
- “The cast of characters that represent different sections of the computer are interesting and frequently hilarious.”
- “The humor found in the spam emails you find is too over the top to be funny, but they serve as nice breaks when you don't want to read about hackers getting in over their heads.”
- “Voice acting is pretty decent... even funny at times.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive quality, drawing comparisons to iconic titles like Tron 2.0 and Deus Ex. Reviewers note that the unique environment enhances the overall experience, contributing to a fresh and engaging gameplay.
- “The different weapons keep things fresh, and the atmosphere keeps immersion up.”
- “Excellent atmosphere.”
- “Great atmosphere, unlike anything I've seen since Tron 2.0 or Deus Ex.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express frustration with the monetization strategy, particularly highlighting the prevalence of advertising in the game. This suggests that the ads may detract from the overall experience.
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find that while the game starts with an engaging twist on FPS mechanics, the excitement quickly diminishes as the gameplay becomes repetitive and tedious, leading to a lack of depth in the overall experience.
- “I was excited to play this game, and the initial opening offered a nice twist on FPS tropes, but after the novelty of six-axis shooting action wears thin, the shallow experience surfaces and it becomes tedious fast.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players find significant replayability in the game due to the opportunity to explore and discover hidden gems, encouraging multiple playthroughs to uncover all secrets.
- “There is replay value in exploring to find all those hidden gems.”