The Secret of Retropolis
- July 21, 2021
- Peanut Button
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"The Secret of Retropolis" is a seated VR adventure-mystery game where you play as a robot detective, hired by a movie star to uncover a shady plot and reveal a conspiracy in a retro-futuristic city. With intuitive controls, the game is engaging for first-time VR users and relaxing for experienced ones. Immerse in the detailed hand-drawn environments, original score, and voice acting, all while reminiscing on 90's point-and-click adventure games. No robots were harmed in the making of this game.
PC
Virtual Reality
Windows
Oculus Quest
Reviews
- The art style and presentation are charming, with a unique retro-futuristic design that enhances the overall experience.
- The game features well-thought-out puzzles that reward exploration, providing a satisfying gameplay experience despite its short length.
- The voice acting and humor are engaging, contributing to a delightful narrative that keeps players entertained throughout the game.
- The game is very short, typically taking around an hour to complete, which may leave players wanting more content.
- Some players found the puzzles to be too simple and the overall gameplay lacking in complexity, making it feel more like a demo than a full game.
- There are occasional technical issues, such as minor lags during transitions and some rough edges in voice acting quality, which detract from the immersive experience.
- story87 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely praised for its engaging and immersive narrative, often described as a charming film noir experience filled with unique characters and clever humor. While many players appreciate the art style and voice acting, some note that the story is relatively short, leaving them eager for a sequel or additional content. Overall, it is recommended for those who enjoy story-driven games, despite some critiques regarding character development and length.
“The world itself, the great story and unforgettable characters are just part of the game's charm that will keep you deep into the game.”
“The story is captivating, sad, and funny!”
“This is probably one of the best story-based games I've played and definitely the best one in VR. I'm not a huge puzzle game guy, but I really enjoyed this game and the voice lines it gives me when I failed. The game has made me laugh a lot and the story was really easy to follow along.”
“Distinctive art direction, clever humor, and excellent overall atmosphere are let down by a rather thin story, underdeveloped characters, and short playtime.”
“A shame, as I would have loved to have spent more time in the world and given the story more space to breathe and develop.”
“It really should have been longer; the story isn't great, to be honest.”
- graphics47 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the charming and unique art style that complements its noir theme, while others criticize it as simplistic or lazy. The visuals are often described as stylized and atmospheric, enhancing the overall experience, though some players noted occasional graphical issues and a desire for improved lighting. Overall, the game's cartoonish retro sci-fi aesthetic is appreciated for its creativity and fitting ambiance, contributing to an engaging narrative and immersive gameplay.
“The art style is charming, the story is immersive, the characters are all unique in style, don't get me started on the soundtrack and overall, I love this game.”
“The secret of Retropolis is a graphically beautiful VR world where we are a robot private eye, in a robot future world with an old-fashioned look.”
“Amazing experience, funny dialogue and just great, and I mean great artwork.”
“The graphics are a joke.”
“You can call this an art style, but I call it lazy.”
“The art style and mood is really sweet, with 3-5fps animated 3D volumetric drawings.”
- gameplay30 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and a focus on immersive interaction within a fixed environment, reminiscent of classic point-and-click adventure games. While the mechanics are straightforward, they effectively support an engaging story and world, though many players note the experience is quite short, typically around one hour. Despite its brevity, the game offers enough charm and replayability through different dialogue options to leave players wanting more.
“Gameplay is simple, but provides a new point of view to the old-school adventure genre.”
“The gameplay itself is very simple, but there is enough interaction to create an immersive experience.”
“It's a cool game with a classic noir story and good gameplay.”
“Less than an hour of gameplay.”
“The only downside is that the game is quite short (around 1.x hour of gameplay).”
“That being said, there are other games which give me much more gameplay for the cost.”
- music24 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its fitting jazz and blues soundtrack, which enhances the immersive film noir atmosphere. While some reviewers noted that the soundtrack may not be groundbreaking, it is described as varied, cohesive, and a joy to experience, complementing the game's charming visuals and engaging story. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's unique and enjoyable presentation.
“The soundtrack doesn’t blow me away but still, it’s fitting for the game's film noir inspirations, having a jazz and blues soundtrack that complements the setting.”
“Music is varied and fantastic; the little clip on the store does not fully indicate the quality of the music. Cheers to the devs on this point.”
“The immersion is helped immensely by the lovely jazz-drenched soundtrack, and the dialogue delivery is adequate for a small 3-man studio production.”
“The soundtrack doesn’t blow me away but still, it’s fitting for the game's film noir inspirations having a jazz and blues soundtrack that complements the setting.”
“The voice acting, art, writing, music, and overall presentation is all cohesive and a joy to experience.”
“The voice acting and sound mix weren't great, although the music and sounds (isolated) were okay.”
- humor16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its satirical noir detective style, featuring quirky dialogues and clever meta jokes that resonate well with players. While the writing is sometimes described as childish, it remains entertaining and complements the distinctive art direction and engaging story. Overall, the humor enhances the gameplay experience, making it a recommended choice for those seeking a fun and lighthearted puzzle adventure.
“The character design is original and the dialogues are quirky and funny.”
“The writing and dialogue is childish but funny enough to be worth your while.”
“The film noir elements are great, the dialogue is cheesy, funny, a bit over the top, and it fits perfectly with the story that is easy to follow.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its distinctive art direction, clever humor, and strong noir elements, reminiscent of classic point-and-click adventures. However, the overall experience is somewhat diminished by a thin narrative and underdeveloped characters, with many players noting the short playtime despite the engaging visuals and creative puzzles.
“Logical yet creative puzzles, great noir atmosphere and soundtrack, stylish hand-drawn visuals.”
“Very unique art style, great atmosphere and interesting puzzles.”
“Distinctive art direction, clever humor, and excellent overall atmosphere are let down by a rather thin story, underdeveloped characters, and short playtime.”
“The art style drips atmosphere and fleshes out a world closer in feel to The Maltese Falcon than Blade Runner, despite the cyber-noir setting.”
“It does kind of remind me of an old point-and-click adventure game with the dialogue and especially the atmosphere.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its exceptional optimization, showcasing polished graphics that complement its cartoony aesthetic. Performance is notably strong, even on mid-range hardware like a 1080 and 3600, highlighting the developers' dedication to quality.
“This is a pure labor of love, with every aspect of it polished and optimized.”
“Graphics are cartoony but totally work with the overall aesthetic, and help with performance that was great on a 1080 and 3600.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers some replayability through its diverse dialogue options, allowing players to explore different sequences. However, its short length and limited content for achievements result in minimal overall replay value.
“The game is very short, even if you were to go for every achievement, and it offers little replay value.”
“There are various dialogue options, and this gives the game a bit of replay value if you want to go back and explore all dialogue sequences.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is praised for its originality in design and the inclusion of quirky, humorous dialogues, contributing to a unique and engaging experience.
“The character design is original, and the dialogues are quirky and funny.”
“The depth of character development really makes you feel invested in their journeys.”
“Each character evolves in a way that feels natural and engaging, making their stories memorable.”
