Retrograde Arena

Genre: 2-Stick Shooter

Players: 1-4 Competitive (Local), 2-6 Competitive (Online)

.

Review:

Retrograde Arena is a multiplayer competitive arena-based Two-Stick Shooter first released on PC in 2020 and then ported to Nintendo Switch in 2021. This game does a few things that are pretty unique for the genre. First, it’s Free-to-Play, with the only monetization coming in the form of expansion content that adds game modes, maps, and skins to the game. And secondly, players aren’t eliminated by being shot in this game, but instead must use their firepower to push one another into red walls that kill players who touch them.

This game uses an 80s-inspired retro-futuristic neon-soaked wireframe look, with simple 3D visuals that nevertheless look distinct due to the aesthetic, which brings to mind classic movies like Tron. This aesthetic is further enhanced by some excellent retro-style sounds (picking menu options sounds like swapping in and out a cassette tape), and a catchy soundtrack with some nice electronica themes (for an example, here’s the Title theme). This is a great example of how to do more with less.

The gameplay here takes some getting used to, and I’d say that getting acclimated to this game’s unique physics is one of the biggest hurdles for new players looking to enjoy the game.Players’ ships in this game can move under their own power, but only extraordinarily slowly. To get more movement, players can fire their weapon in the direction opposite of where they want to go, blasting themselves away with the recoil. And the same fire can of course be used to push opponents as well if you land a hit.

This means that combat in this game is just as much about managing your own movement as it is about attacking enemies. Players have to take multiple things into consideration when they fire their weapon – not only are you potentially pushing an enemy to your doom, but your recoil may be doing the same to you. Likewise, that fancy new gun pickup you just got may give you the firepower you need to overwhelm an enemy, but if the risk of the recoil is too great you may find yourself instead using it to fuel your escape to a safer area.

This is a pretty original approach to a genre, but it makes for some really unintuitive gameplay. Movement seems like a slog until you learn to supplement movement with gunfire, and fighting enemies seems just as likely to kill you as it is to kill them until you learn to manage your positioning while you fire. As a result, the gameplay isn’t going to be for everyone, but those who can get the hang of it will find a lot of nuance in the game’s unique physics and variety of weapons and arenas.

One other thing I have to commend here is this game’s support of both local and online multiplayer in its free release, supporting up to 4 players locally and up to 6 online, with this being a rare example of a game that supports online couch co-op, allowing you to mix both local and online players. And the game being free means that, at least for the time being, there’s a decent smattering of opponents to take on.

I can’t say that everyone will enjoy Retrograde Arena’s unusual approach to Two-Stick Shooters, but those willing to give the game a chance should definitely do so – not only does the free price tag give you the perfect excuse to give this game a shot, but if you do get the hang of its gameplay you’ll find it to be a surprisingly deep and rewarding multiplayer experience.

tl;dr – Retrograde Arena is a free-to-play multiplayer arena-based Two-Stick Shooter where players must push enemies into red walls with gunfire rather than damaging them directly. The game’s unique physics take some getting used to, but once you do you’ll find some surprising depth, and the free price tag makes this a game you should absolutely try.

Grade: B

.

This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2021 Game Awards:

Runner-Up: Best New Free-To-Play Game

.

^{You can support eShopperReviews on Patreon! Please click HERE to become a Sponsor!}

^{This month’s sponsors are Lee, Andy Miller, Stov, u/wonderponder, Johannes, Ilya Zverev, Eli Goodman, and KC. Thank you for helping to keep the reviews coming!}