Retro Machina
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Retro Machina
With its unique, effective art design and plethora of satisfying puzzles, Retro Machina has many of the ingredients of a memorable and rewarding game. It’s unfortunate that combat and some key control mechanics discolor what could be a vibrant experience. Thematically, Retro Machina doesn’t cover new ground but the way it approaches puzzles and story makes sense and feels consistent with the world it has created. As an early game from a new studio, Retro Machina is an auspicious, if flawed, debut.
Despite checking many of the most important boxes in the adventure game design guide, Retro Machina is a beautifully envisioned world waiting to be demolished. However, all of the best elements are derailed due to monotonous combat and drastically over-engineered puzzles. This will be a pretty ride, but one you might never see through to completion.
Retro Machina is a game that includes themes that have been explored countless times before, yet brings its own understanding and take of these views to the table. It is the care put into creating the game’s backstory and world that made me fall in love with this title and wonder just how horrible a world without humans would be…
As the sole unit of robots capable of independent thought, you must uncover the fate of the human race's disappearance. Retro Machina embodies similar sci-fi narratives that others have tread in the past. With a mix of isometric goodness and strong visual detail, it hopes to immerse the player as much as entertain them.
As a game that has a little of everything, I highly recommend Retro Machina to anyone with an appreciation for unique indie games.
All in all, my time with Retro Machina was thoroughly enjoyable, aside from a few mechanical aspects that simply just didn’t do it for me.
Retro Machina is a charming and well-constructed Metroidvania about a little robot who dares to question its existence. The beautiful graphics and crumbling art deco world will impress, and its fun but challenging combat and robot slaving puzzles will keep many players satisfied for the entirety of its 10-hour run time.
