Retronika Review: Effortlessly Smooth Driving Experience

Retronika, in its current early access form, can be quite a challenge. It’s not that the game is poorly designed — but it certainly needs some significant tweaks and adjustments before it’s an easy recommendation.

Watching the trailer for the first time, I felt a surge of excitement, which surprisingly sustained itself when I finally got my hands on the game months later. The concept was straightforward but intriguing: a virtual reality racing game where you control a hoverbike, skillfully dodging obstacles and firing lasers to clear your path. All this, while assuming the role of an alien trying to find a way back home after getting caught in a wormhole to a futuristic Earth filled with flying cars.

With an ambitious goal set, the folks at Netherlands’ 4Players-Studio knew they needed to gently introduce players to the world of Retronika. They went for a control scheme that feels like riding a real motorbike, with an added airborne twist. By holding virtual handlebars and using the analog sticks, you can accelerate or hit the brakes.

Gripping the handlebars with one hand keeps movement horizontal, but using both hands unlocks full vertical motion, allowing you to expertly maneuver through flying traffic. Early missions help you master horizontal steering before introducing full movement, and after that comes the challenge of combat with your guns.

When it’s time to take down enemies, your gun automatically equips to the hand not controlling the bike. The task becomes about zooming through a 3×3 grid filled with flying cars, either destroying drones or racing against time to reach the finish line.

Retronika opens with a bang. It’s visually captivating and feels immersive in VR, opting for a simpler cel-shaded art style over realism. The city feels alive, filled with cars in your path, trains zipping by, and immense skyscrapers touching the clouds. Early levels let you freely cruise the tracks, getting accustomed to controls and savoring the city vibrancy. It invites you to imagine stories of the unseen commuters around you.

Unfortunately, as you delve deeper, the initial thrill turns into frustration. Your health bar drains with enemy hits, car collisions, or even stray shots. Stray out of the 3×3 grid, and your health plummets until you’re back on track. Even successful recoveries cost you a hefty chunk of your health.

Balance issues plague Retronika. The buzzing environments are impressive, but there’s an overabundance of vehicles in your path. Nine vehicles can jam the grid, turning it into a claustrophobic jumble akin to a rush-hour freeway. Navigating through becomes frustrating when cars randomly swerve, damaging your bike or pushing you off the grid.

The notorious drones are a menace, often hitting you before you even get within range to retaliate. They strike with eerie precision, and your own weaponry lacks the speed or power needed to defeat them without sacrificing health. To effectively fight back, you’re forced to halt your race entirely, firing with both hands, which leaves you vulnerable to unfriendly drivers zipping by.

When faced with multiple drones, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll end up with less health than when you started. Stronger drones make success feel like a gamble more than a testament of skill. The levels are long, so losing means starting over, turning the game into a tiresome repetition of frustrations.

Theoretically, upgrades could help tackle these challenges. Completing levels earns you currency for new weapons or bike enhancements. You can boost braking, speed, and steering, but there’s little impact unless upgrades are combined. And none seem to address the critical need for better health or defense. Though a shield appears in trailers, it’s locked behind progress in the game.

Moreover, the upgrade costs are steep. Standard progression doesn’t yield enough currency for upgrades, meaning you’ll need to backtrack and replay levels to earn more. This grind can quickly sap the fun out of playing, a far cry from the enthusiasm I once had.

As it stands, Retronika isn’t beyond saving. The game is still in early access, with a solid foundation. The driving is intuitive, visually it’s a treat, and it showcases a variety of missions and weaponry. However, balance improvements are crucial. Modifications to vehicle behaviors, enemy drone precision, and health systems could greatly enhance the experience, irrespective of difficulty settings. Without these changes, Retronika transitions from enjoyable to exasperating within just ten missions.

The developers have indicated that early access is nearing completion with few changes expected, which is concerning. There’s certainly a great game here, one that doesn’t require a complete overhaul but rather a careful rebalancing.

Ultimately, Retronika aims to provide the exhilarating experience of piloting a hoverbike through a bustling city, but it currently misses the mark. And that’s truly a pity.