The Wild Gentlemen's latest title, RetroSpace, is now available, offering players a satirical sci-fi playground with a strong emphasis on environmental exploration. The game aims to recapture the essence of immersive sims, tasks players with navigating a derelict interstellar ark named Aurora 5.
Set in a pseudo-1970s environment that has fallen into a black hole, Aurora 5 exists in a state of temporal flux, with sections shifting between different timeframes. Players awaken as a janitor amid chaos, with much of the station's population dead, mutated, or driven mad. Equipped with a power wrench, the objective is to reach the habitat hub and assist a small group of coherent survivors, including a sentient AI and a talking pig.
The station itself serves as a central character, featuring diverse sectors such as a verdant garden silo with a starry dome and an operational monorail circling the facility. The environment is rich with audiologs, hackable terminals, and humorous public safety announcements, contributing to a world that leans into caricature. This satirical tone, while occasionally overbearing, supports the developers' commitment to creating an engrossing world.
A persistent theme in RetroSpace is the mystique surrounding the station's janitors, often depicted as unseen urban legends. Utility closets throughout the station provide access to the 'Janitor's Haven,' an interdimensional hub created by union organizers. Here, players can interact with NPCs, upgrade equipment, and customize their character.
While the station's design and secret-laden level structure are praised, the tools at the player's disposal are noted as being less groundbreaking. The arsenal includes standard weapons like pistols and shotguns, alongside tactical gear such as cloaking devices and hacking tools. A significant mechanic involves genetic engineering, allowing for abilities like enhanced jumping or light-based healing. However, death results in a clone with a random, often humorous, affliction, which can hinder gameplay, though these debuffs can be purged.
The game draws heavily from established immersive sim titles like System Shock, Bioshock, and Prey. While RetroSpace provides engaging environmental interactions, such as using crates to block bullets or creating electrical traps with water and circuit boxes, many of these mechanics feel familiar. The author expresses a hope for more unique tools or combinations, akin to Prey's Mimic ability, to distinguish itself further.
Currently, the gameplay often defaults to direct combat due to a lack of excitement with alternative approaches to enemy engagement. Despite these reservations, the station's atmosphere and the rewarding nature of uncovering its secrets make RetroSpace a compelling experience for fans of the genre. The author plans to continue playing the game, though a full review was not possible due to time constraints. RetroSpace is available on Steam.