Retrace the Light

Retrace the Light is an interesting game with unusual game-play mechanics. I especially enjoyed the puzzle parts of it. Think part Tron, part Portal, part action RPG. The strange thing is: I liked the design, the mechanics, the story, the brainier approach to an action game and still, despite things to discover in each level, it didn't really grip me. I completed it and I enjoyed most of my 13 hours in it - but something was lacking to make it truly great and I can't quite put my finger on it. It's a rare case of a game feeling quite polished but not yet completed. E.g. the bosses are creative but more often than not you don't really understand what is happening, what is hurting you and what not - you beat them because it's not a very difficult game but it's not also not satisfying due to the fact that you don't really feel like you mastered it. The few types of smaller enemies in-between are no challenge at all and the late (extra) puzzle levels suddenly have a difficult spike that is not really earned - or to be precise: the mechanics required are poorly taught, as if time ran out on development. Same for the abrupt ending(s). So, there's a lot of potential but it's not fully rea…

good: creative gameplay, level and boss design bad: lack of enemy variety + they are too easy. there is a lot of utility and upgrades, but normal enemies and bosses cant resist your power

Cool :)

Yet another Mixed review. I was so close to recommending this, but the final boss rush at the end of the game and the complete visual and mechanical fustercluck that it was destroyed all the love, patience and goodwill the game had built up to that point. 75% of the game is fantastic. The puzzles are clever, the combat is mostly satisfying and the ui is wonderful. But there's a ton of typos, a total lack of focus on player understanding in boss fights, no explanation of multiple boss mechanics and just too many instances of the game not giving the player the needed information before a puzzle that can kill you starts. Far too often critical information is offscreen, including but not limited to interactions, progression, hazards, and teleports, meaning that the game slowly devolves from a really slick puzzle focused ARPG to a trial and error head-bashing session. Made even more frustrating by the fact that the game has a wide-view interaction, it just forgets to use it to show the player what to expect half the time. This is all exemplified by the game's last four bosses. All style over substance. Ridiculous VFX that make it impossible to track your location, 100-0 damage combo…

Very in-depth world building and narrative. Clean and Crisp combat. Really have been enjoying this.

Tracer