Retrowave World Review (PC)

I can’t say I remember much about the eighties, minus the fact that the vast majority of people had a minor obsession with polka dot jumpsuits and velvet pants. Scratch that, I remember hearing a-ha’s ever-famous “Take on Me” several times a day—a track that would later come back to haunt me as the local radio stations continuously broadcast it, annoyingly. Aside from that, I recall several other minor things, most of them being disturbingly fluorescent or lathered in some form of polyester fabric. But that was just the eighties, in a nutshell, and, despite its cultural differences, it still remains as one of the greatest periods in human history—a statement that, quite frankly, I’m willing to take to the grave, and that developer RewindApp is more than capable of illustrating in its latest love letter to the era, Retrowave World.

Ah yes, Retrowave World — the indie game that has single-handedly managed to produce enough nostalgia fodder to reignite the former flames of a period long gone, but never quite forgotten. To think, the last time we really saw the eighties in all its bubblegum colors was in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City — and even that failed to cater to some pretty crucial ingredients that made up the decade. It had a few power ballads by Phil Collins, true, but did it have arcades, video rental stores, and vintage diners? No, not it didn’t. Fortunately, this is where Retrowave World finds its niche: in the leftover gaps of a cult classic. Naturally, it serves as a fitting tribute for the past, and it does all in its power to recreate a living, breathing time capsule that simply oozes synthetic memories. Now, if that’s something you can vibe with, then read on.

A Time Capsule at Heart

On one hand, you could quite easily watch an old VHS tape and endure an hour-long lecture about how the eighties birthed an entirely new generation, or how the theory of mixing synthetic effects with minimalistic beats was merely the kindling wood that would eventually go on to revolutionize the world of music. You could do that, or, if you’d soon rather see it for yourself, then you could always resort to alternate methods—a video game, for example. That’s what Retrowave World is: an interactive time capsule in which you take to the streets of a neon-smothered seaside metropolis, and experience life through the lens of a virtual memoir—a world in which cassette tapes dominate the soundboard, pastel colors are commonplace, and Pong, the game that elevated the gaming scene to new and bewildering heights, is at the forefront of the social movement.

An open-world game at heart, Retrowave World has a treasure trove of extracurricular activities and pastimes to participate in, including arcade jam sessions, weird and wonderful racing events, and even movie nights, of all things. Granted, none of these features are overly ambitious, nor do they live up to the graphical standards of most modern video games; however, to make it absolutely clear, Retrowave World is not a full-fledged triple-A game, but rather, an independent project that takes great pride in the assets that it does manage to provide. It’s clear, too, that a great deal of heart and soul went into its development, which alone speaks volumes about its creators and their fascination with the time period.

A Material World

Let it be said that, while I did enjoy a solid portion of the materialized world and its memorialized wonders, I did often struggle to come to grips with a lot of the clunky mechanics, several of which were enough to dampen the overall immersion. An example here would be its walking controls—a system that, while not overly restrictive, did wind up leaving me feeling a tad frustrated due to the sheer shoddiness of it all. It didn’t quite flow, is what I’m saying, but rather, grind from one point to the next, thus making it more or a robotic simulation than a human one. Given the fact that a lot of the playable characters are, however, drones, I’m willing to let such a technical fault slide; it could’ve been intentional. With that said, a lack of fluidity did make the process of maneuvering all the more difficult. Bummer.

There’s driving, too, which is arguably one of the biggest selling points of the game; it’s okay-ish, though I wouldn’t quite go as far as to compare it to, say, the likes of Burnout: Paradise or, for nostalgia sake, Need for Speed: Underground. Thankfully, it does perform to an average level, and it does allow you to soak up a lot of the sights and scenes of an eighties-imbued paradise, though it doesn’t quite live up to the exceptional quality of several other top-dollar racing entries of its kind. It’s passable, if anything, which is a lot more than what others can afford to say. Is it an award-winning racing game? No. But again, I’m willing to part ways with that fact if only to sing other aspects’ praises, of which there are plenty to choose from.

Synthesize the Past

Aside from the blatant nod to the eighties and its bottomless pocket of history, Retrowave World is, more or less, a racing game — and that comes as a slight surprise, given the amount of additional content that it stows into its core. But for me, it wasn’t the racing that coerced me to go cruising; it was the faraway sunsets that hung over the beachfront and illuminated a trail that would lead me to another destination, be it a VHS store, or the bustling arcade that just so happened to house several of the biggest attractions in town. Sure enough, the thought of racing didn’t fuel my curiosity, but the intricate details of the idyllic locale.

I’m conflicted with this one, truly, as I’m partially inclined to think that Retrowave World has been purposely designed to accommodate an array of half-baked features, if only to represent the true colors of the former gaming scene, warts and all. With that said, there are still some things that don’t quite sit right with me, and it pains me to admit it, but several of these technical issues are simply too much of a pain in the neck to gloss over and part ways with.

Graphically, it isn’t anything special, but the fact that it makes a genuine attempt to cram as much nostalgia fodder into its world as possible does compensate for its lack of visual fidelity. And that’s a plus in my books, because quite frankly, there are really only so many textbooks and reels that you can comb over before the thirst for a greater understanding of the subject matter begins to sprout up from the woodwork and leave you with more questions than answers. To put it simply, this is the answer, albeit a slightly more fantastical one.

Verdict

Aside from its exclusion of bank robberies, street brawls, and crass humor, Retrowave World is, for lack of a better description, the Vice City 2.0 that we never quite received when we needed it most. Sure, it could do with a few minor tweaks and mechanical adjustments, but for what it is, and for what it represents, it’s a good litter number of a game, and not to mention a fantastic tribute to one of the most popular eras in human history, period. It’s a shame, really, that there aren’t all that many close alternatives to reignite the atmosphere of the electric eighties — but this is certainly a good start, for sure.

When all’s said and done, you could definitely do a lot worse than Retrowave World. In truth, it’s a solid anchor point for those in dire need of a pocketful of reminiscences about what life was like back in the eighties. In a similar vein as Black Mirror’s San Junipero, perhaps, it grants those who are on the cusp of breaching their fifties the opportunity to rewind the clock and immerse themselves in a virtual time capsule that touts all the bells and whistles, cliches and all. It’s also a pretty good educational tool, as it makes an attempt to illustrate the keystone materials that went on to spearhead several crucial changes to our economy. Again, it isn’t exactly pretty, but given the fact that we’re often swamped with modernized technologies and dystopian concepts, it is, in all honesty, a real sight for sore eyes.