Retrovirus Preview

We were recently given the opportunity to play through Cadenza Interactive’s new game, Retrovirus.  Despite only being in the alpha stages of development and being nowhere near completion, this decent based, zero-gravity shooter will definitely be something to keep your eyes on in the coming months.  In the small amount of content available, in comparison to what Cadenza has planned, one thing is strikingly clear: Retrovirus is a completely unique take on a shooter with an enormous amount of potential to become something truly amazing.

Retrovirus is set within a computer, conceptualizing what the innards of a computer would be like if we could shrink down to microscopic sizes and traverse its expansive landscapes.  First off, this in and of itself is extremely interesting.  We use computers so much in our daily life; the setting of this game forces you to view something you are so familiar with in a completely different light.  The premise of the game is that a virus has infected the computer you inhabit through means of the desktop.  Your mission, as an agent for the system’s anti-virus software, is to hunt down the virus, navigating through the chaos and wreckage it has left behind.   This by itself may not seem like much, but the way it’s executed is what earns Retrovirus its merits.  As stated earlier, this game is far from complete and it has been stated that the aesthetics in place can, and probably will be changed and improved upon later on in the development process.  Currently, though, this game looks fantastic for just being in the early alpha stages of ideation.

The gameplay is also fantastic with promises by Cadenza to add more and more features as they progress.  Because the environment is zero gravity, you are able to move in every direction imaginable.  Admittedly, this does allow you to get a bit turned around at times, but overall it allows you explore every little nook and cranny of the maps, enabling you to find each and every hidden reward scattered throughout the areas.  This viral infection has altered the lay of the land within the computer considerably, so there are plenty of places to explore, along with enemies to try and stop you from completing your goal.  Combat is core to Retrovirus in that the manner it has been contrived allows players to go about the same fights in different ways.  Right now, it seems a bit too easy and straightforward, but the developers have stated they are going to incorporate “perks”to customize gameplay, allowing players to navigate combat in whichever manner they choose.  One of the most interesting parts of the combat system in Retrovirus is most certainly how ammo is handled.  Shying from the norm of standard reloading your weapons, Cadenza has introduced a sort of regenerating ammo system where your clip will fill itself automatically once your gun has ceased being fired. Not groundbreaking, but it ties into the overall gameplay fanatically because your weapons only have a relatively small amount of ammo in them.  You can’t just park yourself in front of an enemy and spray bullets at them until they die; you have to actually strategically plan firing so that you won’t run out of ammo and become vulnerable to attacks.

Enjoyably through and through, Retrovirus is definitely something everyone with a PC should be keeping on their radars.  Multiplayer action has yet to be added, but is definitely in the works, along with a five to six hour campaign where you will traverse the innards of computer hardware in search for the fiendish virus.  The included “email story” that pieces itself together as you make your way through the levels, collecting document pieces are you clean up the virus’ mess, really add another level to the story, possibly shedding light on how the virus was introduced to this environment in the first place.  Even though there is an enormous amount of content that has yet to be added, the superb quality of work done so far, and the inherent potential of this game on its own leave us eager to see this game progress into something beautiful.