Ratalaika Games has definitely been on a tear as of late with its releases, between low-budget indie games with a heart of gold and retro favorites like Gleylancer and Gynoug returning from the dead. Now, thanks to R-Games and Meridian4, it has another affordable gem in its collection, the tough-as-nails Replikator.
This procedurally generated adventure will put you through your paces as you blast out-of-this-world enemies while picking up gear. We assure you, you will die in this game. But that gives it kind of a cool throwback feeling to other games in this genre that led the way. It probably won’t do rookies any favors, but there’s no faulting its design and heavy action. Those of you into that kind of game will find Replikator to be a worthy repeat offender.
AI Has Taken Over
In what could possibly be a reflection on real life, AI has taken over in the world of Replikator. Your job is to try and overcome it the best way you know how – with brutal force. That means acquiring some new guns and using technology to return once you bite the dust. Which, again, you will often.
This isn’t on the Skynet level of “oh, let’s build some Terminators,” but Replikator is very cool with the threats it introduces through each procedurally generated world. That means a new challenge around every corner, and better ways to use your resources with each time you return. You can also make improvements to your ship, in case you want to use surroundings to your advantage. It’s up to you, though.
The controls are great, and you’ll get introduced to them through a helpful tutorial. You can also up the difficulty even further if you really feel like being brought to your digital knees.
That said, the game does come to an end sooner than expected, as I would’ve liked something to really last for the long term. Fortunately, there are different characters to expand upon, along with lots of hidden goodies, including bonus rooms and blueprints (to unlock rad new weaponry). You’ll be busy while the time lasts.
Not a Bad Looking Retro Blaster
The developers did a slam-bang job with the visuals. Using a top-down perspective, the game does a perfect job design-wise for capturing that claustrophobic feeling of being stuck in a small vessel. The resource room also looks great and shows you what all is available; and though I would’ve liked more personality in the side characters, they have their moments as well.
The audio is good too, thanks to a top-notch soundtrack that captures the darkness of the situation, just like a good James Cameron sci-fi adventure. For that matter, the sound effects are well done too, especially for a value-based game such as this. Definitely grab your headphones if you can.
Over and Over, You’ll Love It
Although its difficulty won’t be everyone’s speed (along with, for that matter, game length), Replikator is a gem while it lasts. It provides a formidable challenge and lots of options for characters and even the ship, and looks and sounds great. For ten bucks, you get more than enough money’s worth here, and that bears repeating.
