ReSetna: Review

games, gaming, Metroidvania, resetna, review, today's games, video-games

Introduction

Last year I got a new laptop, not top of the line but newer and with better internal components. After a short period getting used to the new hardware and getting all my accounts and details setup, I was happy and ready to go. But every now and then I would have to go onto my old laptop, now retired after years of service, to find something I had missed or forgotten. Playing ReSetna, developed by Today’s Games, really reminds me of those moments I would have with my old laptop; it’s familiar and has a lot of what I want and enjoy, but is hampered by it’s own lingering issues, leaving me torn between appreciation for its strengths and frustration with its flaws.

Premise/Narrative

ReSetna is a single player 2.5D metroidvania set in a sci-fi post apocalyptic world inhabited solely by machines. You play as the titular ReSetna, a robot that has been awoken to put a stop to the mysterious Signal driving most others to madness. You’ll traverse seven diverse and deadly biomes crawling with crazed robots for you to contend with, all while trying to piece together the cryptic truth of this world.

The story of ReSetna is delivered primarily through talking with a small cast of still functioning machines and AI, and collectables you find in the world. All information about the world is delivered through text, some of which is written in “Leetspeak” where letters are replaced by similar looking numbers or symbols (for example, the letter “E” is replaced with the number “3”). This detail adds to the sense that these remaining bots are degrading just like the world they inhabit, but I found it annoying to work through when it came up. Coupled with having a fair amount of terminology to keep in mind, I struggled to learn much more about the setting and events leading up to the game. I tried my best to keep track of information, reading the collectables as I stumbled upon them, but found it all a bit obtuse. While I may have not gotten a full picture of everything that had happened leading to the events of the game, I was able to follow the main plot without issue.

Gameplay

The gameplay of ReSetna is a real mixture of highs and lows for me. It is a classic metroidvania in design, exploring a 2D world with sidescrolling combat and traversal. As you progress the main questline you get keys that let you unlock doors of the same security level, accessing new areas and creating shortcuts. There is also a teleport system that works as a savepoint, and there is a generous smattering of them throughout the world.

You have a block map with different colours signifying each biome. It has an index of icons, but only the teleport points and quest markers would appear on the map, with other icons like NPCs not appearing. It’s odd design choices like this that will continue to crop up. You also have the option to leave custom markers, as well as take snapshots mid game that have their own map markers.

Combat and movement are two of ReSetna’s stronger elements, but they are not without their caveats. You spend the opening hour or two unlocking your traversal moves: the double jump, air dash, wall grab, and grapple pull. Adding these abilities to brisk movement speed and a long ground dash that works as a dodge, ReSetna’s traversal feels fantastic! Smoothly transitioning from a floor dash through an enemy into a double jump over a projectile, leading into an air dash to safety never gets old. The only time that I had any trouble with movement was during a particular story quest involving a platforming chase sequence. Due to the garish and unclear level design that obfuscated the way forward, it was a rage inducing thirty minutes of my five hour playthrough. Besides this portion of the game, ReSetna was a joy to move around and explore.

The game is slow to get going but kicks into gear once you’ve unlocked all the traversal abilities and the other weapons. There are three weapons in total, and two of them must be purchased from an NPC in the hub. I found both of the other weapons far more effective than the base weapon, and enjoyed the combat a lot more because of it. Along with the weapons you can also unlock a shield which soaks up some damage before needing to recharge, as well as some extra skills for your IXA, the floating drone that heals you. None of these felt at home in my playstyle, which focused on dodging and getting quick hits in, and they didn’t strike me as particularly powerful.

Probably my favourite part of the game’s design is how it handles improving ReSetna herself. You have a grid in which you place chips of various colours and shapes, like tetrominoes. Each chip boosts or upgrades one of ReSetna’s stats or abilities, allowing players to create their own builds. Having chips of matching colours next to each other boosts their effects, leading to some fun puzzling to get the most out of your loadout. Increasing the grid’s size and some chips can be bought in the hub, while others can be found out in the world.

Combat is balanced but challenging, especially when you are fighting several different enemies at once. There is a solid variety of enemies, all with distinct appearances, attacks and behaviours, which keeps combat fresh as new ones are introduced. The bosses, all of which have great visual design, are a mixed bag when it comes to their mechanics and execution. Most were an exciting clash of metal on metal, demanding my best, with soaring synths accompanying the fast paced action. One or two others, including the final boss, I found to be a frustrating slog which forced me to play a certain way that felt at odds with the rest of the game.

There are a few sidequests you can take on, but most of these are just collecting items scattered throughout the world. They also highlight another flaw in the game’s UI/UX, which is that there is a distinct lack of feedback when it came to picking up certain collectables or progressing certain quests. Collectables that had lore could be viewed in the menus, but i couldn’t find where others required for side quests were tracked. It’s this sort of hamstringing that ends up giving ReSetna an awkward feel.

Music/Audio Design

The soundscape of the game is a classic blend of moody synths and rumbling metallic echoes, a perfect representation of the game’s decaying sci-fi world. Only the dainty but purposeful steps of ReSetna break up this solemnity, a little sprout breaking through cracked concrete. Combat brings the noise, with every clang, blast, and slash adding to the cacophony of battle. The game’s sound and music is crystal clear, and while it may not have a lasting impact after playing, it does a great job communicating the world’s atmosphere as well as the action on screen.

Visuals/Art Design

The art direction and results are ReSetna’s biggest selling points, and were what originally drew me to check out the game. Each biome is not only made distinct by colour palette and environmental design, but also by the types of crazed bots that lurk within. ReSetna is born into this world clean and new, a sleek design that suggests functionality and precision. In contrast, most other robots that are still operating are rusting hulks and malfunctioning miscreants – a reflection of the world around them.

It was always exciting to enter a new biome and marvel at its epic scale or vibrant aesthetic. Collapsing concrete caverns like tombs for giant automatons, sleek metallic hallways with levitating lifts, and noxious caverns with pools of acid are just a few of the brilliant environments you explore. The enemy designs also should be applauded, with a number of real stand outs. My personal favourite is a large bi-pedal enemy that can transform into something reminiscent of a TRON light cycle!

Conclusion

Overall, ReSetna is a solid metroidvania with smooth and satisfying traversal, challenging combat, and overclocked art direction. It’s just unfortunate that it is hampered by some lacking UI/UX, awkward pacing, a simple narrative clouded by obtuse world lore, and a couple frustrating boss fights/gameplay sequences. I think metroidvania fans that can overlook these flaws will have fun with ReSetna, and I see it as a strong foundation for a sequel. While the game may not have the grace and efficiency of its protagonist, it still fulfils its directive.