Renaine

It's undoubtedly the right time to be kicking up a buzz for retro gaming. More AAA titles are failing dedicated gamers with their primary focus on milking every cent they can. However, smaller developers are creating heartwarming, nostalgia-generating titles in contrast. It's almost like a protest to the current status quo of the video game industry. Renaine is one of those titles that genuinely looks to appease the gamer rather than shareholders.

While there's no interactive gameplay available to us yet, Renaine has showcased its take on contemporary retro gaming. The first glimpses of this pixelated platformer already have that nostalgic appeal. It looks like a classic console game with the modern incorporations of narrative, character development, and holistic lore. So what can we expect the final Renaine to look like?

Pixel Perfect Phoenix

We've already got the core premise of Renaine, and it's pretty straightforward. You will play as an immortal knight seeking to slay an evil dragon that plagues the land. Accomplishing this won't be easy, though. The description already outlines that you will be expected to fail many times, where the underlying tone of the game is about overcoming failure.

Let's get to the visuals first, as they look fantastic. The early console era pixels strike that nostalgic tone while adding its contemporary color palette. The side-scrolling world you play in is colorful, vibrant, and full of immersive activities outside of combat. So then we get to how the mechanics of the gameplay out.

Renaine doesn't appear to be your average side-scrolling platformer. The living world around the game depicts that the player will be engaged in a lot of dialogue, puzzle-solving, and shopping outside of the standard combat. It all looks to come together seamlessly with the first set of videos and images we've been shown.

Honestly, Reinaine feels like it's going to be an exciting game. Clearly, there's been a lot of passion in its 2-year development cycle. And a lot of blood, sweat, and tears have been put into making the game. That idea alone makes it appealing to a broad player base. Whether the gameplay is as good as it looks or not, Renaine's world is fascinating. We greatly anticipate playing it on that principle alone.

Renaine, Forever!

Reinaine resonates that same classic, committed vibe that Undertone brought us - though the gameplay looks more like Hollow Knight. Typically when these indie games have faced a longer development cycle - you know there is some effort being put into them. More often than not, the end result receives acclaim from both critics and players.

Pros:

• Gorgeous pixelated world
• Triggers nostalgia with its retro gaming vibe
• Looks like a complete game with a variety of activities

Cons:

• No release date yet