RETSNOM (PC) Review

At first glance, RETSNOM seems to stick to the standard puzzle-platformer formula; find keys to open doors, get to said keys, move onto the next level. What differentiates it from other titles in the genre is the ability to manipulate the surroundings through the use of a mirror. Mirroring essentially flips all the tiles nearby in a small area, meaning blocks on the left are now on the right, and the empty space formerly to the right now lies to the left.

It's a clever mechanic that takes some getting used to. While the game does start out with simpler applications of the mirror to solve, it escalates quickly after the tutorial, adding different mirrors that let blocks be removed, or surroundings to be flipped in different ways. Most puzzles are constructed around deconstruction, and it can require a bit of a shift in thinking, as one wrong flip can result in being floundered into a chasm, or stuck below in a solid box of tiles.

While RETSNOM's gameplay mechanics are certainly unique, it sometimes fails in presentation. Flipping blocks around is a neat mechanic, but the overlaid grid placed on the screen to show where tiles were—and where they're going—often makes the screen look busy. On levels with a small amount of tiles, it's a useful feature to see where things are going. Larger levels, on the other hand, can quickly become overwhelming and frustrating with the sheer number of movements.

There is reward for planning out strategies for each level. Randomly flipping tiles while jumping around is an excellent way to end up at the bottom of a pit, or stuck on a ledge, unable to get back. It's pretty forgiving with retries, usually only requiring a couple of steps to be redone with each death, but careful planning of where, what, and when to mirror the environment is equally as important as any carefully timed jump.

RETSNOM feels good when it's sticking to its puzzle aspect. Like most puzzle games, that feeling of victory for overcoming a puzzle is quite satisfying. Reasoning out the exact formula to flip the stage to get to a hidden item, or completing the stage in record time with just a few flips makes for an enjoyable experience.

This begins to break down as the game transitions into more obtuse challenges. Large amounts of blocks can make it very difficult to reason out an ideal solution, and experimentation often comes into play to find a solution that works via trial and error. Platforming can also wind up being a little gimmicky, as, sometimes, jumping in mid-air can accidentally flip a block to the target area, leading to going face first into a wall that has also been caught up in the flipping motion.

The soundtrack is limited in scope, and by no means amazing, but the tracks do well in matching the sense of the world. Early levels are accompanied by a relatively moderate tempo that gives a sense of mystery in the world being explored; while the second world, based around rain and fog, is presented alongside a more brooding track that evokes the essence of a downpour. It does, at least, help reinforce the world resided in.

The story is largely told through text that appears onscreen as levels are traversed, in addition to messages left behind, sometimes in plain sight, and sometimes in out of the way spaces. The role of a scientist is taken on, trying to find a cure for his ailing daughter by travelling to the future, which is in the midst of a zombie outbreak. Descending further, he begins to question whether his actions are truly just; is he saving his family, or dooming the greater good in an attempt to rescue his daughter?

It all sounds like a good idea, but the overarching plot is so riddled with paradoxes and unexplained phenomenon that it's hard to get a grasp on exactly who's who and what's what at any given moment. While the protagonist seems morally ambiguous, nothing ever actually takes the time to explain why exactly its bizarre time travel plot somehow saves this man's daughter and simultaneously destroys humanity in the future. Rather than looking into the mirror and being shocked at what is seen, RETSNOM might just leave a feeling of, well, puzzlement.