Retimed (Nintendo Switch) Review

By Josh Di Falco 12.04.2020

Review for Retimed on Nintendo Switch

Originally released on PC and Mac, Team Maniax has brought its unique bullet-time shooter to the Nintendo Switch. Featuring fast-paced action on a 2D-scale, up to four players can partake in a bullet-frenzy shooter with an exciting slow-motion mechanic that comes straight out of The Matrix's playbook. With customisable characters that contain a cheeky bunch of personality, and a subdued colour palette that allows for the important elements to pop, Retimed is a blast to play with friends, thanks to an easy-to-master control scheme. For those looking to add to their Nintendo party game collection, Retimed cannot be ignored, although it does have its issues.

Retimed is a frenetic shooter that takes place on a 2D stage. Whether playing single-player against the AI, or multiplayer via online or couch co-op, every battle is an exciting and riveting gun-duel. There are a handful of different modes that are designed to shake up the objectives - however, the gameplay is largely the same across the board. The main idea is to survive a gun battle and blast away the opponents, all while using the main mechanic of Retimed.

The key mechanic that this offers up is the 'bullet-time' sequences that play out during a battle. When an enemy bullet nears the player-controlled character, the game slows down for that split second to allow for a chance to dodge that bullet. Think of the slow-mo that occurs when Neo dodges bullets in The Matrix. This is a cool feature that allows for enough time to orchestrate a bullet-dodge, but to also line up a return shot to hit the enemy while doing all the dodging. When it's pulled off properly, it creates some heart-stopping moments that are the highlight of Retimed.

Single player mode features a short series of maps with AI-controlled enemies. This is a great mode to learn the controls of Retimed, and practice the timing sequences, and bullet-time mechanics. Each stage has its own colour scheme and environmental gimmicks, from falling spikes to portals. While it keeps the stages fresh, there are only a handful of different elements that shake up the battles. For example, the stage with the falling spikes can also initiate a bullet-time sequence as a character slow-motions its way under a falling spike, while shooting the opponent.

Screenshot for Retimed on Nintendo Switch

Single player mode has a three-star system that encourages the use of replaying stages with increased difficulty, such as having limited lives. However, aside from bragging rights, there's little purpose for trying out these overly difficult stages to get the three-stars. Stages are also littered with ammo refills to allow for constant shooting - with minimal recharge times.

The meat of Retimed is the multiplayer aspect. Being able to play with friends on a couch in local, or going online to play with others is where this action-shooter really comes to life. There's only so much difficulty and tension that the AI-controlled characters can deliver, that is unlike those brought on by real people. The multiplayer options are limited, but really it comes down to just having either a 'free for all' or 'team battle' with friends. There are four characters to choose from, with limited skins and customization options that mildly allow for expressive designs.

The control scheme is easy to learn, which makes Retimed a fun title to pull out at parties. There are only three actions: jumping, shooting and sliding. The slow-motion sequences automatically initiate when characters are about to get shot, and allows them to just escape while returning their own shot. The thrill of avoiding disaster by the skin of the characters teeth by sliding under the bullet, only to return serve for the win is something that must be experienced to fully appreciate. Even better with the controls, is that Retimed only requires one joy con to play, so from the outset there'll be at least two local players.

Screenshot for Retimed on Nintendo Switch

Cubed3 Rating

6/10
Rated 6 out of 10

Good

Team Maniax has delivered on creating a cute, but frenzied party title that simplifies the act of dodging bullets, and making it look cool while doing so. With easy controls to learn, and only having one focus, the barrier for entry in Retimed is low. Whether engaging in team battle with some friends, or taking part in a 'free for all,' there's a ton of energy and excitement to be had. The main issues is the lack of characters, stages, or variety of weapons to choose from, plus the lacklustre single-player experience. However, considering the small development team that worked on this, what Retimed has become is an enjoyable blast to play, and at the very least, it most certainly should be checked out in time for the next couch party.

Developer

Team Maniax

Publisher

Stray Fawn

Genre

2D Platformer

Players

4

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  6/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date Out now   Australian release date Out now   

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