REDO! Is a new post-apocalyptic metroidvania from solo developer Robson Paiva and publisher Top Hat Studios. The game released some time back on PC but has just now made the jump to consoles where I got to check out the PlayStation 5 version. Is this the next metroidvania you should have on your radar?
The story in REDO! follows a girl who appears to be alone in this post-apocalyptic world that has been overrun with dangerous machines. Early on you receive a transmission from a what appears to be another human and have to set out to try and find them while using every tool at your disposal to survive against these deadly mecha lifeforms. The story and setting are some of the things I dug the most about this game as the gameplay has some issues.
The controls in this game aren’t that great for one leading to a bit of a frustrating time. You have a button to jump, attack, and roll but it feels very sluggish and unresponsive to do anything. When you encounter enemies in the game the unresponsive controls can lead to you taking unnecessary hits. You can find a nice assortment of weapons to use against your foes whether it be your melee weapon or a variety of guns and you can and will need to upgrade them along the way to be more effective. This is especially true when you run into boss fights who can spell your end quickly if you aren’t careful. Speaking of meeting your end, this game is very punishing in regards to setting you back as you can’t save very often and the game is missing checkpoints meaning if you die expect to be set back to wherever it was that you last saved. Not only will you be sent back there but any enemies you defeated will now be back and have to be dealt with again. It very much feels like a Souls game in that regard so if you don’t typically like design like that then you will likely get frustrated here.
Another of my issues with the game is that there is no map at all and for a metroidvania game that comes across as a very odd design choice. The areas in this game aren’t too complicated so I managed without it but it would’ve been much more helpful if there was one present as you’ll be doing a lot of backtracking in REDO. The game’s 16-bit art style is fairly good though as I mentioned earlier that the setting was something that really spoke to me. Everything has a dark and twisted feel to it and that includes some fun Lovecraftian enemy designs. If you’re a trophy hunter you’ll find 15 trophies to earn including a Platinum. So long as you go out of your way to upgrade your stats and collect all the things you should have no problem earning them all.
REDO! has an interesting world and horrifying enemy designs but is held back by some clucky gameplay controls and the lack of some metroidvania staples like a map. This game is brutally tough which will appeal to fans of Souls games but for those who aren’t you’ll likely find yourself growing annoyed at how easy it is to die. I don’t think this is a must-play but it can offer up some brutal fun for a few hours if this is your type of thing.
*Redo! Is available now on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. PlayStation 5 version reviewed. Review copy provided by the publisher for this review.
Redo!
$9.99
Pros
- Dark and foreboding world with horrifying enemy designs
- Nice variety of weapons to use and upgrade
Cons
- No map to help you navigate the world
- Dying can set you back a good ways
- Controls don't feel good
