Retro Commander
Retro Commander is a post-apocalyptic real-time strategy wargame (RTS). Take command and fight it out in a world where a cataclysmic timeline has transpired on Mother Earth. Wage wars solo, against the AI, or take on your gaming comrades and friends in cross-platform multiplayer matches. Form teams and clans and fight co-op style with the AI and other players for ultimate victory.
As opposed to other real-time strategy game, Retro Commander tries to focus on both, a fun single player and a thrilling multiplayer experience. The game strives to be easy to learn with a modern user interface. Single player comes with skirmish matches against the AI as well as a comic-based story campaign. Multiplayer can be played cross-platform and includes a ranking and rating system.
- Post-Apocalyptic: Real-time strategy (RTS) played in a post-apocalyptic timeline on Mother Earth. The environment includes day-night cycles, rain, snow, wind and solar flare activity.
- Story Campaign: Deep campaign and story line of humanity after a cataclysmic event. Factions come with their own specialized technologies such as stealth, robots, drones or shields.
- Single & Multiplayer: A challenging AI for both single and multiplayer matches with co-op play. Cross-platform multiplayer including LAN/internet. ONLINE play comes with an award and rating system.
- Play Modes: In addition to regular skirmish matches, the game supports missions such as elimination, survival, capture the flag, defense and battle royale. Available in both single and multiplayer also are escort and rescue missions.
- Structures & Troops: Common troops for land, sea and air warfare is available to all factions. Specialized elements such as stealth, shields, EMP weapons, nukes, portals, orbital weapons, assimilator and other troops and structures provide for additional variety.
- Modding: A map editor is included allowing for player-modded maps including player-modded campaigns. All elements including troops, structures, as well as graphics and sound effects, can be modded if desired.
Although some troops are shared, the game is trying not to be a generic RTS-games. There are faction-specific technologies each with their strengths and weaknesses.
- GRA Technology: gives access to stealth and cloaking. Included are cloaked agents and spies as well as bombers with EMP and nuclear weapons. Available also are snipers and heavy airlifts. Can build uranium fabricators.
- ELC Technology: provides robots, airships and robo dogs. Available also are a mechanic and heavy airlift. Can build stationary EMP-field generators.
- IDB Technology: provides hovertanks, drones including EMP-field drones and drones equipped with napalm weapons. Can build fusion generators for power.
- Mayan Technology: consists of decoy capabilities. Included are hologram tanks, transformers, dogs and dolphins. Can build portals.
- Ancient Technology: provides shields, EMP soldiers, assimilators and napalm tanks. Can build matter fabricators.
Downloadable Content (DLC): This is not a free game but comes with downloadable maps. You can unlock all the maps via a one-time payment of “All Maps & Modding”. It includes everything for single player including the story campaign, skirmishing against the AI or LAN-play with friends and family.
No DRM: There is no DRM in the game. You don’t need to connected to the internet to play single player games or the campaign. You don’t need to be logged in to play LAN games either. You don’t need to login either for WAN games (locally hosted games over the internet), but you will have to work out your router settings and do the appropriate port-forwarding so your friends can connect from remote.
Game Discussion
Steam User 7
My previous review was a little harsh, but some of the issues I had with the game are still valid. However, I will rescind my non-recommendation. I do recommend this game as the issues I had initially were partially due to my inexperience with the game's mechanics. I definitely do recommend this game now. Some mechanics/quality of life need to be explained a bit more in the tutorial, such as unit ferrying and neutral/civilian buildings, but once you understand the game, this becomes a really straightforward and sharp RTS game with quality elements from its inspirations.
In my personal opinion, the game still leans towards being a little un-intuitive and slow at times. However, some of these issues can be fixed by adjusting default speed, and some of the "bloat" mostly comes down to how units are named and how the UI presents them.
Retro Commander should be played at 2x Speed by default. This can be set during the game start up and rectifies any issues I have with setting a default speed during multiplayer. At any pace lower, (in my opinion) the early game economy tends to make the game drag its feet and units seem to crawl at a snails pace compared to other RTS games.
I still believe engineer units should be allowed to build and repair buildings by default, however I am fine with engineering units not being able to repair friendly units. Engineer units (building robots) automatically start creating buildings that you set down/order to be constructed. This is a hybrid of how Total Annihilation/Supreme Commander and Command & Conquer does its base building with a little bit of both worlds. I do find it a little annoying that the engineer units can take a brief second to identify that buildings need to be created, but it's not a very big issue since you can force-command them to create structures.
Currently, my biggest issue with the game is identifying vehicle and infantry units. Infantry and Tank units seem to blend together at times and it's difficult to ID them at a glance. Giving units unique names would also greatly serve at differentiating them off the bat. I was really disappointed and a little overwhelmed when I saw "Missile Tank, Bullet Tank, Main Battle Tank, Laser Tank, etc". Frankly, I thought they were carbon copies that specialized in specifically one thing. To an extent, I was correct, but it's like how a RTS APC, Main Battle Tank, and a Mammoth Tank are all "tanks", but each have their own unique identity.
I think infantry names can stay the same, but vehicles definitely need a unique name of their own. Simply calling the Missile Tank a "Mobile-SAM Launcher", the Main Battle Tank a "Grendel" and the Laser Tank a "Directed-Force Tank" while keeping their descriptors as "Missile, MBT, and Laser" would make them feel far less homogeneous.
However, I still am of the opinion that their silhouettes blend together far too much and I would greatly appreciate different designs for most of the tanks, aircraft and infantry. Simply putting a colored stripe or making the appropriate parts of that unit larger would be great.
Steam User 5
It is fun but has massive amounts of pay walls for the maps and multiplayer
Steam User 7
Flashback to the late 90s / early 2000s with this RTS that looks and feels like a mix of Z, C&C and Warcraft 2. Recommended when buying the access all areas DLCs.
Steam User 2
regarding free demo. enjoyable game with alot of potential. graphics good enough. very large maps and damage to units for moving is lame. a lot of objects break for no real reason. quit playing campaign after failing the second mission for some unknown reason 7 times. micro management of units and buildings a bit much. a lot like c&c. squirmish was enjoyable.
Steam User 4
Brilliant RTS game, but recommend for players with other RTS game experience. NEED BIG BRAIN TO PLAY, THIS GAME ONLY FOR SMART PEOPLE !!!!
Steam User 2
The Game itself looks awesome and the gameplay feels nice. Yay, Free to play!
It looks like a nice mix of Supreme Commander and Command & Conquer with some nice mechanics in the power management.
The only real downside for me, is the fact that you only generate your "money" at a slow rate.
But the dev replied to bring an option for more refineries.
@noblemaster: thx for adding that option in the future ;)
Steam User 0
initially gave it a negative review. it turns out that long poles cant actually connect structures to the power grid, but the short ones can.
initial review: hate to give this a negative review as i kinda like the aesthetic, sound etc but it was very non obvious how power works. like my airfield didnt have power but i did not know why. it seemed connected to the grid you dont see the amount of power available on screen. i kept constructing wind but to no avail.