I love playing classic games from decades gone by, but sometimes I want something that feels old without actually being old. Modern games showcase modern design philosophies, but I still want to play something that reminds me of the old days. Thankfully, these games fit the bill.
7
Axiom Verge
Some people would claim that a game from 2015 is already “retro”, but come on—anything that released on the PlayStation 4 needs a few more years before earning that title. Still, Axiom Verge feels pretty retro. “Metroidvania” games are honestly a dime a dozen, but Axiom Verge managed to set itself apart by really focusing more on the Metroid side of things thanks to its sci-fi aesthetic and focus on gun combat.
The game was actually made as a love letter to Metroid, and it really shows; the dark, foreboding atmosphere, the eerie, haunting music as you explore a sci-fi world full of monsters to unravel a mystery. If you replaced the protagonist of this game with Samus, I’d believe it was an official Metroid title in a heartbeat.
Of particular note are the power-ups that almost every Metroidvania game has, which you usually need to access secret areas or new levels of the game. Forget about double jumps and air dashes. Axiom Verge will constantly subvert your expectations with unique abilities and unexpected ways to use them to achieve your goals. Honestly, just talking about it makes me want to go back and play Metroid Fusion again…
Axiom Verge
- Released
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March 31, 2015
- ESRB
-
E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Developer(s)
-
Thomas Happ Games
- Publisher(s)
-
Thomas Happ Games
6
Cyber Shadow
I promise every game on this list isn’t going to be a 2D sidescroller, but we can’t talk about huge retro hits without referencing Ninja Gaiden. Cyber Shadow is a 2021 game that pays homage to the classic in all the right ways, while also modernizing the experience. It’s got everything you’d expect—the wall sliding, air dashing, projectile throwing, and brutal bossfights—but it’s got some great modern touches too, like character progression, a compelling narrative told though both gameplay and cutscenes, and complex parrying mechanics.
Cyber Shadow also maintains a difficulty that fans of the old Ninja Gaiden games will appreciate, though it’s a bit easier by merit of having better controls. It’s definitely not as hard as, say, Hollow Knight, but it’s still challenging, especially after chapter five. Strangely, the game has one of the best forgettable soundtracks I’ve ever heard; it somehow manages to be awesome and fitting when you’re playing, but easily forgotten when you aren’t.
Still, the game has very positive reviews and is only $20 on Steam, so if you’re a fan of this genre, it’s definitely worth checking out.
Cyber Shadow
- Released
-
January 26, 2021
- ESRB
-
e
- Publisher(s)
-
Yacht Club Games
5
Signalis
Sometimes, the limitations of retro graphics do more for atmosphere and tension than the best AAA graphics ever could. Signalis is a 2022 survival horror game with PS1 graphics that’s all about sound and atmosphere that really captures the essence of the genre on that console. It’s very reminiscent of old school Silent Hill and Resident Evil. Dark and gloomy atmospheres, creepy sounds, slow, plodding movement, an unhealthy obsession with locating specific items so you can open a door or activate an elevator—truly, all too familiar.
Signalis has a lot of features that people either really love or really hate. Enemies are persistent, only staying dead under certain circumstances, meaning you almost never feel the comfort of safety. The inventory system is restrictive, demanding careful consideration of what you keep with you and what you leave behind. There is a lot of backtracking to areas you’ve been to before.
But it has a lot of novel features too. Aside from an incredibly complex and compelling story that’s constantly pushing you to keep playing and learn more, the game has somehow made inconsistency one of its strong points: enemies flicker, the perspective shifts, visual tricks and enemies who suddenly appear while being mechanically different from anything you’ve encountered before, the shifting between 2D and low-poly 3D styles… it all blends together in a truly novel experience.
Signalis
- Released
-
October 27, 2022
- ESRB
-
m
- Engine
-
unity
4
Retro Commander
Classic RTS games like Command & Conquer or Supreme Commander were highlights of an earlier era of gaming, but there’s no denying that they are a bit dated in terms of mechanics and controls. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have a game that has the retro aesthetic of the classics, but plays like a modern RTS? Well, Retro Commander is a base-building, resource-managing, troop-producing RTS that fits the bill.
Retro Commander has a lot going for it besides the handcrafted pixel art that gives it the old-school aesthetic. The simplified resource management and intuitive unit controls make it accessible to newcomers while still offering enough tactical depth to satisfy strategy veterans. A single-player campaign with a variety of mission types keeps things interesting. In multiplayer, a streamlined and satisfying progression system with multiple branches ensures you can take multiple paths to military supremacy against your foes.
For me, I think one of the most interesting things about Retro Commander is that it also includes naval warfare, which is incredibly rare for RTS games that generally focus on ground troops and aircraft. Combining that with ICBMs, drones, mechs, and all sorts of other units, Retro Commander really gives a great sense of modern combined arms warfare while looking like a game from the past.
3
Organ Trail
Many retro fans fondly recall the grueling difficulty of the classic Oregon Trail game, a title that really took you back in time. While I’m convinced that Organ Trail was born solely out of someone’s desire for a groan-inducing pun, I can’t deny that it’s a fantastic love letter to the classic. Admittedly, Organ Trail itself is getting up in years, being a 2013 game, but that’s still 40 years younger than the original 1971 classic.
At any rate, Organ Trail is a cheeky cousin of the game it was inspired by, with a fun twist on the old formula of heading West in a wagon with your loved ones. It’s just that, this time, it’s the zombie apocalypse and you and your friends are heading West in a station wagon, not one pulled by oxen. Don’t worry, dying of dysentery and putting your buddies out of their misery when the need arises have both been carried over from the original.
As for how retro this game feels, well, let’s just say it would be right at home on an Apple II thanks to its 16-bit color art and plethora of sound effects generated solely through beeps and boops. It’s an old-school take on zombie survival games, but it’s a ton of fun. You get to choose your own adventure as you decide how to deal with problems. There are multiple survival elements to take into consideration. Zombie boss fights, zombie animal stampedes, town trading, jobs, upgrades to your car, and a lot more.
For a game that looks like it jumped out of the 1970s, Organ Trail has a modern game’s worth of content, replayability, and zombie pop culture references, and it only costs a few bucks, too.
Organ Trail: Director’s Cut
- Released
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January 10, 2013
- Developer(s)
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The Men Who Wear Many Hats
- Publisher(s)
-
The Men Who Wear Many Hats
2
Barony
Even though the entire Roguelike genre started with the 1980 release of Rogue, it feels like people don’t often associate the genre with retro gaming as much as they do others, like 2D side-scrollers of old-school FPS games. Well, Barony, a 2015 release, proves that more people should give retro-themed roguelikes a try. Barony is like if Minecraft and Runescape had a child that loved dungeon diving in randomly-generated levels full of unforgiving violence.
The premise is simple, really: navigate a bunch of deadly dungeons full of enemies, traps, treasure, and secrets until you reach the deepest pits of the underworld and kill the big bad evil guy. There are over a dozen classes to choose from, hundreds of weapons, armor, accessories, and equipment with beneficial and detrimental effects, and a variety of skills you can improve through repeated practice, like leadership, swimming, and magic.
The whole experience is very reminiscent of the cryptic dungeon diving the old breed once went through in Daggerfall. Except this time, you can go dungeon diving with up to four of your friends, multiplaying the min-maxing shenanigans, playful insanity, and humorous player deaths exaggerated all the more by perma-death being a thing. Don’t worry if you die too early in the adventure; you can become a ghost and haunt your buddies for letting you down the whole time.
It’s truly a perfect retro aesthetic game to play with your friends; trust me, you’ll be talking about the time you misread the fire spell scroll— igniting yourself, your friends, and all of your enemies instead of shooting a fireball—for at least half a year.
1
Conquest of Elysium 5
Conquest of Elysium 5 looks like a pretty old game despite coming out in 2021. In fact, I’m pretty sure there are a number of 90s games that arguably look better. But while CoE5 is not visually impressive, it has what really matters most in a game; an extraordinary amount of entertainment for your money. This is a turn-based fantasy strategy game where you command huge armies that is all about diversity and unique gameplay.
The map you play on is randomly generated. The starting spells, equipment, and even troops available to you are randomized. But most of all, there are 24 different factions that are incredibly unique. Most strategy games have lots of factions, and sometimes, they’ll have some minor differences—certain buildings, a few unit types, maybe some special heroes—but overall, each faction plays pretty similarly overall. This is not the case in CoE5.
Each fantasy race truly does play entirely differently from the others. Druids have no need for mines or regular resource gathering, instead sourcing all of their animal troops from forests and jungles. Dwarves have no choice but to mine, focusing on upgrading troops that are very costly to replace. Some factions operate exclusively out of caves. Others revolve entirely around draining energy from the land itself to fuel them. There really is a ton of variety to provide you with plenty of incentive for multiple playthroughs.
This is on top of the persistently maintained 10 separate planes of existence in this game, including the heavens and the underworld. The actions you take in random events can permanently influence any aspect of your world, providing unmatched emergent storytelling. Admittedly, the combat itself may seem bland and boring to some, but if flashiness is not what you appreciate the most about a good strategy game, you should check out Conquest of Elysium 5.
The world of retro gaming doesn’t have to be limited to the past with modern games that capture the essence of those classics. But let’s be real; true retro fans will still want to go back and play those classics at some point, because they are truly timeless.
