So when I originally covered Retro/Grade in our run up to PAX10, I had noted that the game was quite a unique shmup in that you actually play the game backwards. Unfortunately, at the time I didn’t quite grasp just what that mean and how it would affect the game. Today, however, I’ve played the game, tested out just what it is, and came away with a completely different, but not entirely bad, opinion.

As I stated in my introductory post, the premise of the game is that you play as a protagonist named Rick Rocket who has just heroically saved the universe from a marauding group of aliens intent on destroying everything and everyone, yada yada… Unfortunately for Rick, just as he destroys the final boss and saves the universe, something disastrous happens: a temporal anomaly has begun reversing time so that time is going backwards.

It’s an interesting plot line, but one that is, unfortunately, superficial. After speaking with the developers I was informed that while the games story establishes the setting, gameplay, and plot it does little else within the context of the game. Meaning, beyond the first few minutes of the opening sequence there really isn’t a storyline anymore.

As I mentioned above, I originally noted that Retro/Grade was a shmup. This, however, was pretty much entirely wrong and it’s just one of those things that you’ll need to play in order to entirely grasp just what the game is. But I’ll do my best to explain it to you in the written word and then swing by the booth later to snag a new gameplay video.

So, first, Retro/Grade is not a shmup. It’s actually more of a rhythm game that anything else. Not to say that’s a bad thing though because, in fact, the game is actually really fun and the plot line does help establish some unique properties about the game.

Since you are traveling back in time, you have but a simple directive: don’t do anything your character didn’t do on his was forward. This means any enemies you shot and destroyed must be properly “rewound” to ensure that you take the bullets/missiles back in. The game does this by making it a sort of rhythm game which can be played using a guitar or controller. As Rick is flying backwards, you’ll use the guitar/controller to move up or down on a colored line (the difficulty will change this between 3-5 strips) and you’ll simply have to move your character up or down and then strum (or press X) as soon as the bullet has arrived at your ship.

Additionally, there is another mode where you’ll simply have to dodge the enemies rewinding fire. This mode is even simpler as you won’t really have to actually strum, you can just move up and down to navigate your way through the fire. Once you reach the more difficult levels of the game, you’ll have to do both, dodge and absorb, at the same time.

My only problem with the game so far is that, during the moments when you are required to dodge and absorb, the game can get pretty confusing, visually. For example, the top line of the game is the yellow line. When it comes time to dodge and absorb, you’ll have one yellow bullet coming from behind you and one heading towards you. Both are different sizes, but beyond that there’s little to differentiate between which is which and it can get very confusing.

Retro/Grade isn’t scheduled for release until 2011 and is currently being developed for the Playstation Network, although other platforms are a definite possibility, including the Wii, despite the obvious graphical downgrade which would be required. I’ll work on getting a gameplay video from the show today to upload later, until then enjoy the regular trailer below.

Trailer