ReCore Review

ReCore (Xbox Anywhere, Xbox One, PC) (Rated Teen)

Often when looking at new games I am disappointed to see more of the same, another shooter, another sports game, another product that is guaranteed to be a smash hit. We rarely see platformers these days as they are seen as less viable products compared to other genres. This is why ReCore was not only a welcome sight on the self, but a much-needed reminder of what games used to be; pure fun. ReCore is calling back to the hey days of the PS2 and Gamecube era platformers, this game was even made by the lead designer of Metorid Prime; something that surprised me given the game's relatively low-key status. In ReCore you take on the role of Joule who is tasked with developing the distant planet of Far Eden; you however, awaken on the planet to find that the robots sent ahead of you have done much work already, there is an ominous mystery afoot as you explore the vast desert of Far Eden.

The story is minimal but, surprisingly energetic and captivating due to the personality that is present in Joule, as well as her companion bot's called "Corebots" that will aid you on your journey, but also the world itself is an intriguing character. While the game's story is not deep by any stretch of the imagination, it captures the spirit that the best games of the genre have embodied. This is a game that is about fun larger than life characters, Joule is easily one of the most delightful video game character to emerge in quite some time. She is courageous, has a great sense of humor and above all else exudes that classic sense confidence you find in characters that have clearly inspired Joule, like Samus Aran or Leia Organa. The story is very close to the tone of something like Star Wars, it is light with some serious elements that form a pretty satisfying basis for the player's actions. The story is more or less there to guide the player through the game's many objectives, yet it is done with such a great level of enthusiasm that its use of well-worn tropes and lack of any real depth are perfectly acceptable.

The world is laid out much similarly to the Zelda series, you need to get certain objects or upgrades to progress through the game's several expansive areas that are packed with places to explore, like the games exquisitely designed dungeons and of course plenty of combat encounters; the dungeons pack plenty of variety, although the objectives remain the same from the game's opening. As you start exploring the world you will be attacked by aggressively malfunctioning robots, the nature of their malfunction is part of the mystery and I was surprised at how well the gameplay mechanics fit into the stories context.

 The enemy bots carry cores that can charge your "Corebots" allowing you to upgrade them; you extract these cores via a kind of "tug of war" which is oddly satisfying, I never would have thought such a simple mechanic could be so much fun. You will start off with one "Corebot" but soon meet more as the game progresses, you are only able to have one "Corebot" alongside you at a time, but they are each unique and have their own strengths and weaknesses. The "Corebots" are undeniably the most charming thing in the entire game they will get you to new areas and keep you company. I was surprised at how well their personalities were defined, it came across not only in gameplay but the game's story sequences as well.

Platforming in ReCore is exhilarating in a way that so few games are today; while you have precise control over Joule there is no safety net and it is entirely up to you to land those jumps, there will never be a time you will miss or fall to your death due to bad controls or game error. You can double jump like you would expect, but it is the way you can essentially skate through the air that really gives the platforming a sense of grace. Combining gliding and the always useful double jump will lead you to unprecedented heights, which sadly also expose one of the game's main issues; it's technical limitations. The game is made with the Unity engine, which can create some very beautiful visuals as is evident with ReCore; yet, it is a weak engine that means textures can be rough, load times are fairly lengthy and the framerate takes a noticeable hit in the game's larger areas or when combat gets particularly intense. 

Luckily even when the framerate chugs it never impeded gameplay, in fact, you could almost mistake the framerate drops for intentional slow motion. Everything about ReCore is enjoyable, the story has some serious and even melancholy elements yet, at it's very core this is a fun fantasy adventure with a childlike sense of wonder. Combat and traversal maintain a fine balance of challenge and playability; the game also never becomes frustrating due to it's fine-tuned controls and meticulous design. Combat utilizes a lock on system which is a necessity due to the combat's frenetic pace, which has you skating and bouncing around as you shoot to destroy the many robotic enemies that will swarm you. 

As you journey through the lengthy campaign you will become attached to your bots, they are loyal, pleasant and extremely helpful in and out of combat; the only time I have seen such memorable and effective companions in a game was the Mass Effect series. There are far more reasons to love ReCore than to hate it, but it will really come down to if you love games that are about exploring hidden areas, visceral combat and the sheer exhilaration of platforming done right.