『Affordable price

doesn’t mean the quality is cheap』

💎 First Impressions 

These days I try not to, but it’s easy to fall into a familiar trap when buying games.

You judge the game solely by external factors like price or graphics.

Of course, not all AAA games lack fun, but we do know some AAA titles ended up as complete disasters.

On the other hand, there are games like Minecraft and Undertale, humble indie titles praised not for their price or visuals, but purely for their gameplay experience.

As these examples show, you can’t truly judge a game until you’ve played it.

A low price and modest pixel-art graphics might easily disguise a genuinely fun experience.

Today's game is exactly such a case: 『Retro Abyss: Last Wish of the Game』.

⌚Gameplay 

『Simple gameplay

with surprisingly generous content』

<Pixel-art graphics designed for simple yet enjoyable gameplay>

Actually, I had received this game for free a long time ago.

But it gradually got pushed down my list by other games, eventually getting quietly buried in the corner of my account.

Then, one day, I happened to spot Retro Abyss again on the store page.

Since it was already sitting in my library, I finally decided to try this nearly-forgotten game.

At first glance, the game appears to feature very simplistic graphics.

Pixel art, I believe? If the goal was to capture a retro vibe, then they nailed it.

However, this visual style can give players the impression that it's a relatively "light" game.

But as we've seen with Undertale, appearances can be deceiving.

<Simple controls, but the gameplay proves less straightforward as you progress>

Retro Abyss is a bullet-hell RPG. You might wonder what exactly that means, but it’s simpler than it sounds.

Your goal is to pick your characters, enter stages, defeat enemies, collect gold and rewards, and raise your characters.

You clear stages by eliminating enemies while dodging the barrage of their attacks.

However, this seemingly simple formula quickly feels different as you progress, encountering more enemies and tougher challenges.

I'll explain this aspect in more detail shortly.

<Unlock and level up new characters as you progress>

As you might’ve guessed from the mention of ‘your characters,’ the game requires you to raise more than one.

Specifically, you'll have to pick and level up at least three different characters to advance to later stages.

At first, you can only select a Knight or an Archer, but more classes gradually unlock as you play.

It's quite a clever game design, allowing players to naturally experience diverse characters as they progress.

"

The slow-motion feature is a stroke of genius!

Bullet-hell action? Not that difficult!

"

There's no need to worry about leveling up each character from scratch every time.

After you finish the tutorial and clear the first 10 stages with your initial character, leveling subsequent characters becomes much easier.

Personally, I cleared the game with the Archer class, and when raising the next class, the Knight, I was able to start at level 6 and even received some starting items.

Reaching the maximum level didn't take long, so it never felt tedious.

<Using skills triggers slow-motion—a tip revealed in the official tutorial.>

As the stages progress, dodging enemy bullet patterns becomes increasingly difficult.

To address this, the game provides a slow-motion effect when aiming skills (or weapons).

However, it doesn’t completely stop time—it just slows it down significantly.

At first, I wasn’t aware of this mechanic, so I had to rely on trial and error. But once I got used to it, I found it incredibly useful.

The difference was immediately noticeable, making the gameplay feel much more manageable.

<Gold enhances skills and HP, while items improve attack power and cooldown reduction>

"

After all, upgrading is the true essence of an RPG!

"

At some point, you'll hit a difficulty spike where clearing stages becomes noticeably tougher.

Naturally, this leads to looking for ways to strengthen your character—and there are plenty of upgrade mechanics beyond simple leveling up.

Gold, which is obtained while progressing through stages, can be used to upgrade skills and health. Additionally, after clearing a stage, you receive equipment as rewards, which further enhance your characters.

Once you clear all standard stages, additional features such as purchasing legendary gear and awakening classes become available.

Of course, this means your character becomes significantly stronger—but so do the enemies.

The overall progression follows a "both you and your enemies grow stronger" style of balance.

<Because the graphics primarily consist of red and blue tones, it quickly strains your eyes>

Overall, I'd still like to give a positive rating, but there were a few noticeable issues.

"

Using only red and blue tones

causes noticeable eye fatigue

"

First, the game's visuals quickly become tiring because the graphics rely heavily on a palette of red and blue.

Both the character sprites and stage elements are presented primarily in these two colors.

Furthermore, due to the highly saturated hues, I found my eyes getting tired very quickly.

This fatigue is even more pronounced since the interface also uses the same limited color scheme.

And while there is a story during gameplay, it didn't really grab my attention.

The story doesn't hold much weight, as the game seems more focused on gameplay rather than narrative.

I wouldn't call this a flaw; rather, it's more of a characteristic of the game itself.

📌 Final Thoughts 

『Hey there~ New to bullet hell?

A thoughtful take on the genre's pros and cons』

To be honest, I’ve always been a fan of bullet hell shooters—especially aircraft-based shoot-'em-ups.

But compared to the past, far fewer people are playing this genre today.

As it became harder to deliver satisfying gameplay over time, many titles chose to ramp up the difficulty instead.

This raised the barrier to entry, leaving only a small group of dedicated enthusiasts behind.

The growing demand for simpler, more accessible games—and the increasing number of ways to enjoy them—also played a role.

This game clearly reflects a deep understanding of the challenges that come with the genre.

In terms of satisfaction, it enhances the player’s sense of growth.

To lower the entry barrier, it introduces a slow-motion mechanic that helps ease new players in.

The price point is very fair, but more than that, the level of care and consideration that went into the design left a strong impression.

Thanks to that, I walked away with plenty of fond memories.

A shooting game for those who want to experience the thrill of steady growth—

This is Retro Abyss: Last Wish of the Game!

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