Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Tottem plunges players into a relentless side-scrolling adventure where precise timing and quick reflexes are rewarded. As a hardened mercenary, you’ll sprint through dense forests, ford rushing rivers, and navigate war-torn villages, all while felling enemy combatants in your path. Each checkpoint acts as both a progress marker and a brief respite, offering a moment to catch your breath before the onslaught resumes.

Collectible items are scattered throughout every level, challenging you to deviate from the main path to boost your score. These bonus pickups not only encourage exploration but also add replay value for completionists hunting perfect runs. However, stray too far and you risk walking into hidden enemy ambushes that can cost you a life in an instant.

The game’s life system keeps tension high: colliding with enemy forces results in an immediate life loss, and once all lives are depleted, your mercenary retires, bringing your campaign to an abrupt end. This high-stakes design ensures every encounter feels meaningful, pushing players to learn enemy patterns and master the mercenary’s movement and firing mechanics.

Graphics

Built using the Shoot ’Em Up Construction Kit, Tottem embraces the classic 8-bit aesthetic with crisp, colorful sprites that evoke nostalgia for arcade-era shooters. The forested areas display rich green palettes, while the village levels showcase earthy browns and stone grays, creating distinct visual zones that help guide the player’s progression.

Despite the technical constraints of SEUCK, animations are surprisingly smooth: enemies react fluidly to your shots, and environmental elements like flowing water and swaying foliage bring each scene to life. The backgrounds weave together parallax scrolling effects, lending a sense of depth to the action on-screen without overwhelming the hardware.

While textures and sprite sizes remain modest by modern standards, the clarity of each object ensures that hazards and power-ups are always easy to spot. Whether you’re darting across a narrow bridge or ducking behind a tree line, the well-defined art style keeps gameplay fair and visible even during the most chaotic firefights.

Story

Tottem’s narrative is straightforward: you are a lone mercenary tasked with breaching heavily guarded territories to eliminate hostile forces. Though minimalist, this setup provides sufficient motivation for the relentless action and ties together the game’s diverse environments into a cohesive mission arc.

The lack of elaborate cutscenes or character backstory keeps the pacing tight, fueling the game’s focus on pure run-and-gun gameplay. Each new checkpoint serves as a reminder of the mercenary’s unwavering resolve, underscoring the sense of urgency as you push deeper into enemy-held regions.

While some players might crave a more intricate plot, Tottem proves that a lean storyline can still deliver a satisfying framework for non-stop combat. The simplicity strips away distractions, allowing you to immerse yourself fully in mastering each level’s design and overcoming its tactical challenges.

Overall Experience

Tottem stands out as a solid entry for fans of fast-paced, retro shoot ’em ups. Its straightforward objectives and no-nonsense level structure make it accessible to newcomers, while the item-collection and high-stakes life system provide enough depth to keep seasoned players engaged. The checkpoint layout strikes a balance between challenge and fairness, preventing frustration while still demanding skill.

The game’s visual charm and fluid controls combine to create an addictive loop: you’ll find yourself retrying levels repeatedly to improve your score and perfect your route through perilous terrain. Even though the SEUCK engine imposes some design limits, Tottem leverages these constraints by delivering tight, polished action that rarely feels repetitive.

For anyone seeking an old-school blasting spree steeped in nostalgic pixel artistry, Tottem offers a robust package. Its blend of varied environments, collectible-driven exploration, and merciless enemy encounters makes for an engaging ride that rewards persistence and precision. Strap in and prepare for a mercenary odyssey that tests both your trigger finger and strategic instincts.

Retro Replay Score

null/10