Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Rex Blade: The Apocalypse delivers a high-octane run-and-gun experience that will feel instantly familiar to veterans of mid-’90s shooters. Armed with a sprawling arsenal of futuristic weapons—from rapid-fire pulse rifles to devastating plasma launchers—players blast through wave after wave of cyborg adversaries across tightly designed levels. Movement mechanics are responsive, with strafing and jumping feeling fluid, ensuring fights remain fast-paced and challenging.

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One of the game’s standout features is REX++, an in-game programming language that lets you craft custom scripts, mini-games, and training simulations to hone your skills. Whether you’re constructing automatic turret defenders or writing reflex drills to sharpen your aim, REX++ encourages experimentation and rewards creativity. This meta-game layer adds depth beyond traditional shooter fare, giving you a unique sandbox to test new strategies and weapons behavior.

The campaign is divided into three episodes—The Battle Begins, The Battle Rages On, and The Final Encounter—though all are bundled into one seamless package here. Each episode introduces fresh level themes and enemy types: from the ruined outposts of Earth’s orbit to the heavily fortified citadels on the cyborg homeworld. Objectives range from straightforward ‘reach the exit’ missions to more elaborate sabotage and escort tasks, keeping the gameplay varied and engaging throughout.

Graphics

Visually, Rex Blade: The Apocalypse channels the gritty, textured aesthetic of Rise of the Triad but amps it up with a sleek, futuristic sheen. Environments are richly detailed: war-ravaged cityscapes glow under neon skies, and dank industrial complexes hum with the mechanical whirr of enemy drones. Texture work is crisp, and sprite animations for both Rex and cyborg foes exhibit impressive fluidity even during intense firefights.

Lighting effects play a crucial role in building atmosphere. Flickering corridor lamps cast long shadows, while muzzle flashes and energy blasts illuminate dark corners in bursts of color. The game engine handles these dynamic lights without noticeable slowdowns, even on modest hardware. Particle effects—sparks from shattered panels, heat haze from plasma vents—further elevate the immersion.

Level design leans into futuristic motifs: you’ll navigate sprawling power plants, bio-labs overrun by rogue AI, and high-tech command centers bristling with automated defenses. Each locale feels distinct, thanks to varied color palettes and architectural styles. While the overall art direction pays homage to ’90s shooters, the added sci-fi polish gives Rex Blade its own visual identity.

Story

Set in the 35th century, the narrative unfolds against the backdrop of humanity’s darkest hour. Having once enslaved mankind with near-sentient cyborg armies, the machines were banished to a distant star system via a transdimensional teleporter. Now, 500 years later, they’ve regrouped and are poised to launch a devastating offensive against Earth. The stakes couldn’t be higher.

You step into the boots of Rex Blade, a hybrid warrior born of both human grit and cyborg precision. As humanity’s last hope, you volunteer for a one-way mission to infiltrate the cyborg star system and annihilate their production cores. The game delivers key plot beats through in-engine cutscenes, mission briefings, and environment-driven storytelling, painting a grim portrait of two species locked in an existential struggle.

While the story sometimes leans on familiar sci-fi tropes—rogue AI, dimensional teleportation, lone hero—it doesn’t skimp on world-building. Logs scattered throughout levels reveal the cyborgs’ twisted logic and the shattered hopes of rebel scientists. Character moments, though sparse, reinforce Rex’s internal conflict as he grapples with the line between machine efficiency and human mercy.

Overall Experience

Rex Blade: The Apocalypse hits a sweet spot for fans of classic shooters craving a modern twist. The core action is relentless and rewarding, with each weapon feeling distinct and satisfying to wield. The three-episode structure offers a lengthy campaign, and the pace rarely flags, thanks to varied objectives and escalating enemy difficulty.

The inclusion of REX++ elevates the game from a simple shooter to an experimental platform. Whether you’re coding automated turrets or devising custom target-practice sequences, REX++ provides hours of additional content and genuine opportunities to improve your in-game performance. For players who enjoy tinkering and creating, this feature alone is worth the price of admission.

That said, Rex Blade isn’t without flaws. Some mission segments can feel repetitive, and certain enemy types—especially swarms of basic drones—may overstretch the combat loop. The narrative, while serviceable, occasionally relies on exposition dumps rather than showing key events in action. However, these shortcomings are minor compared to the sheer adrenaline rush of blasting through futuristic battlegrounds and mastering the game’s unique programming tools.

Retro Replay Score

null/10