Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Baroque’s gameplay strikes a distinctive balance between action-RPG combat and roguelike dungeon crawling. You guide an amnesiac survivor through procedurally generated floors of the Nerve Tower, dispatching grotesque demons with a blend of melee strikes, ranged attacks, and special abilities. Each descent into the tower demands careful resource management—health restoratives are scarce, and your character’s memory remains fragmented until you push deeper.

Between tower expeditions, you can briefly exit to visit a handful of NPC outposts, where merchants offer upgraded weapons, armor, and consumables. These trips provide small but meaningful strategic decisions: do you risk another dive into the depths armed with scarce supplies, or return to town to replenish your stock and uncover more clues about the world’s collapse? The interplay between high-stakes dungeon forays and safe haven intervals keeps the tension palpable throughout.

The PS2 remake expands the original formula with additional floors, unique creatures, and a wider variety of loot drops. Optional side paths and secret chambers reward inquisitive players, and respawning mini-bosses ensure that no two runs ever feel identical. While the core loop can feel repetitive over time, the unpredictable layouts and emergent combat encounters continually inject fresh challenge.

Graphics

Transitioning from 2D sprites to a fully polygonal engine was a bold move, and Baroque largely succeeds in delivering an oppressive, otherworldly atmosphere. The Nerve Tower’s corridors are draped in muted colors, illuminated by flickering neon conduits and the occasional burst of hellish light. Textures on crumbling walls, rusted machinery, and twisted organic growths evoke a world warped by catastrophe.

Character and monster models achieve a haunting sense of scale: hulking demons loom over your protagonist, while grotesque mutations slither across each room. Although polygon counts and texture resolutions reflect the PS2’s hardware limits, smart lighting, fog effects, and dynamic shadows heighten the tension. Ambient sound cues—unsettling whispers, distant roars, and ominous pulsations—complement the visuals, making each floor feel alive with unseen horrors.

Occasional slowdown appears when multiple enemies unleash special attacks, and some environmental objects can look blocky up close. However, these technical hiccups are rare enough that they don’t break immersion. Overall, the PS2 remake’s graphical enhancements breathe new life into Baroque’s bleak setting without sacrificing the gritty charm of the original.

Story

Baroque’s narrative unfolds with deliberate ambiguity, inviting players to piece together the lore as they progress. A catastrophic heat wave has ravaged Earth, leaving behind demon-infested ruins and the foreboding Nerve Tower—said to contain answers to the apocalypse. Your nameless protagonist awakens within this hellish structure, memories shattered and motivations unclear.

As you descend through each floor, brief flashbacks and fragmented diary entries gradually reveal the human cost of the disaster. NPCs encountered outside the tower share cryptic insights, hinting at corporate experiments gone awry and supernatural forces beyond comprehension. The plot’s nonlinear delivery encourages multiple playthroughs to unlock hidden story threads and alternative endings.

While some players may find the storytelling sparse or disjointed, the game’s cryptic approach fosters a sense of mystery and discovery. Piecing together the true nature of the Nerve Tower and your own identity becomes as compelling as the combat itself, rewarding those who delve into every nook and decipher every clue.

Overall Experience

Baroque’s PS2 remake offers a refreshingly dark and cerebral take on action-RPG dungeon crawlers. The fusion of tense, loot-driven exploration with an enigmatic storyline creates a haunting journey that lingers long after you leave the tower. Each dive feels consequential: sudden demon ambushes can claim your life, forcing you to adapt your tactics on the fly.

Repetition can creep in over extended sessions, especially if you’re aiming for full completion of every floor and secret event. Yet the promise of rare items, haunting lore reveals, and hidden boss encounters provides ample motivation to keep returning. The balance between risk and reward remains finely tuned, making each run a thrilling gamble.

For gamers who appreciate challenging combat, atmospheric world-building, and a story that demands active interpretation, Baroque delivers an unforgettable experience. While it isn’t a mainstream blockbuster, its unique blend of post-apocalyptic dread, demon-slaying action, and cryptic narrative makes it a must-play for fans of niche RPGs and roguelike adventures.

Retro Replay Score

6.4/10