Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Techno: The Base delivers a unique blend of first-person shooting and intricate puzzle-solving that will challenge even seasoned players. You alternate between Alexia and Mika Rietvell, each with slightly different loadouts and perspectives, as you navigate a sprawling research facility. The core combat employs an arsenal ranging from rapid-fire machine guns and precision sniper rifles to explosive grenade launchers and futuristic laser accelerators, ensuring that firefights remain varied and engaging.

However, firepower alone won’t carry you through the base’s many trials. Puzzles form the backbone of the gameplay, often demanding careful item management, environmental interaction, and logical deduction. You’ll juggle remote controls and keycards, hack computer terminals for temporary codes, and manipulate physical machinery using items like EMP devices or oxygen masks. The result is a cerebral experience where planning and observation are just as important as trigger discipline.

Enemy encounters are equally strategic. Robots become increasingly hostile and, in true System Shock fashion, respawn when you revisit zones—forcing you to decide between backtracking or conserving resources. Health packs and ammo respawn too, which can alleviate occasional frustration but also encourages revisiting old areas for missed items. Boss battles and vehicle sequences—such as piloting the NeoExplorer Tank or a Cylzu T-40 mech—add further variety and pacing, breaking up on-foot exploration with moments of high-octane action.

Graphics

Built in Blitz3D by solo developer Paolo Cosentino, Techno: The Base embraces a retro-futuristic aesthetic that recalls late-’90s sci-fi shooters. The textures and models may not match cutting-edge studios, but they exude charm and serve the game’s tense atmosphere well. Corridors glow with neon-lit conduits, labs are strewn with experimental equipment, and each area feels purpose-built to house both puzzles and combat encounters.

Dynamic lighting plays a critical role in setting the mood. Flickering overhead lamps and color-coded hazard lights cast ominous shadows, heightening the sense of danger as you inspect data terminals for vital codes. While polygon counts remain modest, the game’s art direction compensates through thoughtful level design and cohesive visual themes that guide players toward objectives without heavy-handed markers.

Performance is generally smooth on modern hardware, with stable frame rates even during the more chaotic firefights. Occasional texture pop-in can occur when traversing large rooms quickly, but it rarely disrupts immersion. Overall, Techno: The Base proves that a small-team or solo project can still deliver a convincing sci-fi environment when guided by a clear artistic vision.

Story

At its heart, Techno: The Base spins a straightforward but effective narrative of survival and corporate hubris. You follow Alexia and Mika Rietvell, two employees caught in the aftermath of a catastrophic incident in the Hydra-Mixing Lab. When the facility’s robotic workforce suddenly turns hostile, the siblings must unravel the cause of the meltdown while battling AI-controlled defenses.

The storytelling unfolds through environmental cues, data logs, and scanned files that expose the moral ambiguities of the project they helped build. As you uncover encrypted research notes, you learn about the experiments that doomed the facility—and the shadowy interests driving the base’s true agenda. Though dialogue is minimal, each new document or computer entry adds layers to the setting, creating a sense of dread that persists throughout your missions.

Switching between dual protagonists fosters empathy, as you see different facets of the disaster through Alexia’s scientific insight and Mika’s tactical acumen. The pacing of revelations is well-balanced: major plot points emerge naturally as you unlock new sections of the map, while optional documents reward thorough exploration. For fans of classical sci-fi thrillers, the narrative hits all the right beats without resorting to overused clichés.

Overall Experience

Techno: The Base stands out as a hardcore intellectual exercise cloaked in a first-person shooter framework. Its difficulty curve is steep, thanks to complex puzzles, limited resources, and respawning enemies, but overcoming these hurdles provides a genuine sense of accomplishment. Every module you restore and every security protocol you bypass feels earned, making the overall journey deeply satisfying.

The solo development background adds an admirable layer of personality; small touches—like a handwritten blueprint stuck to a wall or an amusingly terse audio log—remind you that a single creator crafted this intricate world. While some players may find the retro graphics or dated interfaces a barrier, those willing to embrace the old-school vibe will discover a hidden gem in the indie scene.

In sum, Techno: The Base is best suited for players seeking a cerebral FPS with robust puzzle mechanics and a moody sci-fi setting. It may not boast blockbuster visuals or a sprawling open world, but its focused design, challenging gameplay, and immersive atmosphere make it a memorable adventure. If you relish the challenge of System Shock–style exploration and enjoy piecing together a layered narrative, this Uruguayan indie title is well worth your time.

Retro Replay Score

null/10