Spectra Review (PC)

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key review info
  • Game: Spectra
  • Platform: PC
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: Yes  
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Spectra review on PC

Music-based arcade racing experiences have been around for quite some time now and the genre is still pretty relevant nowadays, as pointed out by the likes of Audiosurf 2. Of course, even if you have the basics nailed down, a proper soundtrack can elevate the experience to new heights and keep players hooked.

While most such titles start with the mechanics and then work on the soundtrack, Gateway Interactive did the reverse, using first an original soundtrack from chiptune artist Chipzel, and then created a procedurally-generated arcade racing experience around it, in the form of Spectra.

With vibrant colors, sharp visuals, not to mention a solid soundtrack, can Spectra deliver a cohesive experience or should you just buy the soundtrack without any gameplay mechanics attached to it? Let's find out.

Gameplay

Spectra doesn't try to mess with the standard arcade racing mechanic, but unfortunately, it also doesn't try to innovate all that much.

You control a tiny vessel, flying through space on a two-lane road that's more or less split into three portions. You must avoid obstacles while collecting as many cubes as possible in order to rack up a higher score. Special turbo pads accelerate your craft for a brief period of time while multiplying your score.

Get blocks in Spectra
Get blocks in Spectra

These, more or less, are the main mechanics of Spectra. In order to stay relevant and get players to return to the title, the game also employs a procedural system for the layout of the actual paths, but this doesn't always work that well with the actual songs that are being played.

Throw in the same backgrounds and colors and even if you are having a good time, the 10 levels will soon start to look and feel the same.

Even so, at least for the first few tracks, Spectra is a fun experience. Its controls are pretty good, but it's more or less essential to use a controller, as you can finely steer your ship with the buttons on the keyboard.

Collecting all the cubes can prove to be quite tricky, especially towards the end of the songs, as the random layout often serves some downright impossible challenges. Those who really want to test their skills can try briefly touching the obstacles on the side for extra points.

However, you should always be careful, as crashing into the bumpers head on not only penalizes your score, but more often than not, it can also propel your ship off the track and into the darkness of space. This means that you can restart the whole level from the beginning and hope that the procedural gods smile upon you.

The actual layouts are pretty fun and there are some really great components that get swapped around by the random system. Moments where the path divides into multiple ones, crisscrossing over and under one another are pretty fun, and if you do get off track, you can try to hit one of the paths below and continue on your merry way.

While the stages aren't that long, reaching 3-4 minutes tops, they often feel much longer and reaching the end doesn't always feel like a victory. You're immediately met with a finish screen as well as different messages informing you of your performance, but these don't always feel that celebratory.

Besides the normal mode, there's also a hardcore one but not even that can really keep dedicated players hooked on the experience. There are also plenty of achievements for those that want to showcase their skills, rewarding high scores but also level completion, not hitting obstacles, and other such things.

Don't go off course in Spectra
Don't go off course in Spectra

Visuals and Sound

Spectra uses a really great-looking pixelated style that, when combined with the neon colors and the darkness of space, paints a very pretty picture. The graphics don't distract from the main mechanics, which is great, but they also start to feel a bit repetitive as you progress through the 10 levels. There's no sense of progression or reaching tougher phases, so the same things you'll see on stage 1 return in every other level.

The soundtrack, of course, is top notch, as Chipzel has once again delivered a great set of tracks. The chiptune artist, who burst onto the scene with Super Hexagon, manages to keep things pretty fresh, even if the first few songs tend to sound similar. However, while the tracks are great, the procedurally generated levels don't always match what you're hearing, and as I've mentioned above, it tends to weigh things down a bit.


The Good

  • Great chiptune soundtrack
  • Good visuals and colors
  • Procedural levels keep things relatively fresh

The Bad

  • Repetitive mechanics
  • No variety in terms of background visuals
  • Procedural obstacles are quite tough sometimes

Conclusion

Spectra is a decent experience that's a bit too simple for its own good. For the $7.5/€7.5 asking price, coupled with the 20% launch discount, the game is a pretty good investment, but don't expect to fill that much of your time with this arcade racing experience. If more features had been added or at least an option to use your own songs, the title would have been more attractive.
story 0
gameplay 6
concept 6
graphics 8
audio 10
multiplayer 0
final rating 6.5
Editor's review
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Spectra screenshots (11 Images)

Spectra review on PCEarn awards in SpectraRace around in SpectraAllign to get blocks in SpectraGet blocks in Spectra
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