Retribution (video game)

Retribution is a game in which the player participates in missions on land and in the air using various vehicles.

Retribution was the first project attached to British game studio Gremlin Interactive after it changed its name from Gremlin Graphics and began focusing on PC games.{{cite magazine | author=Upchurch, David | date=November 1994 | title=Preview: It's Payback Time | url=https://archive.org/details/pcgames-04/page/n27/mode/2up | magazine=PC Games | publisher=EMAP | issue=4 | pages=28–30}}{{cite magazine | author=PC Zone staff | date=November 1994 | title=Bulletin: Retribution is Sweet | url=https://archive.org/details/PCZone020/page/n13/mode/1up | magazine=PC Zone | publisher=Future plc | issue=20 | page=14 | issn=0967-8220}}{{cite magazine | author=Burton, Richard | date=February 2012 | title=Back to the Nineties: The Latest News From October 1994 | url=https://archive.org/details/retro-gamer-raspberry-pi-buenos-aires/Retro%20Gamer%20099/page/21/mode/1up | magazine=Retro Gamer | publisher=Imagine Publishing | issue=99 | page=21 | issn=1742-3155}} Development began in early 1993. Gremlin partnered with Astros Productions, consisting of brothers Pete and George Karboulonis, who had previously programmed the PC conversions of Toyota Celica GT Rally and Nigel Mansell's World Championship Racing. As such, Retribution was pitched as a racing game and Astros was given three months to flesh out the idea. The pair finished the prototype in only six weeks.{{cite magazine | author=Schwindt, Peter | date=February 1995 | title=Die Astros-Brüder oder: Wie Retribution Entstand | trans-title=The Astros Brothers or: How Retribution Was Created | url=https://archive.org/details/powerplaymagazine-1995-02/page/n25/mode/1up | magazine=Power Play | publisher=Markt+Technik | issue=83 | page=26 | issn=0937-9754 | language=de}} Gremlin found their landscaping routine (known as Voxel Spacing) so impressive that the racing concept evolved into futuristic combat with added aerial missions to better accentuate the technology. Eight months were spent on its 3D engine alone and an additional four months to finish the game.

Gremlin's Paul Green conceived the plot and wrote its script. Proclaiming the synopsis to be completely original, Green stated, “I’ve not borrowed the ideas from anywhere else — I can’t remember seeing a film or reading a book with anything like this in it.” Composer Glyn R. Brown was allegedly brought in for a potential full-time position on Retribution when Gremlin's in-house musician Patrick Phelan was promoted to software manager. However, Brown suggested that Phelan was dissatisfied with his new role and subsequently returned to the music department.{{cite web | author=Carr, Neil | date=May 29, 2001 | title=An Interview with Glyn R. Brown | url=https://remix64.com/interviews/interview-glyn-r-brown.html | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20210316145350/https://remix64.com/interviews/interview-glyn-r-brown.html | archive-date=March 16, 2021 | website=remix64 | accessdate=December 30, 2024}} The Retribution soundtrack was ultimately created by Chris Adams. Traditionally a film composer, this was the first video game on which he worked. Adams was given storyboards for the animated introduction and cutscenes to aid him as he began writing the score while they were still being rendered.

Gremlin released Retribution in Europe in November 1994.{{cite magazine | author=Wells, Jeremy | date=December 1994 | title=Blueprint: Retribution | url=https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_21_December_1994/page/n53/mode/2up | magazine=PC Zone | publisher=Future plc | issue=21 | pages=54–5 | issn=0967-8220}}{{cite magazine | author=PC Games staff | date=October 1994 | title=It's Time For Retribution! | url=https://archive.org/details/pcgames-03/page/n9/mode/1up | magazine=PC Games | publisher=EMAP | issue=3 | page=10}}{{cite magazine | author=Erskine, Christina | date=December 1994 | title=Retribution | url=https://archive.org/details/pc-review-38/page/105/mode/1up | magazine=PC Review | publisher=Future plc | issue=38 | page= | issn=0959-1567}} Front Street Publishing, an arm of the UK publisher U.S. Gold, partnered with Gremlin to distribute the latter's games in North America in 1995.{{cite magazine | author1=Worley, Joyce | author2=Chamberlain, Ross | date=March 1995 | title=Distri-Deals | url=https://archive.org/details/electronic-games-1995-03/page/22/mode/1up | magazine=Electronic Games | publisher=Decker Publications | page=22 | volume=3 | issue=6 | issn=0730-6687}} Front Street began offering demo disks of Retribution and other titles in the region early that year.{{cite magazine | author=Front Street Publishing | date=March 1995 | title=Test-Bytes: Preview 5 New Games | url=https://archive.org/details/computer-game-review-and-cd-rom-entertainment-march-1995/page/n88/mode/1up | magazine=Computer Game Review | publisher=Sendai Publishing | volume=4 | issue=8 | page=89 | issn=1062-113X}}

{{Video game reviews

| CGR = 78/100{{cite magazine | author1=Perry, Kevin | author2=Chapman, Ted | author3=Kaiafas, Tasos | date=February 1995 | title=Review: Fly the Unfriendly Skies of Revenge | url=https://archive.org/details/computer-game-review-issue-43-february-1995/page/n77/mode/1up | magazine=Computer Game Review | publisher=Sendai Publishing | issn=1062-113X | issue=43 | page=78}}

| CGW = {{rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine | author=Cirulis, Martin E. | date=April 1995 | title=Review: Commander, Jr. | url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_129/page/n111/mode/1up | magazine=Computer Gaming World | publisher=Ziff Davis | issue=129 | pages=110, 112 | issn=0744-6667}}

| Hyper = 67/100{{cite magazine | author=Mansill, Ben | date=April 1995 | title=Retribution | url=https://archive.org/details/hyper-017/page/65/mode/1up | magazine=Hyper | publisher=nextmedia | issue=17 | page=65 | issn=1320-7458}}

| JS = 124/200{{cite magazine | author=Lord Casque Noir | date=January 1995 | title=Retribution: Rétribu chiant? | trans-title=Boring Retribution? | url=https://archive.org/details/joystick056/page/n133/mode/1up | magazine=Joystick | publisher=Hachette Digital Presse | language=fr | issn=1145-4806 | issue=56 | page=134}}

| NGen = {{rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine|title=Finals|magazine=Next Generation|issue=5|publisher=Imagine Media|date=May 1995|pages=93–4|url=https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_04/page/n67/mode/1up|author=Next Generation staff|issn=1078-9693}}

| PCGamer = 71%{{cite magazine | author=Trotter, William R. | date=April 1995 | title=Reviews: Retribution | url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961223082706/www.pcgamer.com/reviews_r.html | magazine=PC Gamer | publisher=Future plc | issn=1080-4471 | issue=11 | page=107}}

| PCZone = 45/100{{cite magazine | author=Burgess, Mark | date=January 1995 | title=CD-ROM Review: Retribution | url=https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_22_January_1995/page/n117/mode/2up | magazine=PC Zone | publisher=Future plc | issue=22 | pages=117–9 | issn=0967-8220}}

| rev1 = PC Games (DE)

| rev1Score = 68%{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/PC.Games.N030.1995.03-fl0n/page/n103/mode/2up|magazine=PC Games|publisher=Computec|pages=105–6|language=de|date=March 1995|issn=0946-6304|author=Maueröder, Petra|title=Retribution: Comanche im Weltraum|trans-title=Retribution: Comanche in Space}}

| rev2 = PC Games (UK)

| rev2Score = 80%{{cite magazine | author=Fraser, Alex | date=January 1995 | title=Review: Retribution CD | url=https://archive.org/details/pcgames-06/page/n87/mode/2up | magazine=PC Games | publisher=EMAP | issue=6 | pages=88–91}}

| rev3 = PC Joker

| rev3Score = 69%{{cite magazine | author=Schamberger, Steffan | date=January 1995 | title=Retribution |

url=https://archive.org/details/pcjokerdezember1994images/page/n15/mode/1up | magazine=PC Joker | publisher=Joker-Verlag | language=de | issue=28 | page=16 | oclc=224612609}}

| rev4 = PC Player

| rev4Score = 47/100{{cite magazine | author=Stangl, Florian | date=February 1995 | title=Retribution | url=https://archive.org/details/PC-Player-German-Magazine-1995-02/page/n73/mode/1up | magazine=PC Player | publisher=Future Verlag | language=de | page=74 | issn=0943-6693}}

|rev5=Pelit

|rev5Score=63/100{{cite magazine|author=Ossi, Mäntylati|url=https://archive.org/details/pelit199501/page/n45/mode/1up?q=retribution|title=Retribution: Kosto pelaajalle|magazine=Pelit|language=fi|page=46|date=January 1995|publisher=Fokus Media Finland|issn=1235-1199}}

| rev6 = Play Time

| rev6Score = 70%{{cite magazine | author= | date=March 1995 | title=PC Review: Retribution | url=https://archive.org/details/play-time-1995-03/page/n44/mode/1up |magazine=Play Time | publisher=Computec | issue=45 | page=45 | issn=0946-6320 | language=de}}

| rev7 = Power Play

| rev7Score = 65%{{cite magazine | author=Schwindt, Peter | date=February 1995 | title=test: Retribution — Das Schreien der Lammer | trans-title=test: Retribution — The Crying of the Lambs | url=https://archive.org/details/powerplaymagazine-1995-02/page/n43/mode/2up | magazine=Power Play | publisher=Markt+Technik | issue=83 | pages=44–5 | issn=0937-9754}}

| rev8 = Score

| rev8Score = 38%{{cite magazine | author=Červinka, Jakub | date=February 1995 | title=recenze: Retribution | url=https://score.cz/1.814.aktuality.clanek-score-14 | magazine=Score | publisher=Omega Publishing Group | language=cs | issue=17 | page=32 | issn=1210-7522}}

| rev9 = Secret Service

| rev9Score = 80%{{cite magazine | author=KaYteck | date=May 1995 | title=Retribution | url=https://archive.org/details/secretservicemagazine-1995-05/page/43/mode/1up | magazine=Secret Service | publisher=ProScript | language=pl | issn=1230-7726 | page=43}}

}}

Retribution received mixed reviews. Next Generation reviewed the game, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "Mediocre graphics and a generally weak set of sound effects don't do much to generate excitement for what, in the end, is a yawner of a game."

{{reflist}}

• {{official website|https://web.archive.org/web/19980117015434/http://www.astrosproductions.com:80/ret1.htm}} (archived)
• {{moby game|id=/retribution|name=Retribution}}

Category:1994 video games

Category:Astros Productions games

Category:Combat flight simulators

Category:DOS games

Category:DOS-only games

Category:First-person shooters

Category:Gremlin Interactive games

Category:Single-player video games

Category:Tank simulation video games

Category:Video games about alien invasions

Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom

Category:Video games set in the 25th century

Category:Video games set on fictional planets