The Spectrum Retreat

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. PlaySense
    Jul 15, 2018
    85
    A story-based puzzle game which excels mainly in the latter. Puzzles quickly become challenging and that makes for a fun experience due in large part to great audiovisuals. The image sometimes stutters while turning the puzzle but apart from this minor issue this game is plenty of fun.
  2. PlayStation Country
    Jul 18, 2018
    80
    There's a lot to admire with The Spectrum Retreat. It feels well executed and considered. There's a great sense of isolation and the puzzles are designed well to allow players to take their time and consider their movement. It's a competent, thoughtful effort that, in spite of what I think of the story's impact, manages to succeed with some clever puzzles.
  3. Trusted Reviews
    Jul 10, 2018
    80
    Despite The Spectrum Retreat’s minor issues and its inability to merge its two halves together, it’s impossible not to recommend given the quality of each of those halves. A unique and innovative puzzle mechanic is introduced and taken seemingly to its limits, while a crushingly human tale of loss plays out alongside it.
  5. Vandal
    Jul 12, 2018
    77
    The Spectrum Retreat isn’t the most original game when it comes to puzzles, but its setting, narrative and story make up for it. If you want to use your brain while you discover a very interesting story, go for it.

User Reviews

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User Score
3.9

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 7
  3. Negative: 3 out of 7
  1. wesker2012
    Jul 12, 2018
    7
    I loved the puzzle part of The Spectrum Retreat. It was nice to figure things out myself without any instructions. The aesthetic design ofI loved the puzzle part of The Spectrum Retreat. It was nice to figure things out myself without any instructions. The aesthetic design of the puzzles was awesome and one of the coolest visuals of any puzzle game I ever played. The last puzzle was especially a treat and felt really satisfying to solve. Overall the puzzles were challenging but not frustrating, so it hit that sweet spot. They weren't as satisfying as Talos Principle or Portal 2, but they were satisfying and cool. The voice acting was great and the faceless mannequins were a cool touch. The music was excellent and gave me a relaxing vibe that complemented the puzzles so well. I liked that they tried to add a narrative and also break up the monotony of doing puzzles by adding the hotel aspect and some mystery, but it felt lacking. The concept was good but needed to be more fleshed out. By the end, I still didn't really know what happened and the ending felt lackluster. If it was more fleshed out, I would have given it a solid 8, cuz the puzzle part is well done. Overall, the price point was good value.… Full Review »
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