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Retribution (video game)

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This article is about the 1994 DOS game. For other games, see Retribution § Video games.
Retribution
Developer(s)Astros Productions
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)DOS
Release
  • EU: November 1994
Genre(s)First-person shooter, vehicle simulation
Mode(s)Single-player

Retribution is a video game developed by British studio Astros Productions and published by Gremlin Interactive for DOS.

Gameplay

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Retribution is a game in which the player participates in missions on land and in the air using various vehicles.[1]

Development and release

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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.[2][3][4] 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.[2] The pair finished the prototype in only six weeks.[5] 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.[2] Eight months were spent on its 3D engine alone and an additional four months to finish the game.[5]

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.”[2] 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.[6] 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.[2]

Gremlin released Retribution in Europe in November 1994.[7][8][9] 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.[10] Front Street began offering demo disks of Retribution and other titles in the region early that year.[11]

Reception

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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."[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Next Generation staff (May 1995). "Finals". Next Generation. No. 5. Imagine Media. pp. 93–4. ISSN 1078-9693.
  2. ^ a b c d e Upchurch, David (November 1994). "Preview: It's Payback Time". PC Games. No. 4. EMAP. pp. 28–30.
  3. ^ PC Zone staff (November 1994). "Bulletin: Retribution is Sweet". PC Zone. No. 20. Future plc. p. 14. ISSN 0967-8220.
  4. ^ Burton, Richard (February 2012). "Back to the Nineties: The Latest News From October 1994". Retro Gamer. No. 99. Imagine Publishing. p. 21. ISSN 1742-3155.
  5. ^ a b Schwindt, Peter (February 1995). "Die Astros-Brüder oder: Wie Retribution Entstand" [The Astros Brothers or: How Retribution Was Created]. Power Play (in German). No. 83. Markt+Technik. p. 26. ISSN 0937-9754.
  6. ^ Carr, Neil (May 29, 2001). "An Interview with Glyn R. Brown". remix64. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  7. ^ Wells, Jeremy (December 1994). "Blueprint: Retribution". PC Zone. No. 21. Future plc. pp. 54–5. ISSN 0967-8220.
  8. ^ PC Games staff (October 1994). "It's Time For Retribution!". PC Games. No. 3. EMAP. p. 10.
  9. ^ Erskine, Christina (December 1994). "Retribution". PC Review. No. 38. Future plc. ISSN 0959-1567.
  10. ^ Worley, Joyce; Chamberlain, Ross (March 1995). "Distri-Deals". Electronic Games. Vol. 3, no. 6. Decker Publications. p. 22. ISSN 0730-6687.
  11. ^ Front Street Publishing (March 1995). "Test-Bytes: Preview 5 New Games". Computer Game Review. Vol. 4, no. 8. Sendai Publishing. p. 89. ISSN 1062-113X.
  12. ^ Perry, Kevin; Chapman, Ted; Kaiafas, Tasos (February 1995). "Review: Fly the Unfriendly Skies of Revenge". Computer Game Review. No. 43. Sendai Publishing. p. 78. ISSN 1062-113X.
  13. ^ Cirulis, Martin E. (April 1995). "Review: Commander, Jr". Computer Gaming World. No. 129. Ziff Davis. pp. 110, 112. ISSN 0744-6667.
  14. ^ Mansill, Ben (April 1995). "Retribution". Hyper. No. 17. nextmedia. p. 65. ISSN 1320-7458.
  15. ^ Lord Casque Noir (January 1995). "Retribution: Rétribu chiant?" [Boring Retribution?]. Joystick (in French). No. 56. Hachette Digital Presse. p. 134. ISSN 1145-4806.
  16. ^ Trotter, William R. (April 1995). "Reviews: Retribution". PC Gamer. No. 11. Future plc. p. 107. ISSN 1080-4471.
  17. ^ Burgess, Mark (January 1995). "CD-ROM Review: Retribution". PC Zone. No. 22. Future plc. pp. 117–9. ISSN 0967-8220.
  18. ^ Maueröder, Petra (March 1995). "Retribution: Comanche im Weltraum" [Retribution: Comanche in Space]. PC Games (in German). Computec. pp. 105–6. ISSN 0946-6304.
  19. ^ Fraser, Alex (January 1995). "Review: Retribution CD". PC Games. No. 6. EMAP. pp. 88–91.
  20. ^ Schamberger, Steffan (January 1995). "Retribution". PC Joker (in German). No. 28. Joker-Verlag. p. 16. OCLC 224612609.
  21. ^ Stangl, Florian (February 1995). "Retribution". PC Player (in German). Future Verlag. p. 74. ISSN 0943-6693.
  22. ^ Ossi, Mäntylati (January 1995). "Retribution: Kosto pelaajalle". Pelit (in Finnish). Fokus Media Finland. p. 46. ISSN 1235-1199.
  23. ^ "PC Review: Retribution". Play Time (in German). No. 45. Computec. March 1995. p. 45. ISSN 0946-6320.
  24. ^ Schwindt, Peter (February 1995). "test: Retribution — Das Schreien der Lammer" [test: Retribution — The Crying of the Lambs]. Power Play. No. 83. Markt+Technik. pp. 44–5. ISSN 0937-9754.
  25. ^ Červinka, Jakub (February 1995). "recenze: Retribution". Score (in Czech). No. 17. Omega Publishing Group. p. 32. ISSN 1210-7522.
  26. ^ KaYteck (May 1995). "Retribution". Secret Service (in Polish). ProScript. p. 43. ISSN 1230-7726.
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