Gravitar: Recharged

Gravitar: Recharged developed by Adamvision Studios, SneakyBox and published by Atari is an interesting game, I was not much of a Gravitar player i the arcade days, but if it was anything like this game, I can see why I stayed away. With physics that are incredibly tough to get use to (reminds of a multiplayer game called Subspace), but boy, this game has a lot of confusion, the keyboard controls in my opinion really such, and while they are configurable, that is just not enough to make this game playable in my opinion, I think it needs a revisit to make it playable. I also attempted with a X-Box One controller, and found it worse, if that is possible. For those that crave that arcade feel, not sure you are going to find it here, honestly, I see where the game could be fun, there is potential, but I am not sure I will play much more that what I have already sadly. Sorry folks, please reach out to me if you do any physics adjustments.

I've bought all of the recharged series of games as they are a lot of fun to play. I wasn't a really a big Atari fan back in the day or anything, but this is a great way of playing some old school games, jazzed up for the current gen. Gravitar is a lot of fun. Its like playing Asteroids with a campaign. Once you get the hang of how to control the ship you will be flying about with ease. There are some weapons that you can pick up during missions, which help you out and there is a nice set of achievements as well which always helps. If you love Asteroids then you will definitely enjoy this game with its mission structure and different objectives that you need to achieve on the different planets. I would say the skill level to complete the game will be quite high as you don't get many lives for the main campaign, but its an old-school game and that's how they were designed back in the day so you have to put the practice in to get the rewards!

I got this game on the Steam Winter Sale. I have fond memories of playing a version of the original Gravitar on a floppy disk that my parents got me. I looked for it on Steam and thought this was it with updated graphics. I was disappointed to find that this game was quite different, and in my opinion does not capture the fun of the original. This game has similar asteroids-style mechanics as the original. You go around shooting enemies that shoot back, and you need to dodge and maneuver to stay alive. This version has powerups and different objectives, but I don't feel like they really add anything. The game still feels very repetitive after the first few levels, especially arcade mode. The original game was simple but challenging, with each level having the objective of either kill all enemies or destroy the core and get out within the time limit. The variety came from the different levels, which each had their own unique layout and provided a unique challenge in maneuvering. I found that I couldn't complete levels quickly without losing lives to random stuff. The reason for this it that enemies can shoot you from off-screen. The shields would help with this, except that the bullets have knockback, so you get hit and lose your shield, then get knocked into something and lose a life. In the original game all enemies with few exceptions had fixed positions and you got a view of the whole level before moving closer and zooming in, so you didn't have to worry about running into enemies you didn't know were there. As for the powerups, some of them don't feel exciting to get, since they're inferior to the basic weapon in some ways and they're more like sidegrades than powerups. In particular, the spread shot gives more bullets but greatly reduced range. Some of them also make it easier to destroy fuel tanks on accident. That's another thing, fuel tanks are objects that can be destroyed with your shots now, rather than spots you hover over and collect with your tractor beam like in the original. Also I encountered a bug. I entered a planet as my fuel was running out, and my ship died and didn't respawn. I was just stuck looking at the planet, and I had to exit out and lose my progress. If you're looking for a simple asteroids-style shooter to mess around with and don't mind paying a few bucks for it, then you might like this game. If you're looking for a recreation of the original Gravitar, then I think you're out of luck, sadly.

2.5/10 games that expanded on this idea and are far more fun, dont bother with this overpriced one + its got local co-op

Gravitar: Recharged, developed by Adamvision Studios and SneakyBox and published by Atari, is a fresh reimagining of the classic 1982 arcade game Gravitar. The game successfully modernizes the original’s gravity-based gameplay mechanics while injecting it with new visual and auditory flair. Released in mid-2022, it offers players a blend of challenging piloting, strategic resource management, and exploration across a series of uniquely designed planets and solar systems. This remake stays true to the core concepts of the original but expands on them to create a more immersive and accessible experience for contemporary audiences. At the heart of Gravitar: Recharged is the demanding yet rewarding navigation of a spacecraft through hazardous environments where gravity plays a pivotal role. Each planet presents its own gravitational field, forcing players to carefully control their ship’s thrusters to avoid crashing or being pulled into perilous terrain. The game tests patience and precision as players complete mission objectives, such as destroying enemy bases, collecting fuel, and rescuing stranded allies. What sets this version apart is the addition of power-ups like homing missiles, EMP disruptors, and a tractor beam, which add layers of strategy and versatility in how players approach each challenge. With 24 missions spread across various solar systems and global leaderboards, the game also invites a competitive spirit and encourages repeated playthroughs. Visually, Gravitar: Recharged departs significantly from the original’s simple vector graphics, embracing a softer, painterly art style marked by pastel tones and atmospheric backgrounds. This artistic choice creates a dreamlike, almost meditative quality that contrasts with the intense gameplay, making for a visually striking experience. The soundtrack, composed by Megan McDuffee, complements this aesthetic perfectly, blending ambient electronic sounds that heighten the feeling of space exploration and tension. Together, the visuals and audio provide an immersive atmosphere that draws players deeper into the cosmic adventure. A particularly engaging feature of Gravitar: Recharged is its cooperative multiplayer mode. Two players can team up and connect their ships via a tether, requiring close coordination and communication to navigate the treacherous environments and accomplish missions. This cooperative gameplay adds a social dimension that transforms the solo challenge into a shared experience, increasing the game’s appeal for those who enjoy collaborative play. The tether mechanic itself introduces new strategic elements, as players must balance independence with teamwork to progress successfully. While Gravitar: Recharged has been well-received, boasting a high approval rating among players, it is not without its challenges. The game’s difficulty curve can be steep, and the precision needed to master the gravity mechanics may be daunting for casual gamers. However, for enthusiasts of classic arcade-style gameplay and those who appreciate demanding, skill-based experiences, Gravitar: Recharged offers a deeply satisfying journey. The blend of updated aesthetics, refined controls, and strategic depth makes it a worthy successor to the original, successfully bridging retro gameplay with modern sensibilities. Rating: 7/10

Skill-based shooter with atmospheric retro vibes, mainly relaxed but sometimes challenging and with 24 missions, some of which are also suitable for joypad masochists. Co-op missions provide fun for two and an arcade mode offers a hunt for high scores. Overall, the gameplay is repetitive and offers little variety, but is quite entertaining for a quick session.

[h2]This is the only game in Atari's Recharged series that I didn't finish... and it's a stinker![/h2] I just could not get into Gravitar Recharged. The controls felt awkward and clumsy, and I never enjoyed the overall flow of the game. It felt like one of those physics-based games where you're constantly fighting the controls instead of the actual challenge. That's not my idea of fun. This is definitely the worst game in the Recharged series. I ended up enjoying eight out of the ten games, but this wasn't one of them. I've played through all of Atari's Recharged series. If you're curious what I thought of the rest, you can find my reviews on my curator page or in the full Recharged list below. [h2]3/10[/h2] [h3][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45905648-Gork%2527s-Game-Grind/list/173782]My Recharged Series Reviews[/url][/h3] [h3][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45905648-Gork%2527s-Game-Grind/]Check out my curated list of games[/url][/h3]

In playing this game, all I know is that I am glad I was born in the '90s and not any later when video games sucked. I can't imagine being a gamer in a world where [i]Gravitar[/i] is considered a good game to play. Atari has recently decided to do this "recharged" series where it is revisiting classic games of decades ago and rereleasing them for modern audiences, but aside from the baby boomers who grew up playing these games, I don't see any of them actually attracting any other group of gamers hence the low sales count, player count, and other relevant data to indicate a severe lack of interest from the gaming community for most of these video games. [i]Gravitar: Recharged[/i] in particular just wasn't fun. It's everything bad about [i]Asteroids[/i] and [i]Space Duel[/i] with its thrust and rotation and firing mechanics and [i]Lunar Landing[/i] with its gravity physics combined into one ugly, low-effort package. It survives solely on exploiting the nostalgia of anybody who may have played it in the arcades back before everybody just decided to stay at home to play video games rather than being surrounded by acne covered geeks and their big coke can glasses as they rubbed their sweaty palms all over the arcade machines without any decency of sanitizing it after usage. Sadly, there's very little you can do to improve these old "classic" video games while escaping the flash game aesthetic to instead transform it into something beautiful and something that actually looks fun to play just judging from the pictures on the store page. A lot of people might visit this game on Steam, look at the screenshots and video, and be reminded of Newgrounds back in the day. It's actually quite amazing how advanced video gaming has become since [i]Gravitar's[/i] genesis, as now anybody can make a video game like this as evident from the thousands of flash games that existed circa 2001. I'm sure it was a marvel back in the day like many others that were developed alongside of it, but these games just don't hold up to modern expectations of video gaming due to how wonky it is. The artistry of the backgrounds is pretty, and the soundtrack is nice to listen to. But that's all that it really has going for it. It's certainly challenging, but not because this was an era of video gaming that was inherently difficult, it's challenging for a few other reasons: the controls are terrible and stiff and there's also that these old-school games were made difficult on purpose to keep you inserting coins at the arcades. Some people will dismiss this as a 'conspiracy theory,' but people loving money and finding ways to manipulate the consumer into spending money is not a conspiracy theory. It is a tactic utilized for millennia. The old aged original gamer of the arcade cabinet decade was the first real experimentation in how to exploit gamers out of their money with the techniques evolving over time as video games became more digitalized and a live-service model or cash shop was introduced. But I digress, this is perhaps better on a sale than fully priced at $10 USD.

One of the best from the recharged bundle. Challenging levels and fun gameplay. More varied levels as well. The arcade mode is also great and not as repetitive as the rest. 8/10

A great reboot of an old ATARI arcade classic, Gravitar: defy gravity while completing missions. This new version sports great retro-stylish graphics and a beautiful electronic soundtrack (Megan McDuffee), simple controls yet challenging gameplay. All that for a modest price tag, by the way... In case it wasn't clear, I love this game! Highly recommended!