One-Man Band, Countless Encore
Fretless – The Wrath of Riffson didn’t must go this tough.
It might’ve surfed on its music-themed gimmick, thrown in a couple of guitar puns, and referred to as it a day. However as a substitute, the sport plugs in and tears by the noise with stunning depth, heat, and confidence. What begins as a cheeky rhythm-RPG hybrid rapidly reveals itself as one of the vital ingenious and heartfelt indies of the yr.
Welcome to Into Indie Video games’ overview of Fretless – The Wrath of Riffson, the place we take you thru the entire issues we preferred and disliked about this title from Playdigious Originals.
For extra details about the sport, try their official web site right here.
Fretboard Fury in a Capitalist World
Fretless – The Wrath of Riffson begins with a well-recognized dream: a passionate musician, Rob, desires to make it large by successful a Battle of the Bands. However on this world, even the chords are corrupted.
Tremendous Steel Information (SMR), the mega-label behind the competitors, isn’t simply shady – it’s summoning demonic monsters and brainwashing artists. What follows is a genre-bending, rhythm-fueled, pun-packed RPG that feels equal components cozy and chaotic.
The sport kicks off mild and quick, introducing its turn-based fight system with a rhythm-timing twist. You select from a novel set of riffs designed for every Devices, to deal injury, inflict standing results, and even acquire completely different buffs. QTE inputs throughout your riffs mean you can maximize their impact, which implies even primary strikes require you to remain locked in.
Should you’re even barely musically inclined, the timing will really feel pure. And as a musician myself, I discovered the moment-to-moment fight deeply satisfying in a means that turn-based methods hardly ever are.
But even in case you’ve by no means picked up an instrument, Fretless doesn’t punish you. Its onboarding is pleasant, its QTEs beneficiant, and the fight by no means calls for perfection. As a substitute, it rewards movement, entering into the rhythm, listening to the backing monitor, and letting your fingers comply with the beat. This creates a type of trance state the place technique and tempo mix collectively.
4 Devices, Insane Depth
The actual depth of Fretless lies in its customization. Rob begins together with his trusty Acoustic guitar however quickly unlocks the Bass, Synthesizer, and Eight Strings. Every Instrument has a definite set of strikes (or Riffs), and a particular Crescendo assault. Swapping between them modifications your whole strategy to fight, and the background music shifts with it, tailoring the soundtrack to your present loadout.
On high of that, you’ll discover completely different Mods that allow you to tweak each a part of your Instrument. Every Instrument has its personal distinctive set of Mods that you just’ll need to search out by scouring the map.
After which there are pedals, which act the identical means as relics in a roguelike, granting highly effective passive bonuses that may change the way in which you strategy every combat. Some are so simple as including a bonus to your most well being, whereas others assist replenish your Crescendo meter faster.
It’s impressively modular, nevertheless it by no means acquired overwhelming. Quite the opposite, I continually felt myself wanting extra, on the lookout for puzzles to unravel in each nook of every location so as to add to my assortment of gears.
Spectacular Ranges of Selection
Talking of places, Fretless – the Wrath of Riffson manages to pack loads of selection in its 7-8 hour play time. There are a selection of sonically-charged zones you’ll need to traverse, every with its personal distinctive monsters so that you can defeat.
The boss battles really feel recent, and whereas not too laborious, they do require you to combine and match your battle technique. And simply whenever you assume you’ve seen all of it, Fretless throws in a brand new wrinkle. Perhaps it’s a late-game zone the place enemies take away your playing cards, or a boss whose Crescendo you need to counter with QTE inputs. There’s at all times some twist to maintain you adjusting your construct and staying in your toes.
The sport additionally has two distinct endings that you may expertise which provides to the playtime. The story wraps up in a satisfying means for the hero giving the whole journey a deeper which means.
Sound and Substance
Let’s speak music as a result of Fretless doesn’t simply play like an homage to musicians, it seems like one, too. The soundtrack consists by Rob Scallon, Jeff Jennings, and Dovetail, with visitor appearances from legends like Northlane, Cult of Luna, and Davie504. It’s a genre-spanning lineup that one way or the other stays cohesive, from acoustic folks intros to full-blown steel crescendos.
You’ll be able to inform this was made by individuals who not solely love video games, however dwell and breathe music.
A Few Minor Hiccups
Nonetheless, Fretless isn’t a flawless composition. The extent design, for one, is fairly linear. Whereas there are facet paths, puzzles, and optionally available chests, most areas comply with a reasonably straight route from level A to level B. It’s not a deal-breaker, particularly for a narrative-driven RPG, nevertheless it does sometimes really feel such as you’re transferring from set-piece to set-piece with out a lot exploration in between.
The puzzles scattered all through the sport are charming, typically involving block-pushing or colour sequences tied to music cues, however they by no means rise above primary mind teasers. Should you had been hoping for the type of head-scratchers you would possibly discover in Zelda or The Witness, you is perhaps underwhelmed.
There’s additionally one stealth part within the last stretch that feels somewhat misplaced. It’s transient and never significantly punishing, nevertheless it lacks the polish of the remainder of the sport.
The actual concern some might have is issue. Fretless will not be a tough sport. Most battles may be gained by holding your rhythm tight and timing your QTEs. You probably gained’t see a “Sport Over” display screen till the ultimate boss, and even that combat was patched to be fairer post-launch. For these looking for a problem, this would possibly really feel too breezy. However in my case, the benefit added to the attraction. It’s a sport that wishes you to really feel cool, not punished.
Verdict: One for the Setlist
Fretless – The Wrath of Riffson is that uncommon indie sport that feels tailored for a really particular viewers, however nonetheless manages to be wildly accessible to everybody else. Should you’ve ever performed an instrument, been in a band, or obsessed over tone settings, you’ll end up smiling all through. However even in case you haven’t, the intelligent fight, whimsical writing, and infectious soundtrack will win you over.
It’s a comfy RPG with a punk coronary heart. For me, a musician myself, it’s one of the vital memorable RPGs of the yr. And if the devs ever do a sequel with a full band and a world tour, I’m first in line on the merch desk.
Developer: Ritual Studios
Nation of Origin: United States
Writer: Playdigious Originals
Launch Date: July 17, 2025 (PC)
The PC model of the sport was performed for this overview of Fretless – The Wrath of Riffson.
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