Full Quiet | Xbox Review
I adore the NES. It wasn’t my first console, by a long stretch. I started gaming on arcades and the Atari 2600, after all. But the Nintendo Entertainment System is where I really started my career as a gamer. My fondness for the platform extended into my adulthood, as I became a collector of the cartridges. About a year or so ago, I finally completed a full loose-cart US set (sans Stadium Events, of course). But one thing I haven’t collected is home-brew NES games. This has been 8-Bit Legit‘s bread and butter lately, which includes Retrotainment Games‘ Full Quiet, which released back in July of 2023. It’s even available with a functional physical cartridge version, but it also has a digital format for modern consoles. Considering it’s designed for Nintendo’s 8-bit console, it’s shockingly impressive in scope, and should satisfying and challenge seasoned fans of this retro era.
More Than Meets the Eye
At first glance, Full Quiet appears to be your standard side-scrolling shooter. In reality, it’s a 2D gear-gated game that pushes the NES to its limits. I genuinely had no idea that the classic console had the ability to pull off this level of scope in terms of game size and graphical fidelity. Granted, I played this mostly on Xbox, but I had to opportunity to see this in action from CB’s physical copy for the NES. And it works just as well over there.
The premise starts out simply enough. You’re searching for your lost son in the woods, but quickly realize that there are more sinister events at play. You’ll not only navigate a massive map of the forest while taking out enemies, but also solve crazy puzzles, some even involving morse code. The beauty in the design revolves around the modern sensibilities while keeping its retro look and feel. The map expertly loops you back to places you started, opening shortcuts to make traversal easier. And the map just keeps going and going, a truly impressive feat considering the limitations of the hardware.
It’s also quite remarkable how a game this complex still manages to follow the simplistic controller inputs from yesteryear. If you’re familiar with the NES, the only buttons on its controller are A, B, start, and select. There’s a whole lot of game here considering the limited options the developers had with a control scheme.
No Walk in the Park
That novelty, unfortunately, also contributes to the game’s only downfall, in my opinion. Much like retro games we grew up with, there’s very little in-game direction that’s in your face. There is a menu system to help give you a leg up on how to play the game, but it’s not obvious how to get to it when you first start. Because of this, some of the discovery of the game revolves around exactly how to play the game. Figuring out how to solve puzzles and navigate the forest is part of the experience. This feels intentional to appease retro purists, but might frustrate players who didn’t grow up with this style of game.
Everything else about the game is incredibly noteworthy. Yes, it contains 8-bit graphics, but they’re unlike anything you’ve seen on the NES. The level of detail present with the pixelated art is high, and the color palette is incredibly varied. On top of that, the chip tune soundtrack is catchy and just as intricate as the classic themes from the past. It’s truly worth checking out the game just to experience the look and sounds crammed into Full Quiet.
Full Quiet Final Verdict
Full Quiet might be the most impressive home-brew NES game I’ve seen. It’s a bit more difficult for my personal taste, but I’m very happy that I got a chance to play it. Hey, I even got all of the achievements for the game, so that’s a bonus. If you’re a fan of retro games that will challenge your reflexes, melt your brain, and offer you surprises around every corner, you owe it to yourself to give this one a shot, especially since it’s only ten bucks. Here’s to hoping more quality comes from this developer.
To hear more about Full Quiet, be sure to listen to the June 28th, 2023 episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 1:40:01 time stamp.
This review is based on an Xbox copy of Full Quiet provided by 8-Bit Legit for coverage purposes. It is also available on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
Full Quiet
$9.99
Pros
- Impressive Display of 8-Bit Capabilities
- Clever Map Design
- Gorgeous Art
- Highly Detailed Chip Tune Music
Cons
- Not an Easy Experience
- Mechanics Not Obvious at the Beginning
