Fretless – The Wrath of Riffson Review: A Symphony of Joy

“Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy” -Ludwig van Beethoven.

In Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson, you play as Rob, an unassuming musician who lives his life one note at a time. Through a series of unfortunate events, you’re thrust into the limelight and must now restore the world’s music from the evil mega company that hopes to corrupt it. Super Metal Records (SMR), the evil company of the game, is also hosting a Battle of the Bands contest where it continues to trap musicians into soul-sucking contracts. The storyline of the game doesn’t present too many surprises nor unexpected outcomes, but was still fun to follow along and see what troubles I would get thrown into. What was more enticing to me was the witty comments from various characters, fun music references sprinkled about, and consistent commentary on how influential music can be in everyone’s lives.

The game is largely a linear story, but every once in a while you can pivot slightly to find a consumable item, and on rare occasions, optional bosses that yield pretty nifty rewards. Though these bosses were fun to play, the exploration throughout the game was minimal and quick to complete.

Though the main story wasn’t too enticing as a solo act, once paired with Fretless’s world building, you have a sensational duet to enjoy. I was amazed at the sheer volume of little details in this pixelated world that the team at Ritual Studios was able to weave into the tapestry of this game. Each little nod, whether visually or audibly, presented its own moment that made me smile and appreciate the game even more than the previous moment. Whether it was chime-inspired flowers or trumpeting birds flying in a flock or even instrument-inspired enemies - each one helped fill out this world like a symphony coming together with all its instruments.

The star of the show however is the battle mechanics within the gameplay. In Fretless, the combat is an active turn-based musical combat where you only have your trusty instrument and your riffs. At the start of the game you only have an acoustic guitar as your main instrument/weapon as well as several riffs. These riffs are essentially your actions during your turn where you can attack, provide a defense, or inflict a status effect. You start out very bare bones, but quickly find more to use with each unique instrument. Since I was only able to lock-in 16 riffs at a time, I quickly found myself looking for the best combinations and stacking options. I wasn’t expecting a deck-building angle to the battle mechanics, but was happy to join in on the challenge. Before long, I was chaining riffs, increasing various meters, and unleashing devastating attacks to the enemies in front of me.

In addition to the strategic choices with crafting your 16-riff deck, Fretless also includes an active element to the turn-based combat. As you attack, if you’re able to time it just right, there is a small boost in damage. Similarly, you can also reduce damage you take if you time it correctly when your enemies throw their attacks. Since there is a decent variety of enemies and attacks, I was fully engaged throughout each scrimmage. Luckily, if the timing effects or quick time events are a bit more troublesome than they’re worth for you, there’s an option in the menu to auto-block and auto-complete those events.

As you progress, you’re able to get several more instruments, which all play radically different. I was excited whenever I unlocked a new instrument so I could figure out the optimal strategy, how it differed from the other instruments, and what scenarios would benefit from the actions with its unique riffs. Eventually, I found my favorite instrument and utilized it for most of the game. It was incredibly satisfying to not only figure out my unique style to play the game, but also find ways to nearly break the mechanics in the best way possible to defeat all the enemies in front of me. Additionally, each instrument has unique perks and upgrades, further enhancing the customization for the players and scenarios presented.

Breakdown

Game: Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson

Developer: Ritual Studios

Publisher: Playdigious Originals

Availability: PC via Steam

Game Length: 6-8 hours

Accessibility: Auto-Block and Auto-Quick Time Events

Reviewed on PC via Steam Deck

Final Thoughts

Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson is an engaging guitaRPG from start to finish. The turn-based battle mechanics offer plenty of variety to optimally harmonize my strategy. With a tight 6-8 hours to complete, Fretless is a sensational staccato of a game that packs the perfect musical punch for players to enjoy.