ReSetna on Xbox: A Moody Metroidvania With Heart and Rough Edges

ReSetna on Xbox is one of those games that feels familiar at first glance, another 2.5D sci‑fi action-platformer set in a world where machines have outlived their makers but it quickly reveals a tone and texture that’s more distinctive than its surface suggests. I don’t naturally gravitate toward Metroidvanias; the genre’s love of backtracking, labyrinthine maps, and “you’ll understand this later” design philosophy often leaves me cold. But ReSetna managed to pull me in with its atmosphere first, then its combat, and eventually its sense of momentum. It’s a game that doesn’t always get out of its own way, but when it clicks, it really clicks.

ReSetna’s setting is a post‑human wasteland where robots continue to operate out of habit, instinct, or corrupted programming. It’s a world that feels abandoned but not empty and is full of flickering lights, decaying metal, and the eerie hum of machinery that’s been running too long without supervision. The art direction leans heavily into this mood: industrial corridors, neon-lit chambers, acid pools, mineral caverns, and the occasional glimpse of other robots going about their routines in the background. It’s not a cheerful world, but it’s a compelling one.

The story follows ReSetna, an android awakened to investigate a spreading corruption that’s twisting robotic life into hostile forms. The narrative is delivered in fragments with brief NPC encounters, environmental hints, and codex entries that contain most of the actual lore. If you don’t dig into those entries, the plot can feel thin. Characters tend to function more as merchants or quest markers than meaningful personalities, and the emotional weight comes more from the world itself than from the writing. Still, there’s something intriguing about piecing together the remnants of a society that never needed humans to begin with.

Where ReSetna truly shines is in its combat. It’s fast, close‑quarters, and surprisingly satisfying. You start with basic tools, but as you unlock new weapons, hacks, and traversal abilities, the game opens up. Dodging, parrying, air‑dashing, and chaining attacks together feels fluid, especially after the patches that improved responsiveness. Even as someone who doesn’t usually enjoy the “combat gauntlet” style of Metroidvanias, I found myself appreciating how each encounter demanded attention without feeling overwhelming.

The Chips system adds a layer of customization, letting you slot upgrades into a Tetris‑like grid to tweak your build. It’s clever, if occasionally fiddly, and it gives you a sense of ownership over your playstyle. The game is generous with resources, too, sometimes too generous, to the point where combat can feel optional outside of mandatory arenas.

Boss fights are a mixed bag. They’re visually striking and mechanically interesting, but they can also be damage sponges, dragging out encounters longer than they need to be. Hitboxes occasionally feel unfair, and the difficulty curve is inconsistent. Still, when a boss fight works, it delivers that satisfying “I earned this” feeling the genre is known for.

ReSetna’s world is divided into biomes, each with its own aesthetic and traversal challenges. Progression is more linear than traditional Metroidvanias as you unlock abilities in a set order, and backtracking is limited. For someone like me, who doesn’t always enjoy getting lost in sprawling maps, this was a welcome surprise. The game still rewards curiosity, but it doesn’t punish you for missing a hidden path or collectible.

That said, the early game can feel directionless. The map system is functional but occasionally clunky, and some platforming challenges rely on mechanics the game doesn’t clearly teach. There are moments where the design feels like it expects you to intuit solutions rather than learn them, which can be frustrating if you’re not already fluent in the genre’s language.

ReSetna has heart, but it also has jank. Even after multiple patches, you’ll encounter occasional bugs: stutters, dark loading screens, enemies spawning too close, or the odd moment where a dodge sends you into geometry. None of these issues are catastrophic, but they add up, especially when they interrupt the flow of combat or exploration. On Xbox, the experience is stable enough to enjoy, but not polished enough to ignore its rough edges.

Pros

• Atmospheric sci‑fi world with strong visual identity

• Fast, satisfying close‑quarters combat

• Meaningful ability progression that enhances traversal

• Chips system offers flexible customization

• Linear‑leaning structure makes it approachable for non‑Metroidvania players

• Frequent updates show clear developer commitment

Cons

• Story and characters feel underdeveloped

• Early game pacing is uneven and occasionally confusing

• Bosses can be overly tanky with inconsistent hitboxes

• Technical issues persist, from minor bugs to occasional stutters

• Map and UI systems could be more intuitive

• Combat encounters can become repetitive due to limited enemy variety

ReSetna is a game that feels like it’s reaching for something ambitious, even if it doesn’t always grasp it. As someone who doesn’t naturally gravitate toward Metroidvanias, I found myself surprised by how much I enjoyed its rhythm once I settled into it. The world is moody and memorable, the combat is genuinely fun, and the progression loop is satisfying without being overwhelming. But the experience is also uneven—held back by technical hiccups, a thin narrative, and design choices that occasionally frustrate more than they challenge.

Still, there’s a sincerity to ReSetna that’s hard to ignore. It’s a game built with passion, supported with frequent updates, and filled with moments where everything comes together beautifully. It may not convert every genre skeptic, but it has enough style, heart, and mechanical depth to make the journey worthwhile, especially if you’re willing to forgive some rough edges along the way.

XPN Rating: 3 out of 5 (SILVER)

ReSetna is available now!