Review Roundup: ReCore is a great idea that was poorly executed

Microsoft revealed the next game from the man behind Metroid Prime, Keiji Inafune during E3 2015. This platforming game, ReCore, promised robots, a cheap retail price and laser-filled gameplay in Spring 2016. Well, the game is officially releasing tomorrow to the public and the reviews are in.

It looks like everyone who got their hands on the game really enjoyed the premise, but felt like it was a "shame" that the game was being held back by its own features. A majority of reviews find that ReCore could  have been something great, but it wasn't exactly realized in the final product.

However, it should be noted that some sites found the game to be amazing.

Check out a roundup of reviews below:

Gamespot

ReCore's missteps are a real shame, because it can be quite charming otherwise. It has the heart of a PS2 or Gamecube-era platformer, with its floating lifebars, bright laser beams that fill the screen like a Dreamcast shoot-'em-up, and glowing gems that bounce around. Amongst all the slick, modern day video game productions, it stands out as an endearing throwback.

I wanted to like it more, and had it not overstayed its welcome, I would have. But in the end, like its robots, ReCore is a game with a bright soul encased in parts that are used well past their prime.

6/10

Gamesradar

Somewhere in ReCore is a good game. Joule and her companions are instantly likable. Far Eden's tale is an intriguing one. Thanks to her agility and rocket boots, Joule is a satisfying character to control. The game's core (apologies for using a pun I'd avoided this whole review) is solid. It's just too bad that the frame supporting it isn't.

4/10

Destructoid

It's all a shame because ReCore shows so much promise in its opening hours. It's easy to envision a way in which all those ideas could manifest into something great. They don't, though. Instead, it's just a jumble of mechanics that never jell, gameplay that grows stale far too quick, and insulting design. System failure.

4/10

Polygon

Recore isn’t a disaster, as much as the bizarre structure and hoops it made me jump through left a bad taste in my mouth. At its heart, there’s a game with some good ideas and great spins on action-game conceits that don’t see a lot of play this console generation. When it’s working, Recore is a game that feels evocative of a different era of action games. But in its final half, Comcept and Armature let collect-a-thon structure and a poorly realized open world drag the whole thing back down to earth

6.5/10

DualShockers

ReCore is a title that, ultimately, rises and falls in crafting an experience that we don’t normally see too often on Xbox (and frankly, in this generation of gaming). Harkening back to platformers like Jak and Daxter with a little bit of the flavor from Metroid titles, ReCore‘s strong aesthetic and style give way to some technical flaws and repetitive design. Much like the design of Joule’s band of Corebots, the exterior of ReCore and its gameplay show signs of age and may not be the most appealing from a first glance, but inside there’s still a core of unique qualities to make it stand out as one of Microsoft’s most interesting (though flawed) exclusives.

6/10

ICXM

On a separate note, I would like to say that after Quantum Break—which was a personal disappointment for me even though many others on our staff loved it—I somewhat lost faith in Microsoft exclusives. Games like Quantum Break felt unfulfilling because they demanded sequels. Halo 5’s campaign was the same way. ReCore is not only fun from the start, but it leaves you satisfied. That has to be the best part of the overall package.

9/10

Windows Central

Despite its imperfections, ReCore is exactly the type of game I want Microsoft Studios to take seriously. ReCore leans on some beloved gameplay conventions while injecting injected some of its own, gloriously unique and fulfilling elements. The RPG layer provides boatloads of additional gameplay and the setting, story and characters are just something I want to see more of.

4/5