Rochard PC
User Score
8.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 63 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 63
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 63
  3. Negative: 4 out of 63

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  1. ozgeek
    Jan 5, 2012
    10
    What an incredible experience! Rochard is a puzzle platformer that sucked me in for many hours. I was playing this at 5am and then by the time I realised what I'm doing, it's after 10am! Played for a bit more in the evening and finished the game. This is simply one of the amazing games I've ever played. Wonderful puzzles, not to easy, not too hard, easy controls (I used a wireless xbox360 controller on my PC) and fun. Greatly recommend this to anyone who wants a puzzle platformer.… Expand
  2. low
    Dec 15, 2011
    10
    do not begin to play this game, it's addict !
    A great platform game, the gravity concept is perfect, animations, soundtrack, a good job.
    I like the styled game, colors, design, all are good in this Rochard game.
    I hope they'll make a new game based on this concept, and... soon !
  3. apaeth
    Feb 16, 2012
    7
    A decent little platformer. The gameplay actually reminds me a lot of Trine although the setting couldn't be more different. It has a good story and some great voice acting. The length of the game is a bit short but in line with the price so you still get good value out of the game. Unlike another reviewer my chief complaint is the control system. Sometimes you have to perform actions with 3-4 keys at the same time and it gets too be a bit much on a keyboard. I tried playing it with an XBOX 360 controller and found the pre-configured settings to be extremely clumsy and the accuracy was a bit sloppy. The latest patch allows you to reconfigure controller settings so that helps a bit.… Expand
  4. craigbic
    Nov 23, 2011
    10
    I'm not a big fan of platforming games and I don't usually write game reviews but after playing Rochard on the PC I felt like I needed to. This game is really, REALLY fun and a tremendous bargain too! The game has good voice acting, great graphics, awesome gameplay (gravity reversals, manipulating objects in normal and zero gravity, good puzzles, etc..), a neato soundtrack, and as far as I can tell - bug free! Refreshing that this little "bargain" platformer supports a game controller on the PC (highly recommended you use one) where the uber-expensive CoD: MW3, which SCREAMS for a controller, does not. Even if you're not a big platforming gamer, I ask that you give this game a try - you won't regret it.… Expand
  5. Ludovik
    Jan 7, 2013
    8
    I picked up Rochard during the latest Humble Bundle sale not knowing anything about the game. I don't normally play platformers so I was a little skeptical that I'd enjoy it. After 1-2 minutes I was hooked (hah!) on this game. Firstly, the game looks great, the backgrounds are wonderfully done and the visuals always seem to be exactly right. As far as mechanics go, the gravity mechanics are flawlessly done. The puzzles are intuitive yet challenging. The combat mechanics/gun mechanics are also great. I played with a controller but I imagine that'd it'd be just as easy to use KB/M to play. Lastly, the voice acting and storyline are great. There's something definitely PG about the dialogue and the quests but you don't really care, you laugh along with Rochard's corny jokes and the campy dialogue. The only downside is not really a downside in my opinion; there's no sandbox mode, the zones are a tad short and I doubt the game has much replay value. This is not really a downside in my opinion insofar as not every game has to be an infinite task (Skyrim, Etc). This game starts and ends at just the right time, leaving you satisfied and you always seem to be perfectly frustrated when the game adds a new element to spice things up. This game is a breath of fresh air and likely unlike anything you currently have installed.… Expand
  6. Discordy
    Sep 27, 2012
    3
    An hour into the game, I still haven't encountered a puzzle that took me more than 5 seconds to solve, so I quit out of boredom. While I enjoyed the voice acting and the nostalgic platform-game atmosphere, I found the puzzles simply not challenging enough, and in this genre that is what ultimately matters. I would recommend this game for kids, though.
  7. MiyazuHime
    Jan 24, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The great game that stands out with it's unique combination of puzzles, gravitation and enemy shooting. The story is not so deep-minded, as a game itself is short, so don't expect much of it, but gameplay will pull you in. Graphics are really nice to the eye, good animation, effects, good color mix, which suits the game story. To solve puzzles you will need to use your gravity tool all the way, thought every chapters differs with variety of puzzles and difficulty of them. But they are not that hard, when you get used to gravity tool and box moving, but they are entertaining anyway. There is only one boss fight in end game, but that is explained by the shortness of game, also voice acting of some background characters could be better. Music is average. But that are some small drawbacks of the game, so you should get it anyway, even if you are not fan of side-scrolling games, you won't be disappointed!… Expand
  8. jZero
    Feb 14, 2012
    7
    Overall this game is pretty good. The game mixes some good puzzle solving and platforming elements, occasional humor, and some interesting mechanics. After playing the game for a while though it did feel a bit repetitive, some of the puzzles are a bit too easy, the combat is lousy and the story is just okay.
  9. CannibalBob
    Aug 8, 2012
    6
    The puzzle-solving, twitch-based platforming was appealing, but wasn't very challenging and felt aimed at kids. While I enjoyed the music, scenery and fully-voiced and dynamic story, it fell flat due to its brevity.
  10. metacriticFAN
    Aug 19, 2012
    9
    [Rochard / Steam PC / Score 9 ] I play only a few new platforming games a year - and this was a blast! 2D side scrolling with some control over gravity and a link gun - yeah you heard right - the same link gun as in the half-life series but better! These are physics based puzzles with a little dab of shooter mixed in. Run around the mine shafts to save your friends and learn about the hidden sacred treasure - then find it! Really goofy in a comic book style with all the right touches. The voice acting of the main character has just the right amount of southern twang - I chuckled all the way through playing as the space mining cowboy. Two thumbs up to Recoil Games. [Buy Rochard and mix up your FPS gaming day with this treasure] Released 2011.11.15 and played about 6 months later.
    [DRM] Steam only
    [Challenges and Mechanics]
    There is only one difficulty setting and the game takes you gently through the development of all the skills required to get through the game. Keys are easy to remap in-game which I readjusted several times to get just right. The link gun aiming (2D) takes a bit of getting used to but a few screens later and I was a total pro! The game has its own save points - and they are closely space - so no sweat just relax and experiment....this is physics. [Bugs] Not a single crash - not a single reload for weird behaviour - yeah ! [Game time] 12hrs and let me say that the final boss fight was down right pleasurable - swinging around like tarzan throwing sticky bombs - hahahahahahaa.... [Replay] This game allows you to replay individual levels and chapters - so go back and have a hoot. Having a level editor would be sheer delight. [Audio] I always play with headphones and the music was great. Voice acting and SFX were top notch. [Compliments] How is this an indie game? Clearly from the perspectives of the developers this is indie - a personal labour of love - no big studio interference - but this is highly polished and shines brightly - this is big talent.

    [ToYouCowpoke] This kind of art deserves your money - support talented digital prospectors. [PS: I do not know anybody who works in the game industry I just enjoy games : - ] [MyPC 2011] i7-2600K 3.4GHz / ASUS Z68 ProGen3 / 8G RAM / Radeon 6870 / W7 PRO SP1 / Samsung 275T @1920x1200 / Logitech G15 / Kensington ExpertMouse

    [MyFavorites] [PC Win7] Rochard TheDreamMachine Crysis&Warhead&Crysis2 JustCause2 Rage [PC XP] DeuxExHumanRevolution&TheMissingLink DeadSpace1&2 Fallout3&NewVegas HalfLife1&2 Bordelands BatmanArkumAsylum AssassinsCreed1 Magicka RedFaction Portal1&2 FromDust MrRobot Sam&MaxSeasons1&2 CulpaInnata TheSecretOfMonkeyIsland DreamfallTheLongestJourney Syberia1&2 CrayonPhysicsDeluxe DefenseGridTheAwakening PlantsVsZombies Prototype Bioshock1&2 UnrealTournament3 Quake4 [360] AfroSamurai BrutalLegends [XBOX] HALO KOTOR1&2 Crackdown ArmedAndDangerous AggressiveInline BeyondGoodAndEvil DeadOrAlive1&2&3&ExtremeBeachVolleyball Psychonauts [AppleG4] DeusExMachina ReturnToZork Suspended UnrealTournament TombRaiderSeries [Born] 1964    … Expand
  11. Combustive
    Jan 24, 2012
    10
    If I was wearing a hat I would tip it to the developers of this game. What a beautifully made, perfectly scored, intuitive and engaging surprise. Sure I could point out maybe one or two very minor faults but they diminish into nothing when everything else is so good.
  12. hassenpheffer
    Feb 7, 2012
    9
    A treat for lovers of platform shooters, Rochard is a brilliant and exciting adventure game. Rochard offers some really vibrant environments that enhance the story. And speaking of story - Rochard has got a good one that never seemed silly or ridiculous. The voice over work is excellent and the dialogue (yes - dialogue in a platform game) is spot-on funny. The tools used will obviously remind players of the grav gun from Portal but that's a good thing. The lasers and explosives are a great addition to the grav gun which gives Rochard a real clean and effective way of dealing with enemies. The only negatives I have overall are that the game is a bit easy. The puzzles aren't as challenging as you'd think but they are fun. There's not much incentive to replay after it's been completed but for less than $10 it's well worth playing through just the one time. The finale is too easy for an endgame as well. All in all, Rochard is a great looking game; an exciting playthrough and terrific sci-fi adventure!… Expand
  13. genoforprez
    Mar 18, 2012
    10
    In terms of how the controls feel mechanically, John's controls feel extremely similar to controlling the characters in Trine. The game is a fun mashup of action and puzzling. Much like a side-scrolling half-life, you're given weaponry with which to attack enemies directly (pkew! pkew!), but you also have a gravity gun, which you use to manipulate objects and solve environmental puzzles. Of course, you can also use the gravity gun to launch objects at enemies and kill them that way. The puzzle element arises when you encounter the rig's forcefields. Blue lets everything pass through except physical objects. Red lets everything pass except bio-matter. Yellow blocks all effects (gunfire, explosions, rays, etc). White blocks everything. In trying to get from A to B, you solve physics puzzles which involve manipulating these forcefields (they can often be turned on/off by removing/swapping batteries) and figuring out how to navigate through them. In the meantime, you'll be shooting lasers at enemies, launch crates and explosives at them with your grav gun, and using the game's physics to perform fun platforming and set up booby traps. For example turning on anti-gravity (shift or capslock) lets you pick up an object, jump, then shoot it down to get a boost to jump height/distance. Booby trips might consist of dropping some crates on a blue forcefiled above a set of enemies, then yanking out the battery so all the crates fall on them. The game gives you a lot of space to take out enemies your own way, and the puzzles are fun without being too annoying or taxing. Supports multiple resolutions, lets you map your own keys, and its gamepad compatible! Although in this case I highly recommend playing with keyboard and mouse.… Expand
  14. Spelledaren
    Oct 5, 2012
    9
    This is truly an entertaining experience. I don't think I've had this much fun with a platformer since the days of Super Mario and Donkey Kong. It's very accessible, yet not too easy. I really love the low gravity use and smooth controls. This is simply well done, and exactly long enough. Well worth your time and money.
  15. donkeygravy
    Dec 17, 2011
    9
    I tried the game out for the first time as a demo on steam. I was hooked. I have never bought a title so quickly after giving it a try. It was worth every cent and I would have gladly paid more. The sound track is amazing. The game play itself is simply stellar. It's refreshing and constantly changing. Graphically the game is very well executed and solid. The puzzles are fun yet make you think about what you are doing. There are many ways to go about killing the enemies - my personal favorite was pulling the fuse block on the bio bridge and letting the baddies rain down onto the electrified floor below.

    This game, if it is any indicator of future studio output, should be the first of many brilliant titles to come from this group of Finns. Try it on steam, then buy it. Or save yourself some time and just buy it.    … Expand
  16. poundmysnatch
    Sep 21, 2012
    8
    Rochard is a very good puzzle/platformer. The level design isn't too complicated and you will rarely, if at all, get stuck on a puzzle for longer than a few minutes. The low gravity elements along with your G-lifter combine to create a completely fresh experience. The only things i can complain about are the character animations (particularly the facial animation) that are extremely bad, and the length of the game. My first playthrough took under 5 hours and the second "speed run" took me a little over 2 hours. There are a few collectibles to get throughout the game that are a bit more difficult to acquire, but they don't offer much replay value. Rochard is still a great game that is worth your attention.… Expand
  17. wrh
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    Best platformer I've played in a long time! The main theme is that you have to use your 'gun' and your other controls in order to manipulate your environment so as to solve puzzles, fight enemies, and so on. The controls are sophisticated and very intuitive, I haven't encountered any bugs, and the game is altogether a great pleasure. NB: I recommend using a Gampad (which Rochard supports out-of-the-box).… Expand
  18. Daniel_Yergin
    Nov 21, 2011
    8
    Rochard is a very enjoyable side-scrolling adventure game with proficient puzzles and visuals. The game is mostly bug free and altogether a good time killer!
  19. Rauhotz
    Jan 2, 2012
    7
    Indy-Games usually get a bonus at reviews, which makes even mediocre games get meta-scores of 8 and higher. It may be the effect that the games are cheaper and that there's a higher sympathy towards the independent producers than to the big publishers.

    The graphics are well-polished comic-style, similar to Team Fortress 2. The characters look like plastic dolls and are poorly animated wit    h an entire lacking of facial animations. You will only notice that during the amateurishly done and really boring cut-scenes. The story is stereotype and was heard a thousand times in c-class science fiction movies, the end disappoints even more. Attempts to be funny are mostly barrel bursts (Rochards personal id is 90210, "Mother-Truckers", "I can't feel my legs" when he dies). The voice-talents are good.

    Controlling Rochard is smooth and easy, but a little bit too complex for a platform game. I would have left out the flashlight (could be auto on/off dependent on the lighting conditions) and melee attacks (unnecessary).

    The puzzles are simple (compared to Portal) and don't require great skills or precise timings. You will solve most of the puzzles on the first try and finish the game in less than 6 hours. 90% of the time you will have low-gravity turned on. There are harder puzzles in any old Sokoban implementation.

    Can i recommend the game for kids? I must say no. Though there is no blood in the game, the controls are too complex and there's still a good portion of violence (enemies scream when they die). Rochard is no bad game, but definitely not a 10/10 AAA-title.    … Expand
  20. upi
    Dec 19, 2012
    9
    Rochard keeps you engaged without getting really hard. The difficulty curve is gentle. The puzzle elements are interesting. The trickiest part is finding the hidden treasure pieces. Playing with gravity, the central part of the game's mechanics, never gets boring. The game looks nice, wit subtle visual effects that help you solve puzzles. I love the creators for not putting in any "filler" to make the game feel longer: each part feels unique and interesting. The Excuse Plot ties the levels together well.… Collapse
  21. jigar
    Sep 19, 2012
    10
    I bought this game on sale from Steam and I was not disappointed at all. It a puzzle game with a twist of action. I liked the platform based gaming yet having the feel of 3D. It is very polished and fun to play. It is available as a part of Humble Indie Bundle till end of Sep 2012, for those who are interested. http://www.humblebundle.com/
  22. suneater
    Dec 13, 2012
    3
    Story-heavy side scrolling box/gravity puzzle game with shooting & platforming elements. Most of the game is pretty easy except for the last 30 mins when it becomes combat heavy. This game might be worth picking up if it weren't for the recycled environments (backtracking to previous locations), ancient aliens, and possibly the worst ending ever. At around 4 hours tops I wouldn't recommend buying this unless you get it in a bundle.… Expand
  23. whatthefunk
    Apr 28, 2013
    9
    One of my favorite indie games. It has amazing graphics and I enjoyed the physics of the game a lot. The story was well thought out and captivating. My only complaints were the relative ease of the game and the somewhat confusing ending. Definitely worth getting it.
  24. RafaelPinho
    May 22, 2013
    9
    An incredible experience! Rochard has beautiful graphics and is a very interesting puzzle game. The only problem is that the game is a little easy! However it's a very entertaining game. As my friend "low" said on his post below, don't start playing unless you have time for that!

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Mar 1, 2012
    78
    A solid suggestion if you are looking for a pleasant, polished puzzler/platform game. It will not thrill you, it does not invent the wheel, but it displays some clever ideas that are correctly executed, humor and, additionally, its low price is another incentive for its purchase. [March 2012]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 27, 2012
    80
    Combine smart puzzles with adequate amounts of action and you get Rochard – great platform game appealing to all sorts of players. [Jan 2012]
  3. Game Chronicles
    Feb 6, 2012
    89
    When it comes right down to it Rochard is a fully enjoyable action game with plenty of puzzles to work through. While not overly challenging, though some took me a few second to figure out just what to do, I can tell you I missed the three hour speed run achievement by several hours, but considering all the hidden health and weapons upgrades as well as trophies that's one achievement that will have to come later.
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