A new narrative-driven survival action game that draws clear inspiration from the Resident Evil series recently broke cover. The game in question is Project Retrograde: The Becoming, and it's headed to Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Project Retrograde: The Becoming is an upcoming single-player narrative action game that's also the debut title of Chinese developer Invercity Game Works. The trailer for Project Retrograde: The Becoming debuted online via IGN amid the recent flurry of news coming out of Tokyo Game Show 2025, and at first glance, the title seems to prominently wear its Resident Evil influences on its sleeve.
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Project Retrograde: The Becoming Blends Resident Evil-Like Combat with Symbiote Powers
The official plot synopsis for Project Retrograde: The Becoming confirms that the game is set in 1995 and features the collapse of humanity's last hope, dubbed Project Retrograde. In the wake of this disaster, the "underground world" is ravaged by LUCA, an ancient parasite that threatens to erase humanity. Players will take control of a bounty hunter infected with LUCA, creating a symbiotic relationship that grants "dangerous power" at the cost of being consumed to save the world. Project Retrograde: The Becoming's trailer shows off heavy influences from Resident Evil, including a protagonist who looks like Leon Kennedy, near-identical camera angle to 2023's RE4 remake, similar combat animations, and more.
While some have been labeling Project Retrograde: The Becoming a Resident Evil clone, the game does pack some unique mechanics, chief among which is the parasitic combat system. It allows players to absorb the combat memories of defeated enemies and instantly gain their skills, and even opens up a variety of fighting styles. The setting itself sounds intriguing too, with players plunged into a gloomy post-apocalyptic world littered with retro technology. There's something dubbed the LUX system in Project Retrograde: The Becoming too, which lets players manipulate underground weather. Gameplay implications for the LUX system have yet to be revealed.
Still, there's no denying that Invercity Game Works was particularly inspired by the likes of Resident Evil, Death Stranding, and The Last of Us while developing Project Retrograde: The Becoming. A bit more originality in terms of character design and environments might have resulted in fewer complaints surrounding Project Retrograde: The Becoming, but as a whole, there's a lot the game offers that completely sets it apart. Invercity Game Works has yet to communicate a release date or window for Project Retrograde: The Becoming, though it did say the game is "coming soon."
