Nemesis Retaliation: Single Play, First Thoughts
By JimmiWazEre
Opinionated tabletop gaming chap
TL;DR:
Nemesis Retaliation isn’t simply more Nemesis. It shifts the game from slow, sneaky survival horror to squad-based pressure and firefights, with new mechanics that punish old habits. After one co-op play (and a total wipe), it’s clear this earns its place alongside the original rather than replacing it.
Disclaimer
This article contains affiliate links to the first and second games in the Nemesis series. As far as I am aware, Nemesis Retaliation is not yet available to buy in the shops, and I got mine through the crowdfunder. If you use the affiliate links, I’ll get a small kickback at no additional cost to you.
Introduction
This isn’t a review or anything, but I finally got around to playing my crowdfunded copy of Nemesis Retaliation the other weekend and I wanted to share my thoughts. Fans of the blog will know I’m a huge fan of Alien, and games like Nemesis are an absolute given for me.
I’ve seen some mixed reviews online about Retaliation though, so I wanted to add my own thoughts into the mix.
Background & Expectations
I’m a veteran of the original Nemesis and it’s up there with Eclipse 2nd Edition as one of my favourite big-box games to bring out on game nights, however I never bothered with the second game: Nemesis Lockdown. Everything I’d heard suggested it was more of an iteration upon the original, but not enough to feel like a truly distinct experience. Therefore I’d concluded that if you had a choice between Lockdown or the original, to get Lockdown. But if you’d already got the original, then to just stick with that.
The third game in the series; Retaliation was different. As soon as I saw the campaign and realised its intent to do for Nemesis what Aliens did for Alien - my pickle was tickled. I wanted that sweet new flavour built on the same core foundations.
Happily, that’s exactly what it delivers.
Player Count & Setup
Our planned five-player session collapsed into two-player after some last-minute cancellations, but that actually worked in our favour. It let us soften the difficulty a bit while learning the system and gave us space to experiment without the pressure of a full table.
Like the original game, Retaliation comes with a fully co-op mode which allows the game to be enjoyed with low player counts. It’s a great way to get introduced to it.
How is it Different?
Mechanics
The mechanics feel familiar, but only up to a point. Enough has changed that assumptions from the original will trip you up. This happened frequently, and it’s really something to watch out for.
Noise rolls, for example, are handled differently. They’re close enough to feel recognisable but different enough that I’ll need a few more plays before they become intuitive rather than something my old habits keep fighting.
Numbers on the back of Intruder tokens don’t represent something you have to beat with your cards in hand anymore, instead referring to the amount of that type of intruders that drop into play.
The variable health of intruders is now dictated by dice roll instead of card draws.
Vibes
Tactics don’t carry over, and that’s for the best. I didn’t want a reskinned Nemesis. I wanted something that pushes you into new patterns of play, and the game delivers.
Retaliation is far more about being overrun. Intruders appear quickly and in numbers, and the game seems to expect players to operate as a military squad, and captures that quite nicely, encouraging you to:
Clear threats early
Maintain control of corridors
Shore up rooms and corridors to prevent a cascade of trouble
In contrast to the original’s emphasis on careful movement and sneaking around in small groups, this is much closer to a tactical firefight.
That doesn’t mean it’s without the creeping dread though - the new oxygen mechanic is a ticking time bomb that will suffocate you, if only you had a chance to take a minute from opening fire to swap out your air tank…
Our Outcome
We didn’t know better and we were testing the waters, so we didn’t play it the way the game wanted us to. We split up, ignored securing the map, and got swarmed. By about turn 10 we were out of ammo, the board was overflowing with intruders, and we ended in a wipe. Poor Chris had been single-handedly trying to hold back the Queen for the last three turns when his magazine finally clicked empty for the last time.
I’m not put out by this though. Quite the opposite in fact. That failure made it clear just how differently the game wants you to think and it’s a good sign for justifying its existence alongside the original Nemesis.
Conclusion
I enjoyed my first play of Nemesis Retaliation. Once I’m fully comfortable with the rules and not fumbling through turns, I can see myself liking it even more. After a single game, though, I’m confident that this is exactly the version of Nemesis I hoped it would be.
My next steps for it are going to be getting it on the paint table - my original is fully painted, and everyone enjoys the extra dimension that brings, so I’ve set a precedent now haven’t I?!
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Catch you laters, alligators.
Tactics don’t carry over, and that’s for the best. I didn’t want a reskinned Nemesis. I wanted something that pushes you into new patterns of play, and the game delivers.