Retro/Grade launches on PS3 August 21

24 Caret Games' Retro/Grade is finally ready to take flight on the PlayStation 3. In a post on the PlayStation Blog today, 24 Caret Games co-founder Matt Gilgenbach confirmed the game is set to launch on the PlayStation Network August 21.

Just in the nick of time.

Retro/Grade's gameplay mixes the shoot-'em-up and rhythm genres, putting players in control of the familiar lone starship fighting against an enemy armada, but with a temporal twist. The game actually takes place in reverse, with players maneuvering the ship in order to put it where it needed to be to shoot its own missiles while still avoiding enemy fire. In addition to playing the game with the standard PS3 controller, players can use a rhythm game guitar to control their ship.

The compatibility with a controller from the largely abandoned instrument-based rhythm genre speaks to Retro/Grade's lengthy development cycle. The game was submitted for consideration in the 2009 Independent Games Festival awards, and was named as a finalist in the Excellence in Design and Excellence in Audio categories. For those interested in the latter category, the Retro/Grade soundtrack will also be available to purchase on PSN, either on its own or bundled with the game itself.

Pricing for Retro/Grade has not yet been finalized.