Pros
Lucky for gamers the most visionary talent at Retro in fact doesn't work for Retro, they work for Nintendo. Their studio is just the baggage you have to push through to collaborate with the 1st party. So you can always count on some fun games. You can look at the devs social media accounts where they list their "true" employer as Nintendo. WAY fun working with Japanese folks and outstanding translators at Retro. Austin is fun too. Really does look good on a resume if you choose to continue working in games after so much crunch. Looks good on a resume even outside of the games industry. I escaped game development but other employers outside of games are still aware of Retro's prestige.
Cons
Creepy combination of relentless crunch and social obligation to eat provided meals that reeks of plantation slavery. Sometimes crunch for projects that are cancelled. Save your money because devs can be laid-off if a certain part of the game doesn't appeal to people. Even though those devs did EXACTLY what they were directed to do, management doesn't take responsibility for people disliking something even if they were the ones directing its creation. Hope you like being everyone's therapist because you can't escape their venting and landscape of unhappiness. Don't let it get to you because the same people that vent negativity the most are the same exact people that are smoking cigars networking with the managers they hate, as soon as your back is turned. HR, on a few occasions, described the studio as a "locker room" and not comfortable for women. Seemed okay to me, but I wouldn't know beyond rumors. A decade ago Retro's golden-age of middle-management with a spine came to an abrupt end. They left. Half way through DKCR middle-management was chosen almost at random in a mad scramble. I can only imagine that this was the beginning of the insecurities, passive-aggressiveness, jealousy, and avoidance of responsibilities. When I started devs described upper-management as a "limp handshake and a fake smile" ... Not sure what this means but seemed important to warn others. They don't like you to call them by their last name, but with privilege comes responsibility. Another display of insecurities and avoidance of accountability which are commonplace there. Money seems leveraged away from the team so upper-management can go spend it in Vegas. Very awkward when they want to eat lunch after that like a best buddy, yet you are very aware of the gulf of inequality or power they have over your employment.
