A Whodunit on the High Seas
Robots – I have always been fascinated by them, but part of me is truly terrified of what they can do.
And if you dig deep enough, you’ll find numerous videos on YouTube to support my fears; robots have ‘freaked out’ on factory floors or started pushing humans around. But then we have the cute ones, like little dog clones, or the useful ones like those robo-hoovers.
But what happens if one of those robots was a detective on a cruise ship? A sort of metal version of Hercule Poirot without the moustache, if you will? Well, this is the setup for Clash: Robot Detective, a visual novel worth a play.
A Cruise Ship Catastrophe
Set in the near future, you are aboard the Violet Skies, a modern cruise ship run by our robotic friends. Suddenly, the robots are hacked and turn violent on the passengers. Who has caused this and why?
You are quickly employed by Clash, a robot police officer with a hat and matching trench coat, to solve the crime. You go around the cruise ship interviewing potential suspects and trying to work out who is telling the truth. This is the story set up, and telling you any more might spoil what’s going to happen.
Humanity vs. Robotics
I liked the whole premise of the story and the environment Clash: Robot Detective is set in, but be warned, if you don’t like a lot of reading, then this will not be the game for you.
If you do like your games to be text-heavy, then you’ll find a dialogue that works, capable of being quite fun and humorous at times. I like that you have been employed to give the human perspective in the story and how the narrative of what is human, and that of which is robot, is explored and dissected throughout the journey.
It’s also worth mentioning that this is the complete edition, so you have an extra story to play through with a different protagonist, which adds some extra welly to the already cheap price.
Good Cop, Bad Cop
The gameplay is pretty straightforward, pushing forth a linear journey. Of course, with this being a visual novel, the lack of actual gameplay is a given, and something you should know before you purchase. But thankfully this one does have various choices for you to make, dialogue trees opening up in conversation.
The choices you make will determine the flow, with multiple endings available to unlock. For example, you can go down certain routes with personality traits like being more aggressive or hostile in your approach, or taking a more friendly and relaxed manner. When interrogating someone, you get to choose to be a good cop or bad cop in your line of questioning, which will then affect how Clash approaches the dialogue. This also makes the person behind the murder and chaos vary every time, according to the way you choose to play your character.
A Mixed Bag of Presentation
This all works fine, but I’m not sure there is enough about this one that will see you wanting to replay the game again for a different outcome. When I am not reviewing, I like to take in whatever is in front of me once, letting the fates determine my story outcome. Clash: Robot Detective does get slow at times in the story, but overall it’s a good yarn.
Visually, Clash: Robot Detective uses a style that mixes photographs of real people and locations with neatly designed ones to create a unique mix that works really well. But for me, I’d have loved some voice work to join the fray. Instead, we’re left with a nice soundtrack, full of detective vibes to carry you through this murder mystery.
A Quirky Visual Novel
The big question then – Is Clash: Robot Detective – Complete Edition a good visual novel?
Well, Clash: Robot Detective – Complete Edition has a unique story, one that is funny and engaging at times, with some good multiple endings on offer. The visuals fit well with the tone of the game, but as with pretty much all visual novels, you’ll need to be able to get on with a lot of reading, following the story from there on out. Even though there are decisions to make along the way, it’s fairly conventional.
For under a fiver, Clash: Robot Detective might be worth a gander.
The Links You Need
Solve the Robotic Rampage! Boot up Clash: Robot Detective – Complete Edition – https://www.thexboxhub.com/solve-the-robotic-rampage-boot-up-clash-robot-detective-complete-edition/
Buy Clash: Robot Detective on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/clash-robot-detective-complete-edition/9P256KL04GG1/0010
