Bust a Move and Blast Some Bots
Given that I have the same natural rhythm as a grand piano falling down a flight of stairs, I’m not the obvious first choice to review a game that is very strongly based around rhythm.
Still, here I am, looking at a game called ROBOBEAT, the latest from Simon Fredholm and Kwalee. Described on the Xbox store page as “a roguelike remix”, and setting aside my long held aversion to anything with the words “rogue” and “like” in the description, I set off on a bit of a journey. Given that the cover art for the game depicts someone holding a cassette (remember those, kids?) this should at least have references I can understand if nothing else.
So, let’s bop to the beat and see what’s in store, shall we? I can only do dad dancing, I’m afraid…
Retro Robots and Rhythmic Rooms
Kicking off with the presentation, and, at its heart, ROBOBEAT is an FPS. The graphics are firmly retro, quite crude in design, and while the enemies aren’t massively imaginative or hugely detailed, they do spawn in number. Everything moves at a fast pace, with no hint of slowdown too, so that’s all good.
From there, the areas we fight in are a collection of separate rooms, with the traditional “door won’t open until all enemies are dead” setup, and while the backgrounds to the rooms aren’t going to win any awards for Most Original Concept, they work well enough. To be honest, all you’ll really be concentrating on during your time with ROBOBEAT are the enemies that spawn in and the little beat indicator that appears in the middle of the screen: the rest of the room could be a blank canvas to be honest.
Sound of the game is also pretty good, with different tunes to find and play along to, each with a different BPM. The sound of the gunshots, the music, the rest of the ambient sounds all blend nicely, and the overall presentation is pretty good, to be honest.
Bounty Hunting to the Beat
Now, I bet you’re dying to know why we are running around and shooting stuff, aren’t you? Well, we play as Ace, a famous bounty hunter on the charge, looking for our latest target: a robotic showman who goes by the name of Frazzer. In order to bring him to justice, we need to explore his techno playground, take him down and get home in time for tea and biscuits. What could be easier? Well, probably quite a lot of things, judging by the way ROBOBEAT throws problems at you…
That is the setup for our wanderings, but how does the game play out? Well, it’s not too bad, at the risk of damning with faint praise. ROBOBEAT is an accomplished FPS, and running about, dodging enemies and fighting bosses is quite well done. However, there is another layer to the gameplay, and this is what sets ROBOBEAT apart from other shooters. See, as we aim our weapon, up pops a series of marks making their way towards the aiming reticle. Once the marks hit the edge of the reticle, if you shoot at that precise moment, it will do extra damage to the enemy in said sights. You can shoot whenever you like, but shots off beat do less damage.
ROBOBEAT’s Rhythm Mechanics and Challenges
Finally, while we are talking about the shooting action, there is no reloading that takes place, as every weapon seems to have infinite ammo. Instead, pressing Y charges weapons, making them glow, which again does a more powerful shot. And if you fire a charged shot on the beat, well…
I’ve had a few issues with the combat, if I’m telling the truth. Trying to fire on the beat tends to go out of the window when you’re being swarmed by enemies, and obviously the reduced damage you do for firing off-beat means the enemies stay kicking longer, which makes surviving harder. It’s here where the vicious circle continues. Learning to slow down as things get hectic feels completely counterintuitive, but it really is the best tactic.
Movement mechanics are also very good, and always being on the move is a good tactic. We can wall run, slide and jump about like we’re playing Halo, and obviously, not knowing where we are going to be at any given moment makes it harder for the enemies to hit us! The way the character, Ace, moves is very engaging and works really well, but add in shooting at the same time and it feels like you’ve had a workout by the end of the run!
Procedural Levels and Cassette Customisation
Each time you die, and you will, ROBOBEAT restarts and the layout of the levels changes. Yes, the levels are procedurally generated, and this helps to keep things fresh; at least on the one hand. On the other, it does mean that you can’t learn the levels, and each run is a fresh start, in a way. This certainly helps with longevity and stops the game feeling stale.
A Rhythmic and Engaging Shooter with a Retro Twist
ROBOBEAT is certainly one of the better rhythm shooting games on the market, and the choice of cassette that you use helps pace the game to your own playstyle; a slower BPM makes the shooting less frequent, and the faster ones seem to make it so that hitting the beat is a bit easier, weirdly.
There’s no doubt though, if you are looking for a shooter with a little something extra, you could do worse than to give ROBOBEAT a run out.
The Links To Shoot
ROBOBEAT: A Rhythm-Fueled FPS Where Every Shot’s a Beat – https://www.thexboxhub.com/robobeat-a-rhythm-fueled-fps-where-every-shots-a-beat/
Buy ROBOBEAT on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/robobeat/9mwz22cmzp3n
