RoboCop: Rogue City is about serving, protecting and delighting. review

Played on PC

It seems that Polish studio Teyon has a section made up entirely of fans of classic eighties action films. In 2014, the developer released Rambo: The Video Game. The adaptation of the film trilogy about John Rambo was mediocre, to say the least. But despite the fact that the first pancake came out lumpy, the authors did not give up and went to new heights – a game in the Terminator universe. And not just any fantasy on the topic, but a canonical part that complements the plot of “Judgment Day”. Fans were already sharpening their pitchforks and twirling their torches. But the result was incredibly surprising. Despite the budget and grittiness, the writers’ love for the source material was clear in every frame of Terminator: Resistance. So the announcement of RoboCop: Rogue City was met with real interest. And fortunately Teyon did not disappoint.

RoboCop looks great. It’s a pity that the body is not displayed during the game

A healthy mind in an iron body

Rogue City starts after the second part of RoboCop. The robot cop that Alex Murphy became after his death at the hands of a gang of killers recently rid Detroit of a drug called Newk. However, things haven’t gotten much quieter on the streets of the industrial city. The iron hero continues to stand guard with his loyal partner Anne Lewis.

As with “Terminator: Resistance,” the writers’ respect for the character and the universe is immediately noticeable. In the first hour, you can no longer count how many times the game winks at fans of the series and introduces well-known characters and iconic locations: the police station with the protagonist’s maintenance room is full of digitized actors from the films; the robot leaves the garage with the same sparks under the car; Memories bring Murphy back to his old home from his previous life.

Literally every memorable element from the first two films finds its way into Rogue City, at least in reference form. You can even walk into the same OCP executive bathroom where Bob Morton so carelessly ran over Dick Jones! Still, Rogue City isn’t just a kaleidoscope of moments for fans.

Is there another way to answer this?

Familiar images are cleverly used to emphasize the continuity of the story. They perceive the game as a real threequel that organically continues the story of RoboCop. Peter Weller’s strong-willed chin protrudes from beneath the iron mask again. The main antagonist, who initially hides in the shadows, refers to the hero’s past.

As the story progresses, the matter becomes personal for Murphy himself. The authors develop the theme of the coexistence of machines and humans as a whole. During the course of the game, the hero is regularly sent for psychological examinations. And you can even decide for yourself how you see (or wanted to see) RoboCop: a machine for catching criminals or an honest person given a second chance. Sometimes they are direct questions, but other times the game presents you with situations where you have to make a choice: Do you follow the letter or the spirit of the law? After all, it’s not always the same.

Everyday life of a stainless police officer

Like Terminator: Resistance, RoboCop: Rogue City is a shooter at its core, peppered with RPG elements, dialogue and exploration. This time Teyon paid more attention to the central mechanic – the shooting itself. The main weapon will be the Auto-9 pistol, which fires in bursts. Of course with the same sound.

An old enemy demands revenge

The second weapon can be picked up directly on the battlefield. In addition, the arsenal is surprisingly diverse: pistols, shotguns, machine guns and machine guns. Of course there will also be well-known examples from the films. However, you can fight criminal elements with your bare hands – grab them by the throat and throw them at each other. A straight right hand will take out most of the criminal scum. And various utensils – from chairs and monitors to gas bottles and motorcycles – are not screwed to the floor at all, so don’t be shy.

Robocop feels different than most heroes in other shooters. Nevertheless, we play a cyborg weighing several hundredweight. He cannot run (maximum – walk quickly), bend over and hide behind blankets. The game developers have definitely had to grapple with how to walk the line between an interesting and challenging experience and a feeling of power and superiority over meatbags. It seems to me that they succeeded.

Robo takes out most of the Punks at once, moving forward slowly and inexorably. The scanner allows you to quickly detect any enemies entering a firefight. However, with a good reaction, they will hardly have time to fire a few bullets, and even they will bounce off your armor like pebbles, leaving a few scratches. Punks and anarchists disperse juicy, with the brutality inherent in Verhoeven’s film. Heads burst like pumpkins, limbs fly in different directions and a dedicated animation is provided for a well-aimed shot in the groin.

Indoor gunfights are in no way inferior to FEAR when it comes to destruction

But Robo is also exposed to the overwhelming firepower: when all the weapons are fired at him, his armor melts before his eyes and he urgently has to retreat. Towards the end, the confrontation with armored special forces gets tougher. You are forced to remember Call of Duty tactics, which involve carefully shooting enemies around the corner.

In difficult situations, several active abilities help: sprint, mass stun, short-term increase in armor and slow time. They all open up as you develop traits like endurance, engineering, etc. Each skill point invested also increases various passive indicators such as damage or scanning range.

Linear levels are full of action and punctuated by rare breaks. But Rogue City also offers open locations: you can stroll calmly through the streets of Detroit, where skirmishes are the exception. After all, Murphy is still a police officer and the patrols haven’t been canceled. When carrying out the main task, it can happen that you become distracted by minor infractions. Someone parked at a fire hydrant or didn’t pay for parking? Any violation will result in a fine.

There is no such thing as too much firepower

Sometimes you can meet other police officers and help with a call. Often in such episodes it is necessary to examine the crime scene and interview witnesses. Furthermore, some moments even suggest nonlinearity. For example, to achieve the best result, you need to find optional evidence, and a pumped-up psychology will allow you to persuade the criminal to surrender.

However, don’t expect your skills to be tested at every turn, as this is not a full-fledged RPG. However, several sub-lines develop as the story progresses. You can ignore them or actively intervene and decide the fate of several people. At the end, you’ll even be shown slides that reflect the consequences of your decisions. By the way, this isn’t even the case in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Looks at you like you’re criminal scum

* * *

Teyon was again pleasantly surprised and continues to improve. This time, special attention was paid directly to the game mechanics. RoboCop: Rogue City is not only a good RoboCop, but also a solid, fun shooter. And the game looks decent. Thanks to high-quality lighting and impressive reflections, the environment is in no way inferior to blockbusters. But the people’s role models are rather poor and the production of the videos smells like side orders from Yakuza from the time of the fifth part. In other words, there is still room for improvement. And I’m already wondering what the writers will tackle next time. It seems that “Die Hard” has never received a truly strong live-action adaptation…

Advantages:

• an authentic continuation of the story about a childhood hero;
• exciting shootouts where you can feel all the coolness of RoboCop;
• good integration of role-playing and exploration elements.

Defects:

• some skills are almost useless;
• The scenes were staged according to the residual principle.

Degree: 7.5/10

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