Less than a year after making an explosive debut on PC Steam, Robobeat has just landed on console. Developed by Simon Fredholm, this funky little FPS is all about timing your taps and lining up your shots, and I’ve really enjoyed it on both PC and Xbox, which is why it bounced onto my list of the best roguelike shooters.
What is Robobeat all about?
If, like me, you number among the rhythmically challenged, then a game like Robobeat is going to be a tough nut to crack. I don’t mind admitting, however, that even though I suck at it, I’ve really enjoyed playing this frenetic first-person shooter.
There’s a story in Robobeat, but honestly it’s not that interesting and it’s not the reason that any of us are here. We’re here to kick ass, hopefully in time with an ever-shifting beat. Much more important is the cassette deck in your pocket, which you can access at any time and holds the songs that you can play to.
The essential hook in Robobeat is that you must take your shots in time to the beat. To that end, your crosshairs pulse constantly in time with the effervescent soundtrack, which I’ve only scratched the surface of (after splitting my progress across two platforms) and which expands over time as you play.
Play takes place in a series of compact arenas, which are pretty straightforward but certainly do the job. There are ramps to strafe up, springboards that will launch you in the air, and various explosive barrels that are just aching to be destroyed. Enemies spawn in waves and attack on sight, so it’s up to you to take them all down, avoid taking any damage, and do it all in style while you’re at it.
Bang to the beat
There are four main zones to play through, and as one might expect, they get tougher each time. You’ll get tougher too, as you grab blueprints during play and then unlock them at the workbench back at base. This means there are new weapons to unlock, among other things, giving you access to an ever-expanding arsenal via its roguelite progression system.
You get given two guns at the start of each run, one for each hand. Then you get a special power, such as the ability to teleport/blink to a point straight ahead of you. There are chances to change your main weapons as you play, but for the most part, you’ll be engaging in furious combat encounters, bouncing around the place in a hurry, and cursing yourself for every mistimed shot.
It took a while for me to get in the groove, but after a while, something clicked and I started to have a lot of fun. When the in-game feedback is that you’re “tone-deaf” it can feel a bit brutal, but soon you’ll be in harmony with the OST, timing your shots to perfection, and maybe even dodging the incoming damage.
Robobeat is at its best when it dances around the intersection between action and rythm, and in those thrilling moments when everything comes together, it feels nothing short of exhillirating. It might look a bit muddy and washed out, and not all of the weapons were to my taste (I’m looking at you: tabletennis paddle), but Robobeat does all of the important things well, which makes this a great pick if you’re after a new shooter with a bit of bounce.
Robobeat is out now on PC (Win), PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox, and I played the game via code provided by the game’s publisher, Kwalee, and their PR friends – thank you for that 🙂
