ROBOBEAT on PlayStation 5, brought to life by Simon Fredholm and Kwalee, offers a thrilling experience as a roguelike rhythm shooter. To share my thoughts, here’s my review of this exhilarating game!
In ROBOBEAT, you step into the shoes of Ace, a renowned bounty hunter hot on the trail of the quirky robot-showman, Frazzer. To catch him, you’ll dive into his bizarre and techno-infused playground, where the key to survival is shooting everything in sync with the groovy beats. Standing still is not an option; you’re pushed to be in constant motion to stay alive. With procedurally generated levels, adaptability is crucial, and you can choose a track that aligns perfectly with your style to maximize your experience.
Having reviewed other rhythm FPS games like Metal: Hellsinger and BPM: Bullets Per Minute, I was eager to see how ROBOBEAT stacks up on the PS5. A neat crossover is here, too, with bonus tracks from heads like BPM: Bullets Per Minute, DUSK, and ULTRAKILL making appearances.
When you’re ready to jump in, movement and combat are at the heart of ROBOBEAT’s mechanics. Use the left stick to move around and the right stick to aim. You can dash with a press on the left stick and jump with the X button, which also allows for double jumps. Pressing the Circle button initiates a slide, and a ground slam is triggered by pressing in with the right stick. Combat involves shooting with both L2 and R2 for your left and right weapons, respectively, all while keeping in rhythm to build up those precious combos. Don’t forget to parry with Square, charge weapons with Triangle, and deploy utilities with R1.
Your arsenal is varied, offering something for every combat situation. The trusty Revolver strikes with precision and boasts a quick cooldown, while the Flux shotgun delivers a heavy punch up close. For a balance of spread and damage, the Contact weapon links close enemies in its impact zone, and don’t miss trying out the Ping Pong for explosions on every third shot.
Earning Blips is your ticket to upgrading and broadening your in-game options. Spend them in the shop to bolster your loadout, snag boosters in the data-chip room, hone your skills in parkour rooms, or test your reflexes in the target rush challenge. Unlocking new rooms requires blueprints found and returned to your hub.
Achievement hunters will be pleased with ROBOBEAT’s comprehensive trophy list, culminating in a Platinum for your collection. You’ll unlock trophies by exploring new territories, obtaining keys, accessing special rooms, defeating bosses, and performing feats like cracking a 100-beat combo or obliterating targets at lightning speed. For guidance, a detailed ROBOBEAT Trophy Guide can lend a hand.
In essence, ROBOBEAT is a relentless romp through a rhythm-based, action-packed world, providing a great fusion of music and mayhem in this roguelike shooter. Ace’s pursuit of Frazzer will have you immersed in a chaotic yet entertaining soundtrack and level design. The game boasts 38 tracks, enriched by bonus cassettes featuring tunes from famed rhythm games like BPM: Bullets Per Minute. It hits the shelves tomorrow on PS5 for $19.99.
Can you manage to catch up with the eccentric Frazzer? Dive into the techno-chaos and see if you can outsmart him!
(Note: My review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by Kwalee.)
