RoboCop: Rogue City is set between the events of RoboCop 2 and the critically panned RoboCop 3. Players once again step into the metallic boots of RoboCop, this time portrayed by Peter Weller, who has lent his likeness and voice to the iconic character. Detroit is, predictably, in a state of urban decay, with the prevalence of the drug Nuke fueling widespread violence. A new criminal mastermind, known only as “The New Guy”, emerges, prompting various gangs to vie for his favor. RoboCop and his partner, Anne Lewis, are tasked with apprehending this new threat before the city descends further into chaos. Simultaneously, RoboCop experiences increasingly vivid flashbacks to his former life as Alex Murphy, occasionally leading to operational shutdowns during missions. He faces what may be his most challenging assignment yet, with time running out to restore order.
The 1990 film, RoboCop 2, served as my introduction to the franchise, and it was some time before I experienced the original 1987 film, a near-perfect execution of its premise. Director Paul Verhoeven masterfully blended humor, extreme violence, and social satire in a way that remains unmatched. The RoboCop 3 game, released for platforms like the Atari ST, was the first and, until now, only RoboCop game I had played. Development of the game preceded the film’s release due to the film company’s financial difficulties. The eventual premiere of the third movie proved to be a disappointing experience, due in part to Peter Weller’s absence in the lead role, but primarily due to deficiencies in the script, direction, and overall production quality.
RoboCop’s presence on the silver screen then waned for a considerable period. Several series emerged, varying in quality, but ultimately falling short of expectations. In 2014, a remake starring Joel Kinnaman was released, but it arguably fared even worse than RoboCop 3, failing to capture the delicate balance that defined the original film. Furthermore, the decision by a film executive to pursue a PG-13 rating effectively sealed the fate of any potential new trilogy.
Approximately two years ago, I encountered the following teaser, and my excitement surged; I underestimated just how remarkable the final product would be!
RoboCop: Rogue City is developed by the Polish studio Tayon, known for titles such as Terminator: Resistance and Rambo: The Video Game. This studio has experience adapting established IPs into video game form. RoboCop: Rogue City represents a significant improvement over Terminator: Resistance, which felt generic, resembling a looter-shooter with a superficial robotic theme.
RoboCop: Rogue City features an original narrative set after the events of RoboCop 2, incorporating several characters from both the first and second films. Peter Weller is the only original actor to reprise his role. Initially, I believed Nancy Allen, who portrayed Lewis in the films, had also returned, but her name was absent from the cast list, and her last acting credit was in 2001, making her potential return unlikely. The voice actor who embodies her character, along with the rest of the cast portraying familiar characters, delivers skilled and accurate imitations of the original performances.
Beyond the well-crafted story, which genuinely feels like the proper third installment in the series, replacing the disappointing RoboCop 3, the environments are recreated with meticulous attention to detail. Walking through the police station and recognizing familiar locations from the movies is a particular pleasure. The developers have successfully captured the essence of the source material, including details like the rear end of the car dipping as it ascends the ramp, mirroring a scene from the film. Every location visited authentically reflects the world established in the movie adaptation. For dedicated RoboCop enthusiasts, simply exploring the streets and immersing oneself in the atmosphere is a rewarding experience.
The game mechanics deviate somewhat from those of typical FPS (First Person Shooter) games, which is appropriate given RoboCop’s lack of agility and speed. He embodies the characteristics of a tank, contrasting with the cover-based shooting common in other games. RoboCop also lacks the ability to jump, and for the first time, I commend the developers for omitting this ability. RoboCop, as a character, is not known for jumping; therefore, its absence in the game is justified.
The developers have cleverly made RoboCop more fluid than his cinematic counterpart without compromising the established logic of the character. Certain leaps are incorporated to facilitate faster movement into cover. Health restoration is achieved with a button press, consuming healing items if available. However, even without these items, health regenerates automatically to 20 percent, providing a constant chance against enemies until another healing module is located.
Progression in the game involves gaining experience, which unlocks additional functions and properties, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Players can acquire and utilize a diverse array of weapons, in addition to the classic Auto 9 pistol. This weapon features unlimited ammunition and can be upgraded with various enhancements to increase its speed and magazine capacity.
RoboCop: Rogue City features a satisfying level of blood and gore; players can dismember enemies, removing limbs with well-placed shots. The environment is also highly destructible, with pillars, cars, and windows reacting to gunfire. Players can also interact with the environment by grabbing and throwing objects at enemies. In the absence of objects, enemies themselves can be seized and hurled at their allies.
The game allows for dynamic adjustment of the difficulty level, enabling players to reduce the challenge if they wish to progress further in the story. I initially played on the Normal setting but lowered the difficulty on one occasion when facing an overwhelmingly powerful enemy, as I lacked the patience to engage in a protracted battle. This is a welcome feature that allows for customization as needed.
In short, RoboCop: Rogue City is a dream come true for RoboCop fans!
Unfortunately, the game is not without its flaws. Despite the exceptional quality of the environments and the accurate portrayal of characters, the animation appears somewhat stiff, detracting from the overall visual fidelity.
More significantly, RoboCop: Rogue City exhibits a number of bugs. Notably, graphical glitches occur during cutscenes when transitioning between camera angles. This manifests as a momentary visual jump, creating a slightly unpolished impression. Additionally, the absence of holstered pistols on characters when they are not actively wielding them is noticeable. In one cutscene, characters were incorrectly positioned and clipped through one another.
The unnatural animation of clothing on the characters also proved distracting. The garments appear to be glued to the skin, moving stiffly. I had the opportunity to playtest RoboCop: Rogue City earlier this year, and the issue was even more pronounced at that time. The developers have since implemented a subtle shading effect, which gives the clothing a slightly more volumetric appearance.
These are minor issues within the larger context of the game, but given the overall high quality, their presence prevents the game from achieving its full potential.
In conclusion, the overall experience is sufficiently compelling that these minor imperfections do not significantly detract from the final assessment. RoboCop: Rogue City is a must-play title. If the graphical issues are addressed in subsequent updates, the game would be poised to achieve a perfect score. This truly is the third film in the series that fans have been anticipating.
Nacon provided a review code for this evaluation. Content providers do not have editorial influence over our reviews.
