I was excited to try Robobeat because I really love the idea of games implementing rhythm elements in unique and fun ways. As much as I’ve always enjoyed Guitar Hero, it wasn’t until I got really into Crypt of the Necrodancer: Cadence of Hyrule that I realized how interesting this kind of gameplay could be.
And while I never got around to playing BPM: Bullets Per Minute or Metal Hellsinger I have always wanted to experience a game that’s as fast-paced as DOOM 2016 but has the added flair of fighting to the beat. Robobeat not only delivers on that front but gives players a lot of added freedom to really make their games unique.
There isn’t a lot of story on offer straight away in Robobeat, which makes sense, given the game’s roguelike nature. You are a bounty hunter sent to hunt down a cyborg named Frazzer who seemingly went rogue due to—I’m guessing—the power of music. However, once you arrive, you are dropped to the bottom of his ever-changing building, and you must ascend the floors in order to eliminate him.
“But the gameplay is where Robobeat really stands out.”
However, there’s more going on under the surface since, at the end of every run, Frazzer communicates with you through on-screen messages and flashbacks of a past that you may have forgotten—or that might not even be yours. It does a great job of building a solid sense of intrigue while letting players either fill in the blanks or form their own conclusions about what’s happening. Not only that, but it works on a meta-level with the high-octane gameplay as you’re constantly pushing forward against all odds in order to learn the truth.
But the gameplay is where Robobeat really stands out. It’s an absolute rush of running, jumping and blasting your way through rooms of bad guys—all while listening to some pretty slick beats. The movement is incredibly fast, the gunplay is really responsive, and there’s a lot of versatility in both movement and weapons. making every fight an absolute whirlwind of movement similar to something like DOOM 2016. And while the game does feature roguelike elements—with rooms being randomized and players able to mix and match weapons to change up their playstyle—it’s the rhythm element that really sets Robobeat apart from its contemporaries.
“But what really hooked me the most about Robobeat’s rhythm-based gameplay was how it includes a very basic audio editor for players to upload their own music and use in the game.”
Similar to games like the aforementioned BPM: Bullets Per Minute or Crypt of the Necrodancer, players are incentivized to shoot to the beat of whatever song is currently player. If players can hit opponents on time to the beat, they’ll do extra damage—building a combo meter for every successful hit. However, unlike those games, Robobeat allows players to change their music on the fly—as they pick up cassette tapes throughout their run—allowing them to completely change their playstyle room-to-room while also changing the feel and vibe of a run at any moment.
But what really hooked me the most about Robobeat’s rhythm-based gameplay was how it includes a very basic audio editor for players to upload their own music and use in the game. Players can either manually set the beat for each track or allow the game to do it with pretty solid accuracy. And while it’s not a perfect program, especially for someone who may be familiar with more competent fair—I don’t really get why it lacks a basic scrub feature—it was pretty amazing to load in “Seasource” from the Splatoon 3 soundtrack and start blasting baddies to its high-tempo metal sounds.
And it’s honestly a shame that this feature likely will be unavailable for the console versions of Robobeat because I would say it’s the game’s best feature. Not to say that the game doesn’t have an incredible soundtrack on its own, but allowing players that kind of freedom with such little hassle is really the cherry on top of the game’s robust sundae.
On top of its rocking soundtrack, Robobeat has a simplistic yet effective visual style combining flat, cel-shaded environments with bright pops of neon colour. It ends up feeling like a cyber-dystopia fever dream and it really works.
Robobeat is an incredibly fun, incredibly nuanced rhythm shooter that gives players a lot in a seemingly small package. FPS fans will definitely love the gameplay—even if the rhythm element is a bit tough to master, but it can be turned off—and audiophiles will adore the packaged soundtrack and get to build their own unique gameplay off their favourite tunes. Definitely worth checking this one out!
