PLATFORM: PC, PS5, XBOX SERIES S/X (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: 2ND NOVEMBER
A new crimewave is sweeping Detroit, aimed at attracting the attention of a new arrival in town – an unknown criminal mastermind who seems intent on doing pretty much whatever he wants. The local gang, the Torch Heads, want a piece of this mysterious newcomer’s action, but who exactly is this “New Guy” (as he’s known for the first few hours of the game) and what does he want? Only one man (well, part-man, technically) can restore order – RoboCop!
Rogue City casts players as RoboCop himself in an action-packed first-person shooter that follows in the footsteps of the developer’s previous game, 2019’s Terminator: Resistance. Similarly modest in terms of scope and technical ambition but an absolute blast to play, Rogue City is one of those games that manages to be thoroughly entertaining right up to the final credits even though some of its parts maybe aren’t quite up to scratch.
Its graphics, for example, are a mixed bag, with textures that can take ages to load, wooden facial expressions, and almost non-existent lip syncing, but on the other hand there are some superb touches like the flashing lights of police cars illuminating the grimy streets to evoke exactly the right sort of unsettling atmosphere, flaky and mottled skin on the bums that inhabit the area, and cans of paint exploding in colourful clouds if they get caught in the crossfire during a gunfight. Audio levels can be quite unpredictable too, with quiet dialogue followed by booming music that’ll have you reaching for the TV remote ASAP, but then the use of the movies’ signature theme and generally excellent original soundtrack both fit the mood perfectly.
Despite lacking a bit of polish, Rogue City‘s gameplay is definitely on point. Each mission takes you around the streets of Detroit as well as taking in a few trips to the outskirts, with side quests tucked away here and there to give you a few extra things to do. You’re never really doing anything other than going somewhere and shooting things, but it never really gets old thanks to the satisfying squelchy thud of bullets hitting their targets, and the amusing ways that enemies react depending on where you’ve hit them. There’s a surprising amount of blood and gore too, that can even be increased if you find the right upgrade. Speaking of which, Rogue City gives you quite a fun and unique way of beefing RoboCop’s abilities up, adding chips to his motherboard and swapping them out for different ones whenever you fancy trying out something new.
Rogue City might have a few shortcomings, and its straightforward simplicity occasionally makes it feel like it could have been released 15 years ago, but that’s not always a bad thing. Who doesn’t enjoy switching their brain off and blowing stuff up now and again? The gameplay is great fun, there’s a genuinely wonderful sense of humour running through the whole thing, and the setting, soundtrack, and inclusion of several familiar characters mean that fans of the films should have an absolute blast.
