Developer – Simon Fredholm

Publisher – Kwalee

Platforms – PC, PS5 (reviewed), Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S

Review copy given by publisher

Have you ever thought about shooting your firearm to the beat? Going into a gunfight with a soundtrack of your choice? Robobeat answers both of those questions with a resounding yes. You are thrown into large rooms full of enemies with only a gun and a beat to guide you. Shooting wildly isn’t the way to go as you must time your shots with the music. Listen to the beat and fire to deal the most damage and bring down enemies while dodging their attacks.

On paper, this sounds fun but tricky. In practice, it’s an enjoyable process where you jam to the music. While playing other music in video games normally clashes with the atmosphere, Robobeat takes a different path. You have cassette tapes with varying music types and tempos, letting you choose how you approach a battle. Combine this with weapons that match the music tempo to unleash powerful devastation.

Gameplay feels similar to other FPS shooters but the music plays a big factor. You are still responsible for timing your shots to the beat or you won’t damage anything. Once your shots match the rhythm, you deal great amounts of damage to an enemy. This FPS rhythm combination is difficult to manage at first, but the payoff is satisfying. It’s hard to find a game where you feel in sync with every gunshot.

There are also tons of weapons to experiment with and music that fits different playstyles. As you go through the levels, you unlock more weapons and music tracks. The weapons you get during every run are randomized but you eventually learn their quirks. Thanks to the variety, you can spend hours finding the right experience or practicing with weapons. This extends the playtime and helps you develop an appreciation for the gameplay.

While the concept of Robobeat is fun, it has a number of drawbacks. The first is ironically its greatest strength; the audio soundtracks. Your shots are powered by the timing of the beat. Each shot is powerful if you sync it well, but they are ineffective or useless if you can’t match the timing. This means that if you don’t respond well to audio cues or aren’t musically inclined, Robobeat is difficult to play.

There is a work-around in which you can look at the crosshairs and see the incoming beats. But it’s tough to match your timing with incoming sounds, enemy attacks, and general chaos. This is not a game that is accessible to the hearing impaired, at least not without great practice. As cool as the concept is, it’s difficult to learn if you aren’t willing to spend time on it. Unless you love the concept of shooting with the beat, the gameplay might be more frustrating than impressive.

It also feels like more work went into the gameplay itself than other aspects. There is a story in Robobeat but you would be hard pressed to describe what it is. This is the game’s second flaw; the other aspects don’t feel properly developed. You wouldn’t think that people would play Robobeat for the story, making it feel more like an excuse plot. There’s also no motivation because the exposition doesn’t explain anything.

The control scheme also feels somewhat clunky and less responsive than you would like. You can use several moves like a double jump or a ground slam to assist in combat. However, the PS5 controls don’t respond well when you are pushed into a combat situation. It’s more likely you can double-jump in one spot rather than use it as a dodge mechanism. This is the third aspect that introduces more frustration rather than being a cool addition.

This doesn’t mean that Robobeat isn’t a fun and enjoyable experience. But at its core, its unique gameplay is the only selling point. If you love shooting to the music, you can’t go wrong with Robobeat. The gameplay on its own is enough to keep you entertained for hours. However, everything else is lacking and that means you must love the gameplay if you want to stay interested.