RoboCop: Rogue City Unfinished Business, A Review

I have to admit, the first time I heard that Teyon was making an expansion for RoboCop: Rogue City, I thought: "Great, I'll just walk around like a refrigerator on hydraulics and shoot with a gun that's stronger than all other weapons combined." And you know what? That's precisely what I got.

Except this time, the refrigerator goes up the stairs of a huge mega-building and solves 'unfinished business.' This 'unfinished business' refers to a new threat that has emerged in the city, and RoboCop is the only one who can stop it. When I realized that, I literally sat down, opened a bag of chips, and said to myself: 'Well, at least I know what I'm getting into.'

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A Second Chance for Teyon With Unfinished Business

Teyon is a studio that's been known for years for making games that can best be described as: "Maybe they could have done better." The most famous example is Rambo: The Video Game – a game that appears to have been created during a weekend programming course.

 However, since the release of RoboCop: Rogue City in 2023, people have started to take them seriously. They finally hit on the formula: take a well-known license, create a solid shooter, and add enough nostalgia to elevate the players' serotonin levels. Now, Unfinished Business isn't a sequel, but a standalone expansion. 

Which is just a fancy way of saying: "The same thing, but in a different building."

The Story

Chronologically speaking, the story takes place between the events of Rogue City and the movie RoboCop 3. So, they filled in the gaps in continuity with a story where RoboCop has to climb through the OmniTower, because, of course, all the evil in the world is located in that building..

The story is simple and easy to understand. OCP technology has been stolen; the police station is in chaos, and a number of police officers have been turned into Frikom ice cream. RoboCop is there to fix things.

A classic story of "let's go floor by floor and see what happens." The whole premise reminds me a lot of the 2012 movie Dredd, except instead of Karl Urban and his beard, you get a metal police officer with famous lips.

Inconsistent Game Mechanics, That Sometimes Take Away From The Fun

There's also a segment where you play as Alex Murphy before he became RoboCop. That part is interesting, but also a bit bizarre – human Murphy has health regeneration (between "arenas" he'll fully regenerate, that's the only thing they could think of!). When he becomes the metal tank known as RoboCop, he relies on power boxes and medkits. 

What the... If that's not the best propaganda for the flaws of modern AI and a warning against relying too heavily on technology, I don't know what is.

The graphics are... good enough. They're not spectacular, but they're definitely better than what you'd expect from a game that makes you climb floors like you're on a team-building exercise.

 But joking aside, if you played the main game, you'll get the same experience here, without any significant improvements. RoboCop looks phenomenal in cutscene moments. When you approach NPCs, however, you've teleported into a game from 2005.

When I touched on graphics, we came to the critical part. Performance isn't perfect. I encountered bugs where enemies get stuck in walls or their heads literally explode before I even shoot. Once, I threw an enemy through a window, and he came back to the same floor, like he took the elevator. 

I didn't know whether to get angry or laugh, so I chose the latter. Because the animation of the police officer rotating his body to exit cover and start shooting, while his head is frozen in the same position – looking at me the whole time – is just hilarious!

Unfinished Business: A Familiar but Flawed Experience

Imagine a character who's looking deep into your soul and doesn't break eye contact, turns his back on you, and climbs the stairs to the second floor, looking like a girl from The Exorcist! Okay, sorry for stealing that gum in that old supermarket as a kid. Don't arrest me, please it was the 90's! I'll turn myself in!

Everything you loved from Rogue City is here, just in a more concentrated form. The Auto-9 gun is still the king with its upgrades that you assemble from components you find on the maps. If you take another weapon, it feels like you're cheating on yourself. Sniper? Meh. Shotgun? Okay, but it has fewer bullets than my Nerf gun that I use to threaten pigeons. The new Cryo Cannon is incredible because you can freeze enemies and then shatter them into a thousand pieces. However, I went back to the Auto-9 after just two minutes.

RoboCop's signature movement, akin to a refrigerator on wheels, remains unchanged. He doesn't jump, run, or crouch-he's too cool for that. But this lack of agility is part of the game's charm, giving players the feeling of being an unstoppable force slowly advancing through a storm of bullets. The bullet time feature is still there, allowing you to watch enemies fall in slow motion while you ponder whether to grab a coffee or not.

If you're expecting tactics, you can forget it. Enemies run straight at you, shoot without any logic, and occasionally throw grenades at their own feet. The best description? You put a group of NPCs from Half-Life 1 into the latest engine and told them, "Good luck, figure it out." There are new types, like drones and some cyborgs with katanas, but they also break apart after three bullets.

ED-209 Takes the Stage

When I saw the character with a katana, I thought: "This is going to be tough." I killed him faster than I could say "bald robot with a katana." Okay, that's a bad example; let's move on!

There are a few standout moments that truly cater to the fans. For instance, the segment where you get to play as ED-209 is pure chaos. It's like being a kid who just got a battery-operated toy and immediately broke it. These moments serve as a reminder that Teyon understands the importance of fan service. The sound of ED's canon was especially amazing because we used our XP-RAR800-NS headset, to really enhance the mood!

On the other hand, the expansion relies too much on the same tricks. Corridors, arenas, enemies popping out of doors like it's a '90s horror movie. There's a lack of variety, and sometimes they stretched the content too much to last 15 hours.

RoboCop: Rogue City  - Unfinished Business is precisely what the name suggests: "unfinished business." Teyon created a solid, yet too familiar, product. If you loved the original, you'll find plenty of similar content here, with a few new tricks and fan service moments. However, there'sn't enough innovation to feel like a genuine sequel. The expansion serves as a brief return to the RoboCop universe, but it fails to leave a lasting impression.

Unfinished Business In Conclusion

We can recommend RoboCop: Rogue City  - Unfinished Business to everyone who wants more RoboCop and isn't allergic to recycled ideas and bugs; don't expect a revolution. The game has its strengths, including the sheer joy of shooting with the Auto-9, delightful fan service moments with ED-209, and the satisfaction of bullet time. 

The Cryo Cannon is a welcome addition, bringing a refreshing touch to the gameplay. Additionally, some of the bugs can be comedic and add to the game's charm. However, the game also has its weaknesses, such as a predictable and clichéd story, enemy AI that's more comedic than challenging, and bugs and animations that can sometimes disrupt the atmosphere.

Rating: 7.2/10

 The game earns this grade because it successfully delivers a fun, nostalgic RoboCop experience, featuring some enjoyable moments. However, it's marred by predictability, a lack of innovation, and some technical issues.

Recommended Age: 17+

I would recommend this game to kids aged 17 and above, due to its violence, mild language, and themes that might not be suitable for younger audiences. The game's shooter mechanics and nostalgic value will likely appeal to fans of action games and the RoboCop franchise.