For a lot of fans, RoboCop Rogue City is not only a good game, but also one of the best adaptations out there, if not the best. And we can only side with them, as Teyon has managed to respect the license while still managing to deliver a pretty effective old-school FPS. A simple stroke of luck? Not really what we saw during our first session on RoboCop Rogue City Unfinished Business. It's going to hurt!
RoboCop is back to lay down the law
The storyline of RoboCop Unfinished Business takes place shortly after that of Rogue City. Despite the death of the "New Guy in Town," crime is still rife in the streets of Detroit. Mercenaries from the end of the first game are still alive, and now answer to the orders of a new leader. After attacking the police station to steal parts for the robotic chair RoboCop connects to for assessments and maintenance, this group of dangerous soldiers retreats inside the OmniTower. A huge tower designed by the OCP (Omni Consumer Product) transformed into an impregnable fortress, except for the legendary half-man, half-machine police officer who is able to liquidate all these people and enforce the law. A character who, as before, is still voiced by the iconic actor from the first two films: Peter Weller.
For now, we've only touched on a tiny part of the story, but what we can already say without a doubt is that the love for the franchise hasn't disappeared since Rogue City. Whether it's in the fact of having recalled Peter Weller, the sets used, certain scenes or certain dialogues, etc., the universe is still respected. And it's undeniably a pleasure to see and hear once again. We won't go into details so as not to spoil any surprises, but if you're a fan, your knowledge will be tested in a fun and immersive way...
On the other hand, if you're wondering if you need to have gone back and forth through Rogue City to understand the story, the answer is no. Of course, there are links and references that will speak to those who have finished it, but that's it. It's a completely new story that will last around 8 to 10 hours and which is intended at first glance to be more linear than the previous one. Even if we're promised side missions and a bit of exploration, we don't expect the relative freedom of Rogue City. Given that the goal is to reach the top of a single location, the OmniTower, it will necessarily be more marked out. Will this be a flaw? We'll see with the final version, but for now, it could be a good choice to erase the feeling of exhaustion of the first game. And although we appreciate the various extras of Rogue City (the dialogue system, the investigations, etc.), what matters is indeed the whole action part which promises to be just as enjoyable as before.
New features to sell despite the feeling of big DLC
To face the mercenaries and their new leader, we can count on the same systems of skills and Auto-9 upgrades, which involves installing motherboards on RoboCop to make more gory shots, do more damage, etc. Right from the start, you could, for example, use slow motion to align heads precisely, the shield to reduce damage received over a short period, or even trigger a quick dash. In terms of pure and simple sensations, there are absolutely no surprises and this is not at all a criticism since the core gameplay of RoboCop Rogue City is its main quality.
This feeling of omnipotence, where you can take the hits and demolish everything—from walls, environments, to enemies, of course—is incredibly exhilarating. We're still having a blast trying to blow off our opponents' limbs and hear them moan. Or trying to ricochet our bullets off suitable surfaces to line up our enemies without them noticing. It's brutal, it's gory, it's simply deadly in every sense of the word! It really feels like an old, but good, FPS à la Soldier of Fortune. On the other hand, some weapons, like the sniper or the shotgun, are still disappointing. Little or no recoil, a feeling of firing rubber bullets; nothing has changed. Fortunately, the automatic blasters, including the Auto-9, are still there to raise the bar, and Teyon has thought to include new toys. Because yes, RoboCop Rogue City Unfinished Business includes new features in this area, such as a mini-gun or a weapon to freeze mercenaries.
Unfortunately, these two elements were absent from the version tested, but we are very eager to see the gameplay possibilities. If the studio has done things well, we should be able to cool our enemies and finish them off with a punch or a big burst of fire. At least we really hope so. To pulverize our targets with style and efficiency, this new game also introduces contextual finishing moves that rely on the punch, which we can already deliver in Rogue City, and on certain parts of the environment. We can thus smash our rivals on an electrical panel, a drinks dispenser or a wall, if we perform the punch near these elements of the decor. Once again, not everything was accessible during our preview, but the execution on an electrical panel was very exhilarating and we are eager to try the rest to better understand the contribution of this addition.
In addition to the additional weapons and movements, our dear RoboCop will have to face new types of adversaries like jetpack mercenaries, at least one ninja android straight out of RoboCop 3, flying and explosive drones or even special units much more resistant than the basic small fry. It doesn't reinvent anything, but it will bring freshness and, in some cases, make the clashes more strategic. We'll gladly take it. In RoboCop Unfinished Business, we'll also be able to explore other aspects of the universe by leaving behind the half-man, half-machine police officer. There will indeed be special missions where we can play as Alex Murphy, before his transformation when he was just a simple cop, and even ED 209. The famous robot who completely goes off the rails in the first film and shreds an OCP executive. This was precisely one of the big new features of our hands-on.
If you thought you'd seen it all in terms of violence, power, and enjoyment, wait until you take control. Sure, there's an old-fashioned side where you practically move along rails, but no matter, finding yourself at the controls of this machine is extremely exhilarating. As with RoboCop, the robot's weighty feel and slow movement speed perfectly match the image we can get from the movies. Likewise, the spectacle is there since you can use the mini-guns or missiles in an almost unlimited way. There's of course a cooldown to avoid being completely freewheeling, but it's rather generous. Like our police officer, you can also heal yourself, but there's no need to run after kits. Honestly, it's already one of the best sequences of the two games that we've experienced so far.
We're really looking forward to RoboCop Unfinished Business after the surprise Rogue City
RoboCop Rogue City was one of the biggest surprises of recent years, and Unfinished Business seems to be heading in the same direction. By renewing some of the enemies, weapons, and movements of the half-man, half-machine police officer, Teyon takes (very) few risks but still seeks to evolve his formula. It's still brutal, violent, and simply deadly! And even more so when you're at the controls of ED-209. The more linear aspect, with a shorter lifespan, should also allow for a better pace. In short, as at the time of the Rogue City preview, we're satisfied with what we saw and we hope that the whole adventure will be up to par.
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