After rolling the credits on Polish developer Teyon’s latest outing with Robocop, a name that needs no introduction among fans of sci-fi and action adventures, I must say I’m quite impressed with the short (but very thrilling) standalone chapter that the studio has produced.
Alex Murphy’s latest assignment in OmniTower, an ominous building overrun by mercenaries looking to get the OCP on their side by hook or crook, sees him take on literal armies and remain the last one standing, his deadpan expression never wavering even when faced with overwhelming odds.
If anything, I found myself wishing that Teyon had taken the time to make a full-blown sequel out of the well-paced main narrative, further fleshing out its antagonist’s motivations and an intriguing bunch of side characters who do not get enough time in the spotlight.
“Unfinished Business stands out as a solid Robocop experience.”
However, that may have risked losing out on a pace that never lets up over the game’s runtime, which made the romp through Detroit City’s latest monstrosity all the more entertaining and fun. It’s a balance that Teyon has achieved with style – and substance.
Unfinished Business stands out as a solid Robocop experience that brings a lot of cool moments and a bit of brevity to the character, making it worth your while if you’re thinking of trying it out.
The OCP’s Finest Got A Whole Lot Finer
As someone who didn’t get the chance to play Rogue City back when it was released, Unfinished Business was a refreshing take on a first-person shooter that put me in the shoes of a character that can take quite a few bullet hits without folding over in agony.
The game’s normal mode proved quite a challenge while its hardest difficulty made me realize just how much I suck at shooter titles before I switched over to the easiest difficulty to breeze through its very engaging story and side missions.
And what a story it is! Teyon is very quick to introduce Robocop’s latest group of adversaries and send the titular hero quickly on his way to OmniTower. It cleverly provides a plot twist early on as a reason for Robocop launching a one-man battle against the mercs while holding back their leader for a grand entrance that carried a lot of weight.
Cassius Graves treads a dangerous line between a well-meaning anti-hero and a one-dimensional villain, partly due to the game’s shorter runtime. But his ability to keep Murphy on his toes and the little bit of insight into his motivations allows him to be a formidable opponent, making his unfinished business (pun intended) with Robocop hit hard and fast on the narrative front.
“Speaking of enemies, they come in large numbers and are found in nearly every area of OmniTower.”
Other characters come and go, with the game introducing a few sequences where you get to control characters other than Robocop, with one very special addition towards the endgame that I’d rather not spoil. These sequences provide a nice break from the carnage that Murphy inflicts with his trusty Auto 9 pistol and a limited selection of weapons that quickly become familiar and forgettable once you pick them up off the corpses of your enemies and use them till their ammo runs out.
Man And Machine
Speaking of enemies, they come in large numbers and are found in nearly every area of OmniTower. Taking them down forms the crux of Unfinished Business’ gameplay loop, and things get real quite quickly once you get a rhythm going.
You get to equip a secondary weapon in addition to the Auto 9, and aside from a dash move, a flashback, and a limited supply of healing stims, Robocop is more or less all alone against the world when he’s taking on Graves’ forces in OmniTower.
Graves has managed to supply his forces with an assortment of assault rifles, SMGs, heavy caliber pistols, a cryogenic gun, and a few other killing tools that are gradually introduced as the game goes on. There are also drones that swarm you in the air, explode at your feet, or even come at you wielding deadly katanas courtesy of an arrangement with OCP rival Kanemitsu.
However, Murphy brings a few tricks of his own, with the ability to use Robovision to identify exploding barrels, special panels that let him pull off ricocheting shots, or grabbing enemies near certain environmental objects to quickly – and brutally – take them out of the equation. Health pickups and ammo were fairly generous, although I did find myself desperately searching for them in certain battle-heavy sections on higher difficulties.
When he’s not spreading carnage among enemy forces, Robocop’s time in OmniTower is spent solving mildly challenging puzzles to unlock access to his next objective or perhaps helping a few residents of OmniTower whose needs range from fairly ordinary to truly bizarre. These side quests are usually fun detours and allow you to choose a more humane side of Robocop when you select between dialogue choices in conversations.
“Completionists might have an easier time unlocking all of Murphy’s upgrades, making Robocop a formidable presence in OmniTower.”
It’s a gameplay loop I found quite entertaining, with Treyon upping the ante every time I began to get too comfortable. It made me think carefully about any upgrades I made to my skills and the Auto 9’s combat capabilities. I was able to max out a couple of skill trees by sticking to the main story with an occasional side mission thrown in.
Completionists might have an easier time unlocking all of Murphy’s upgrades, making Robocop a formidable presence in OmniTower.
No Place Like Home
OmniTower does not bring a lot of variety to its hallways and open spaces, with a few notable exceptions at its higher levels. However, Teyon has done well to maintain a consistent framerate and a strong level of visual fidelity for the most part. I did not encounter any frame drops or stutter during my time in OmniTower, while Robocop’s armor looked resplendent in cutscenes.
The level of detail on display in Unfinished Business was quite impressive. Enemies exploded quite satisfactorily when sprayed with bullets, while explosions of fire and ice looked quite realistic. Teyon’s attempts to replicate the infrastructure of a tower as massive as OmniTower are pretty immersive, while character designs were top-notch.
In its residential areas, OmniTower’s presence served as a reminder of corporate greed overtaking empathy for the displaced citizens of Detroit, with piles of garbage and signs of obvious neglect showcasing how it was Detroit’s unfortunate people who once again suffered the consequences of OCP’s ravenous thirst for profits.
Realistic touches like a radio show that showcased the company’s penchant for selling products that were detrimental to Detroit’s populace while Robocop’s investigations with Robovision remain faithful to the original films with their greenish hues and overlays working well with a digital HUD that would be considered truly rudimentary by modern standards.
“Peter Weller’s return as Robocop is everything you’d expect from his take on the character, while the game’s voice acting cast does a solid job at bringing its characters to life.”
The impressive visuals and smooth performance in Unfinished Business worked well with its excellent audio design that emphasizes each thump of Robocop’s footsteps and very satisfying splats whenever I managed to score a headshot or blow an enemy’s kneecaps out. While there were instances of the audio being out of sync during cutscenes, they were few and far between and did not ruin the overall immersion that Teyon has managed to achieve.
The game’s score gets the job done for the most part, with the endgame bringing some excellent tunes to accent the action, creating moments that I will look back on quite fondly whenever I’m reminded of Murphy and Robocop. Peter Weller’s return as Robocop is everything you’d expect from his take on the character, while the game’s voice acting cast does a solid job at bringing its characters to life.
A Frantic, Focused Experience
Like I said before, I wish there was more of Unfinished Business to go around. While I do appreciate Teyon’s efforts to set a narrative pace that rarely let up on the action while interspersing it with moments of character development, I can’t shake the feeling that Robocop’s latest outing could have been so much more.
Graves and the game’s supporting cast suffer the most from its short runtime despite Teyon’s best efforts to give them engaging backstories that justify their actions over the course of the story. Those backstories were so good that I can’t help but wonder at what the studio might have done with them if it had envisioned its standalone chapter as a full-blown sequel.
Alas, I must reconcile with the fact that on some occasions, less is more. And despite my griping, Robocop: Unfinished Business is a solid experience that is sure to bring a smile to anyone looking for a power trip without comparison.
If you’re returning to Detroit after Rogue City, expect a few novel twists on its gameplay loop. And if your time in OmniTower is your introduction to Teyon’s take on Robocop, expect a hell of a good time, no matter how short that is.
This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
