Good Robot
- May 4, 2016
- Pyrodactyl
- 2h median play time
Good Robot does not really add anything new to the roguelite genre, but the enjoyable core mechanics make it worth a look
Get on SteamIn "Good Robot," players control E-XJ3, a malfunctioning robot who has gained sentience and must battle against other robots and the megacorporation that created them. Using a variety of weapons and abilities, players must navigate through procedurally generated levels and defeat bosses to progress. The game features fast-paced action and a humorous tone, with witty dialogue and pop culture references throughout.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a fun and engaging gameplay experience with tight controls and a variety of weapons.
- It has a charming art style and a fantastic electronic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The procedurally generated levels and humorous writing keep the gameplay fresh and entertaining.
- The game can become repetitive and lacks meaningful progression or variety in enemies and environments.
- Some players have reported performance issues and bugs, particularly on certain systems.
- The weapon balance is inconsistent, with some weapons feeling underpowered or ineffective.
- music76 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its catchy, melodic electronic and chiptune soundtracks that enhance the gameplay experience. The soundtrack varies across different worlds, incorporating diverse themes and effectively matching the game's action, contributing to an engaging atmosphere. While some noted occasional repetitiveness, the overall consensus is that the music is a standout feature that keeps players immersed and entertained.
“A fun shoot-em-up with one of the best soundtracks ever.”
“Great soundtrack kept me rolling right through the game.”
“The music is a calm electronic beat that goes up when a boss fight is present, and changes between levels.”
“The music/sound effects are pretty repetitive so far--not bad for a shooter though.”
“The music ranges from unlistenable sing-songy nonsense to decent.”
“It gets tense, but it stays enervating and the music hooks deep into your earballs and never lets go.”
- graphics70 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as simple yet effective, with a charming and minimalist art style that enhances the overall aesthetic experience. While some reviews note a lack of variety in environments, many praise the crisp visuals, effective use of color, and atmospheric design that contribute positively to gameplay. Overall, the graphics are considered appealing and well-executed, complementing the game's mechanics and enhancing player engagement.
“The graphics are well done with lots of atmosphere for the various level and robot designs.”
“It's a twin-stick shooter with precise controls, crisp graphics that make it easy to pick out enemies and shots in a firefight, dozens and dozens of different weapons and enemy types, procedurally generated levels, and a minimal, funny backstory that knows when to stand back and let the mechanics and gameplay carry the game.”
“The visuals are crisp and stylized, and use color extremely effectively to denote what abilities the bad robots have.”
“Gameplay is uninteresting and never really changes; the environments are bland and boring; abilities and skills don't seem to have a great deal of impact; the feeling of progress is non-existent, and the graphics are dull to match.”
“Levels differ in graphical background only.”
“The graphics are simple 2D, but that's typical for this style of action game.”
- gameplay69 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
Gameplay experiences vary significantly among users, with some praising its smooth controls, engaging mechanics, and challenging twin-stick shooter elements, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking meaningful progression. Many appreciate the variety of weapons and emergent strategies, though some feel the environments and overall excitement are lacking. Overall, while the game has solid mechanics and enjoyable moments, it may not offer enough depth to keep players engaged long-term.
“Fantastic game with great gameplay; it took me about 15 minutes to get into it, but once I did, it felt smooth and pleasant to control.”
“The gameplay is tight, slick, and smooth, with a large number of weapons and strategies to be discovered through emergent play.”
“Love the challenging gameplay and the tight controls.”
“But when the humorous descriptions and news scroll of the item machines have more real appeal than the gameplay, story, or characters and serve as the only thing worth seeing in the game, there's a problem.”
“It's cute, and entertaining at first... but it is lacking in mechanics, common features, and frankly any reason to keep playing.”
“However, it would be nice if this thing could actually run at its full speed most of the time, as gameplay is both more difficult and more exciting when it does.”
- story16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The story in Cryptark is minimal and largely overshadowed by its gameplay mechanics, with humorous descriptions and news scrolls being the most engaging narrative elements. Players note the lack of a substantial storyline or character development, indicating that while the game offers enjoyable shooting mechanics and visuals, it fails to deliver a compelling narrative experience. Overall, the game is characterized more by its procedural gameplay than by any meaningful story progression.
“It's a twin-stick shooter with precise controls, crisp graphics that make it easy to pick out enemies and shots in a firefight, dozens and dozens of different weapons and enemy types, procedurally generated levels, and a minimal, funny backstory that knows when to stand back and let the mechanics and gameplay carry the game.”
“Neat little shooter with an amusing backstory.”
“But when the humorous descriptions and news scroll of the item machines have more real appeal than the gameplay, story, or characters and serve as the only thing worth seeing in the game, there's a problem.”
“There is no story despite the description.”
“But I saw no story, no exciting progression options, no interesting enemies, no interesting map features, and no way to get back my health.”
- humor16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted through witty descriptions, amusing shop tips, and quirky character customization options, such as wearing a pope hat or cat ears. While some reviews suggest that the humor may overshadow the gameplay and story, many appreciate the clever writing and lighthearted tone that enhance the overall experience without being intrusive. Fans of dry wit and roguelikes will likely find the humor appealing and well-integrated into the game's mechanics.
“But, the action is a blast (pun intended), the shops and tips offer a lot of funny lines, and my robot often gets to wear a miter (or pope hat) or cat ears.”
“All of this is topped with a rocking synthetic soundtrack and funny (but not obtrusive) writing in the vending machines, rounding out a complete package that I will certainly be playing for a while.”
“The brief headlines at the upgrade stations are pretty funny, the music feels appropriate and really compliments the action, and the general art aesthetic of the game looks really good and avoids being visually overwhelming (important for a game like this).”
- replayability10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the potential for score challenges and experimenting with different weapons, others criticize the lack of variety and randomness that typically enhance replay value in rogue-lites. The lengthy completion time and limited engaging content detract from the overall replay experience.
“It has a decent but not overwhelming challenge and great replayability.”
“Combined with the random level generation, there's a lot of replay value here.”
“There's no real replay value because of how long it takes to beat the game and get all the fun toys like the purple death laser that floods the screen with purple impossible to see, or the cool looking blue death laser that misses 90% of the time.”
“This game lacks variety and randomness that keeps rogue-lites replayable.”
“I can see some replay value in wanting to beat your own score, try a no-hit run, or simply try out other weapons.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its engaging graphics and amusing text snippets, contributing to a fun and addictive experience. However, some players note that the environment lacks variety as they progress, making it challenging to find new weapons. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a strong point, enhanced by enjoyable music and creative level designs.
“The graphics are well done with lots of atmosphere for the various level and robot designs.”
“Addicting, fun, and surprisingly atmospheric.”
“Pros: good atmosphere—the little text snippets are deeply amusing and the music rocks.”
“The atmosphere and junk around you doesn't change as you continue, and it's hard to find a replacement weapon if you're getting tired of your current setup.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is commendable, as it gracefully degrades performance by stretching time instead of dropping frames or halting gameplay. This design choice enhances the tension of managing resources like shields and upgrades, contributing to an engaging experience.
“Performance does degrade gracefully (the game starts to stretch time, rather than drop frames or stop the world), and this was well done.”
“It's nail-biting stuff as you have to juggle your money to replenish your shields and 'lives' while buying weapons and performance upgrades.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, particularly with the user interface, which occasionally fails to display the main menu, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
“The user interface sometimes glitches where the main menu isn't displayed at all.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players overwhelmingly express that the game evokes strong emotions, with many stating they were moved to tears, highlighting its profound emotional impact.
“I cried.”
“I cried.”
“I cried.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy involves integrating ads during the shopping experience for new weapons, which some users find engaging due to the colorful scenery and music that accompany these moments. Overall, the approach is seen as entertaining rather than intrusive.
