Haiku, the Robot

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"Haiku, the Robot" is a charming adventure-exploration game set in the interconnected world of Arcadia. Players can explore the dying land, fight against corrupt robots and machinery, and uncover the world's mysteries. New content includes the 'Trial of Steel' and 'Corrupt Mode', offering challenging boss fights and an alternative storyline.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,452 reviews

gameplay166 positive mentions

grinding32 negative mentions

Charming pixel art and engaging atmosphere that draws players in.
Fluid movement and combat mechanics that make exploration enjoyable.
Fun boss fights and a satisfying sense of progression throughout the game.

Heavy reliance on Hollow Knight's design and mechanics, making it feel derivative.
Short playtime (around 8-12 hours) may leave some players wanting more content.
Limited fast travel options can lead to tedious backtracking in the expansive map.

gameplay
506 mentions
33 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Haiku, the Robot" is heavily inspired by "Hollow Knight," featuring similar mechanics, enemy designs, and exploration elements, which some players find charming while others criticize as lacking originality. The game offers tight controls, fluid movement, and engaging platforming, though it is generally considered easier and shorter than its inspiration, with some mechanics like the healing system and overheating gauge receiving mixed reviews. Overall, while it borrows extensively from established metroidvania titles, it manages to carve out its own identity through unique art and a whimsical atmosphere.
- “The gameplay is fantastic, with extremely fluid movement, tight platforming (with some pretty tough platforming challenges), great combat, bosses that are difficult yet learnable; honestly, it is difficult to find any part of the gameplay I didn't enjoy.”
- “It wears its love for its influences on its sleeve while still innovating with how it chooses to mix and match the mechanics.”
- “Great gameplay, beautiful world, fantastic atmosphere.”
- “While I know many enjoy this style of monotonous gameplay, I'm writing this review for those similar to me.”
- “A game that cannot stand on its own due to copying many aspects of Hollow Knight without expanding on them or taking the mechanics in a unique direction.”
- “The rest of the gameplay is essentially just an attempt at completely copying Hollow Knight, just that it feels way less clean and unpolished and overall actually kind of clunky.”
story
418 mentions
28 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story of "Haiku, the Robot" is often described as intriguing yet derivative, heavily borrowing elements from "Hollow Knight," including its plot structure and themes of corruption. While some players appreciate the environmental storytelling and the mystery that unfolds through exploration, others find the narrative lacking depth and emotional engagement, leading to a somewhat repetitive experience. Overall, the game presents a charming world with a solid foundation for its story, but it may not satisfy those seeking a complex or original narrative.
- “The story is solid, with a few neat twists to throw your way as you work out more and more secrets.”
- “The atmosphere and story are where Haiku truly shine; the varied areas and level design, the map layout and means of travel unlocking as you progress, the mysterious plot, and interesting NPCs you meet along the way make Haiku a joy to play.”
- “This game oozes passion and love from the devs. It tells a relatively simple but interesting story, everything feels well put together, I was never feeling like something is weird here and in total, I liked pretty much everything about the game.”
- “The storyline was pretty much a copy-paste of Hollow Knight but with robots.”
- “The story is pretty dull and generic.”
- “The story was practically non-existent.”
graphics
322 mentions
55 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Haiku, the Robot" are widely praised for their charming pixel art style, which evokes nostalgia while effectively complementing the game's themes and gameplay. Reviewers appreciate the vibrant colors and cohesive design, noting that the visuals enhance the exploration experience, despite some criticisms regarding a lack of innovation and occasional blurriness. Overall, the art style is considered a strong point, contributing significantly to the game's appeal as a metroidvania.
- “The graphic style is beautiful and coherent, the characters and their interactions with the player are well realized, the controls are good, the design of the bosses is great and the typical metroidvania elements also fit.”
- “The pixel artwork, limited color palette and ambient soundtrack are simply gorgeous.”
- “Great metroidvania, excellent graphics and color palette, just bursting with personality!”
- “The graphics in Haiku the Robot are so utterly boring and monotone.”
- “Graphically, I hope you like uniform tints.”
- “Seriously though, the controls don’t feel as tight as others are saying, the music I’ve heard so far is annoying to listen to and the graphics are a bit too retro for me personally.”
music
292 mentions
41 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its atmospheric and haunting qualities that complement the visuals, while others find it forgettable or repetitive. Many note that the soundtrack effectively sets the mood for exploration and boss encounters, though some criticize it for lacking memorable melodies or distinctiveness. Overall, while the music contributes to the game's ambiance, it often fails to leave a lasting impression on players.
- “The pixel art is gorgeous and the soundtrack has an eerie, alien quality, punctuated by some cool techno boss themes.”
- “The music is beautiful, with each area having its own (sometimes hauntingly) beautiful tracks.”
- “Every element of this game works well together, the music compliments the art design which compliments the level design, which compliments the gameplay... it all flows together very well.”
- “In that time, the background music of the area ground down my will to play into nothing. I've never quit a game before because of bad background music.”
- “The soundtrack (if you can even call it that) is very weak; the story feels like a lame version of Hollow Knight's story, meaning that you're exploring a ruined kingdom while trying to find pieces of what went wrong.”
- “The music consists of a few notes of dull ambient music that do not serve the game's atmosphere at all in any positive way.”
atmosphere
126 mentions
68 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its depth and immersive qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the combination of stunning visuals, sound design, and a mysterious world that invites exploration. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke a range of emotions, from cozy to oppressive, while maintaining a unique charm reminiscent of titles like Hollow Knight. Overall, the atmosphere is described as a standout feature that enhances the gameplay experience, making it both engaging and memorable.
- “The atmosphere is fantastic, and due to the infrequency of the characters, each has a lasting impression.”
- “The setting, the characters, and the great atmosphere cast a spell over me.”
- “The atmosphere and art in this game are wonderful, with unique but nostalgically familiar characters and beautiful sound design.”
- “The music consists of a few notes of dull ambient music that do not serve the game's atmosphere at all in any positive way.”
- “It's not too long and not that difficult so I would say it's a quite chill experience despite the often oppressive and heavy atmosphere.”
- “It created such a thick feeling atmosphere that while I was playing through that area, it felt as though something was terribly wrong the entire time, and I loved it.”
grinding
32 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While some enjoy the resource grinding for upgrades, many criticize the healing system and backtracking as tedious and unengaging, often leading to a frustrating gameplay loop. The exploration is seen as lacking variety and excitement, contributing to a sense of monotony in traversing the game's world.
- “If I had to farm enemies for that, I'd be a lot less happy because farming enemies is the most boring thing you can do in a video game.”
- “The healing system's downright tedious to deal with; I don't think it's fun to sit still for 4-5 seconds to slowly heal. It makes fights tedious and 'risky' but not in the fun way.”
- “The backtracking can get a bit tedious, as there aren't nearly enough checkpoints, and the warp points are intentionally held back until you go the long way around to explore areas.”
stability
24 mentions
8 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing significant bugs, such as lengthy loading times and glitches during gameplay, including issues with respawn stations and achievement tracking. However, many users noted that the game runs smoothly overall, especially on newer systems, and expressed confidence that ongoing developer support will address these issues in future patches. Despite the bugs, the engaging gameplay and community interaction have led to a generally positive reception.
- “I'm just about half an hour in, but so far this runs great on my newer Mac, despite Steam warning me that it may not - just FYI!”
- “It is extremely buggy, way too short (96% of items obtained under 6 hours), and overall just not very enjoyable to play.”
- “Something I'm not docking the game for, but is worth noting is that with some prompts, the game just kind of...freezes.”
- “Right now it is a bit buggy but I expect this to be fixed in later patches.”
humor
20 mentions
90 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cuteness and clever writing, featuring funny characters and amusing easter eggs that enhance the overall experience. Players enjoy the lighthearted tone and whimsical elements, such as a charming robot and quirky NPCs, which contribute to a fun and engaging atmosphere. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the exploration and gameplay.
- “Unique art, funny writing, and all around a great experience.”
- “The gameplay is fun, and the lore is great; the NPCs are funny and you want to like them, and haiku is really cute.”
- “Maybe about 15-30 minutes in, I started to get that funny little feeling of 'I want to explore everything, everywhere, now,' and proceeded to play nonstop exploring every nook and cranny I could.”
- “This review is in a different language and it's not funny.”
- “This review is in a different language and it's not funny.”
emotional
14 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Overall, while the game features some emotionally resonant music and engaging NPCs, it lacks the deep emotional attachment and grand scope found in titles like Hollow Knight. Players appreciated certain characters, like the wholesome shopkeeper Sonnet, but felt that the story and music did not evoke the same heart-wrenching feelings. The mechanics and art style were seen as drawbacks that detracted from the overall emotional experience.
- “Although I enjoyed the story for what it was, I wish I could have had that emotional attachment to it like I did for Hollow Knight.”
- “So the conclusion for me is some sounds and tracks feel so emotional and are perfectly on spot.”
- “I especially like Sonnet; she's just a wholesome shop lady who likes books.”
character development
10 mentions
40 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highlighted by endearing and cute character designs, complemented by delightful animations. While some reviewers noted that the artwork could be improved, the overall aesthetic, including a color palette that some found washed out, still evokes a nostalgic charm reminiscent of classic titles like Mega Man.
- “The character designs are really endearing and there's a lot to love about this game.”
- “The character design in particular is cute and enjoyable throughout the game.”
- “The artwork was alright, but I played great games with horrible character design before, and the color palette seemed a bit too washed out.”
- “The art style and character design of a lot of enemies are kind of reminiscent of Mega Man.”
replayability
10 mentions
40 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The game offers some replayability through rewarding collectibles and an extra area, appealing to completionists. However, many players feel that the overall replay value is limited without additional content, such as DLC, and some believe it lacks the depth found in similar titles like Hollow Knight. Despite these concerns, it is still regarded as a good game.
- “It has high replayability for that alone.”
- “Not much replay value here, but still a very good game.”
- “I felt the bosses could be a bit more challenging and I don't see much replayability without DLC, but, honestly, I'd rather the dev work on something more original than spend time expanding this beyond the Kickstarter stretch goals.”
- “That is in addition to this game being sold for 19€ while Hollow Knight (which is objectively better, with more content and replay value) costs only 15€.”
- “Completionists also get rewarding collectibles and there's even an extra area for replayability.”
optimization
6 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-17 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its stellar performance, with most players reporting no frame drops or crashes during extended play sessions. However, some users have experienced random crashes, suggesting potential coding issues that may affect a minority of players. Despite these concerns, the game's art and controls are highly regarded, contributing to a positive experience.
- “Performance is stellar with not a single frame drop or crash to be had during my 12 hours.”
- “The art and controls are incredible, not encountered any bugs or performance issues at all yet and probably won't.”
- “Performance is stellar with not a single frame drop or crash to be had during my 12 hours.”
- “The game crashes randomly, which seems to be a coding issue. This can be frustrating and affects overall performance.”
- “Performance issues are evident, particularly with random crashes that disrupt gameplay.”
- “The optimization is lacking, leading to frequent crashes that detract from the gaming experience.”