The Girl and the Robot

The Girl and the Robot has a lot of heart, which is why the myriad of issues are so upsetting. Rough movement, clunky combat, frustrating puzzles, and unresponsive controls make this a tough sell. It's sad, because there's a lot of potential here hidden under all the rough patches.

46%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

stability, optimization

56% User Score Based on 39 reviews

Critic Score 40%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

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About

"The Girl and the Robot" is a third-person action-adventure game where you control a girl and a robot, switching between them to solve puzzles, defeat enemies, and explore a fairy tale world with a dark backstory. The game features unique hand-painted art reminds of old fairy tales.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

56%

Audience ScoreBased on 43 reviews

story6 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game features charming aesthetics and a heartfelt story about the bond between the girl and her robot, reminiscent of classic fairy tales.
Puzzles are well-designed and provide a satisfying challenge without being overly difficult, encouraging teamwork between the characters.
The game has a nostalgic feel, with graphics and gameplay that evoke memories of older console games, appealing to fans of that era.

The combat system is clunky and unresponsive, often leading to frustration during encounters, especially with faster enemies.
The game ends on a cliffhanger without a clear indication of when or if a sequel will be released, leaving players feeling unsatisfied.
Controls can be awkward, particularly for keyboard users, and the lack of a manual save feature can lead to repeated sections if players fail.

story
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
76%
8%
The game's story is characterized by its focus on cooperation and trust, conveyed through visual storytelling and environmental details, which create a charming fairytale atmosphere. However, many players express disappointment with the abrupt cliffhanger ending, leaving the narrative feeling incomplete and uncertain about a potential sequel. While the story is engaging and resonates on a personal level, its brevity and lack of depth in character development have led to mixed feelings among players regarding its overall impact.
- “And that’s what this game does so well—it tells a story of cooperation and trust, with just enough gameplay to keep it engaging.”
- “Every room, every corridor in the castle feels like it’s telling its own little story.”
- “The story of the kingdom's royalty is told through numerous paintings scattered about the game, visually telling a fairly simple story, and the interactions between the current cast of characters are purely told without voice acting, which can be enjoyed by everyone regardless of language.”
- “However, I was disappointed to find out the story ends on a cliffhanger - and although there are clear signs a sequel was intended, I have seen no sign of the continuation, which makes me uncertain regarding the future of the project.”
- “There is just about zero story in the game and nothing to come back to for any replay.”
- “Unfortunately, one issue I have with the story is that it just abruptly ends on a major cliffhanger, leaving me in shock just asking myself 'is that really it' for about 5 minutes straight.”
gameplay
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
63%
16%
The gameplay is characterized by its focus on cooperation and trust between the two protagonists, with simple yet engaging mechanics that encourage collaboration, such as healing and carrying each other. While the game offers a charming story and creative puzzle-solving elements, some players find the overall experience short and occasionally frustrating, with criticisms aimed at animations and sound effects. Despite its flaws, the core mechanics and nostalgic feel resonate well with many players, making it a worthwhile experience, especially on sale.
- “And that’s what this game does so well—it tells a story of cooperation and trust, with just enough gameplay to keep it engaging.”
- “The mechanics convey well the idea of collaboration, and it shows a dependency between both protagonists.”
- “I also thought that the gameplay mechanics of the girl and the robot working together to complete various puzzles to be very creative as well.”
- “Gameplay is ~1.5 hours unless you suck like I do and fight with the controls the whole time.”
- “Which brings us on to the gameplay... animations and sound effects are almost laughably bad.”
- “The playtime also includes a lot of sanity breaks and just me screwing around on the internet because the gameplay here was so boring and/or frustrating.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The graphics of the game evoke nostalgia, reminiscent of early PS1 and PS2 titles, with a charming art style that many players appreciate. While some reviews highlight the graphics as gorgeous and atmospheric, others note a lack of modern graphical options and a somewhat basic execution that detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are described as rough around the edges but filled with charm, appealing to those who enjoy a retro aesthetic.
- “Look at the artwork—this is gorgeous.”
- “Good things first, the art style is so charming.”
- “Gorgeous aesthetics and haunting atmosphere.”
- “I feel a lot like an old PS1 game both graphically and gameplay-wise.”
- “The graphics look like an early PS2 game.”
- “The game fails to build up any kind of memorable atmosphere with its lackluster art style and lack of ambiance.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the relaxing and well-suited soundtrack, others note that it is often absent, leading to a feeling of emptiness. The soundtrack is praised for its quality, but many feel it could be more prominent throughout the gameplay. Overall, the music enhances the atmosphere but is inconsistently present, which affects the overall experience.
- “I also think the soundtrack is really nice and suits the gameplay well; it's something I would happily have on in the background while I'm doing something else.”
- “The soundtrack itself is pretty great; it would be better if we could hear more of it.”
- “It's got a nice atmosphere: the music is lovely and the world—a place filled with violent robots and devoid (for the most part) of human life—is passably nice to look at.”
- “The music is not memorable.”
- “The most striking one is that there is almost no music throughout the game, which makes it feel more empty than it should.”
- “What's quite unfortunate is that about half of the time no music is played at all, although I can't really say whether the silence enhances or hinders the overall atmosphere.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game's atmosphere receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its charming art style and zen-like moments, while others criticize the lack of consistent music and ambiance, which detracts from immersion. While the environment is often described as beautiful and haunting, the overall experience can feel disjointed, leading to moments where players struggle to connect with the game's world.
- “The atmosphere and the art style have a lot of charm and remind me a little bit of ICO mixed with The Legend of Zelda.”
- “It's got a nice atmosphere: the music is lovely and the world—a place filled with violent robots and devoid (for the most part) of human life—is passably nice to look at.”
- “Gorgeous aesthetics and haunting atmosphere.”
- “What's quite unfortunate is that about half of the time no music is played at all, although I can't really say whether the silence enhances or hinders the overall atmosphere.”
- “Similar to what I said for atmosphere, it gives me a zen-like feeling when I'm walking around the plaza for the first time, but there were times when I found it difficult to believe in certain parts of the game. For example, I arrived at the labyrinth, scouted ahead with the robot, and cleared out all the enemies in that section of the maze.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotional depth and wholesome narrative, presenting a heartfelt adventure between a girl and a robot without veering into melodrama. However, some players felt the story was clichéd and the game too short, leaving them wanting more development and connection to the characters, ultimately resulting in a sense of unfulfillment by the end.
- “The girl, the robot, and us: a chaotic love letter to a simple yet heartfelt adventure.”
- “It's emotional without being melodramatic.”
- “Seems very wholesome and fun, even if the environments at the beginning seem bleak.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by lighthearted banter and playful interactions among characters, creating a fun and enjoyable atmosphere. Players appreciate the comedic elements, such as the amusing relationship with a robot and the excitement of explosions, which contribute to an overall positive experience.
- “Gaige: (laughing) okay, you and I need to start a game company together.”
- “Gaige: (laughing) oh yeah, the robot is totally my best friend now.”
- “Merida: (chuckling) you two would have way too much fun with a robot like that.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed, with players reporting minor glitches and occasional framerate issues, particularly on Mac. While the experience is generally enjoyable, some users have noted unresponsive controls and buggy textures, especially during animated sequences. The abrupt ending on a cliffhanger after a challenging boss fight has also contributed to frustrations.
- “There is no ending; it just ends on a huge cliffhanger after a frustrating and buggy boss fight.”
- “The textures of any character or object that has animations will be buggy.”
- “I encountered two glitches, but nothing game-breaking. The framerate is not very stable at times, and the controls sometimes feel unresponsive.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has received criticism, particularly for its poor keyboard controls and noticeable lag in various locations. Additionally, the abrupt gray screens during cutscene transitions highlight the overall roughness of the game's performance.
- “But it seems to be optimized for controllers... wasn't fun mashing buttons on my keyboard trying to figure out what was what.”
- “The roughness of the game is obvious even in how every single transition in every single cutscene is a sudden gray screen for a few seconds and how several locations lag horribly due to optimization issues.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers praise the character development for its charming designs and engaging non-traditional storytelling methods, which enhance the overall experience alongside the entertaining platforming and puzzle elements.
- “I absolutely love the character designs!”
- “The platforming and puzzle elements are entertaining, and the non-traditional storytelling method is intriguing, complemented by charming character designs.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious rather than challenging, particularly due to puzzles that necessitate frequent character switching and slow transitional animations, which can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
- “The grinding in this game feels more tedious than challenging, especially with puzzles that require constant character switching and slow transitional animations.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes it feel like a chore rather than an engaging part of the game.”
- “I found the grinding mechanics to be frustrating, as they often interrupt the flow of gameplay and make progress feel painfully slow.”

40%Critics’ scoreBased on 5 critic reviews

Buy The Girl and the Robot

10h Median play time

8h Average play time

5-11h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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