Mean Machines Sega


Robotika

Categories: Review: Software
Publisher: Acclaim
Machine: Sega Saturn (EU Version)

 
Published in Mean Machines Sega #38

Robotika

The term 'robot' was actually coined by a 1920s Hungarian playwright, using a slavic word for repetitive, tedious labouring work to describe the work of mechanical devices. And what an apt title for Sega to choose for this repetitive, tedious Doom-clone, which must be the dullest game for the machine.

It starts promisingly with a stunning intro, before plunging you into an eerie, gloomy space station. The decorative graphics are excellent, with detailed textures on the walls which doesn't stop the game running smoothly and speedily. Even the styling of your instrumentation is cool, with a rotating sight and wire-frame map.

Sadly, the game itself has a hollow heart. Level after level of flat, key-searching and droid-killing. The levels are constructed at random so that the game is never the same twice - and never enjoyable once. Random generation prevents any sort of decent game design, as the positioning of key, enemy and exit is completely arbitrary. Minor additions, like dark levels and reactor cores don't raise this from being such a depressing outing.

Verdict

Admirable technical precision, but the gameplay would be best suited for real.

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