Don't Die, Mr. Robot! Review

Don’t Die, Mr Robot! is a game that’s not ashamed of its inspirations, wearing them on it sleeve like a badge of honour. Developed by Infinite State Games for both the PS4 and PS Vita, Don’t Die, Mr Robot! is a retro arcade game that involves not dying. As simple as it sounds, it’s a concept that the developers have nailed.

The game really is quite simple, players begin a level as a little yellow robot that shares a striking resemblance to Pac-Man. Players must avoid the various enemies filling the screen as the game progresses, whilst collecting fruit pieces that simultaneously kill enemies providing score multipliers; think Pac-Man without the maze. I thought I would get bored quickly, but soon found myself quite addicted to the simple rinse and repeat gameplay.

There are only a few modes available, a standard arcade mode and time trail are available, alongside chillout and remix mode. The remix mode is where the meat of the gameplay is, with the mode mixing up parameters between each round. Players must complete an objective on each level, sometimes you must collect a certain number of coins within a time limit, but on the next level you might have to avoid a specific fruit. I would have liked to see the inclusion of a multiplayer mode, where it came down to who could last the longest. This would have worked especially well with the crossplay element of the title as well.

For those that like to customise their experience a little, there is an in-game shop available. The shop allows players to purchase upgrades and also customise their robot. Mr Robot’s colour can be changed, adding little overall to the game, but allowing players to make their experience a little more personal. There are also a few unlockable characters that swap places with Mr Robot. The addition of a shop gives players a reason to progress, unlocking small but welcome additions to the game as it progresses.

The overall simplicity of the game is brilliant, too many two stick arcade games bog themselves down with over-complicated game design. Don’t Die, Mr Robot! expects very little from players whilst providing them with an addictive experience in turn. Don’t mistake simplicity for a lack of difficulty though, the game looks like your standard bullet hell title at its most intense moments. The screen is filled with a myriad of bright colours, fruits and various enemies.

I spent my time with the PS4 version of the game, having only tried the Vita version a few times. The game runs well, and never suffers from any graphical issue. I love the inclusion of the PS4 controller’s light bar, it matches the colour of the background during gameplay- Something that is ultimately useless but still quite fun.

The art style is unmistakably retro, the developers knew exactly what they were going for and took obvious influence from the arcade cabinet era. Bright neon colours matched by eye catching enemies, all while controlling a fun but basic character that manages to stay visible through all the ocular madness.

Don’t Die, Mr Robot! is a game that will surprise many, I went into it expecting a forgettable retro experience; but instead found myself addicted to the easy to pick up but hard to master gameplay. It’s not a game that is going to set the world on fire, but it might just knock your preconceptions about smaller retro indie titles. Give this a go if you want something to play on your commute or even while you are sat on the throne.