RoboCop: Rogue City returns to the cyberpunk nightmare of Old Detroit in its latest gameplay preview. Taking place between RoboCop 2 and 3, Rogue City aims to emulate the violent and bombastic action that the RoboCop franchise is known for through immersive FPS (first-person shooter) gameplay. The preview begins showing a gang called the Torch Heads, who have heavy ties with drug Nuke seen in RoboCop 2, taking over the Channel 9 TV’s news segment and its employees hostage. RoboCop and his partner Anne Lewis are quickly assigned to stop the gangs activities and hunting down the gang’s leader Soot.
Rogue City’s demo makes the player feel indestructible. Despite RoboCop’s sluggish movement, using his iconic Auto 9, players can clear a building of enemies easily thanks to RoboCop’s heavy armor. IGN notes how unique it is for an FPS protagonist to be as “slow and deliberate as RoboCop”, and how good it felt despite needing time to adjust. ShackNews also marveled at RoboCop’s play-style, calling the game’s protagonist “essentially a walking tank.”
That said, RoboCop’s unique gameplay also seems to be a double-edged sword. Many have wondered how long the game’s combat will be able to keep players interested. As it stands, the demo made RoboCop seem indestructible against the many enemies he faced, and considering that he will only grow in strength as the game continues, many have wondered if the game will give players any real challenge.
Outside of RoboCop’s bloody combat, more of Old Detroit’s gritty landscape was shown and the depth of choices players could take the protagonist down to shape what their unique RoboCop could be. Players can focus on choosing quests with a heavy focus on violence or take other routes with more non-violent options.
With the help of various skill trees, players can use those abilities to improve the effectiveness of RoboCop’s investigations by improving walk speed, a slow-down time ability, or opening new dialogue choices for interactions with Old Detroit’s citizens. It also should be noted that player choice will have an impact in the game’s story and its ending. Rogue City’s game director, Piotr Latocha from Teyon, hinted player choices could even “determine which side characters live or die.”
Regardless, Rogue City’s developer has done well to faithfully adapt RoboCop to the video game sphere so far. Time will tell how well Teyon will improve the game’s combat and other graphical issues, but so far RoboCop: Rogue City looks to be a bloody good time for its longtime fans. Currently, RoboCop: Rogue City is expected to release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in September 2023.