izigame.me

A Symphony of Speed, Style, and Mechanical Mastery

In an oversaturated genre, it's rare to find a title that genuinely surprises me and provides entertainment. Roboquest manages this feat by delivering one of the most polished and engaging FPS roguelite experiences I've encountered.
Pros and cons


🟩 Positives
🟥 Negatives




Fast-paced, fluid movement and gunplay mechanics that feel responsive and satisfying
Vibrant cel-shaded art style that gives the game a unique visual identity
Co-op support, which is rare in roguelites
Wide variety of weapons and upgrades that can create different build combinations
Roguelite progression system that maintains engagement through persistent upgrades
strong soundtrack that complements the action




Can feel repetitive after extended play sessions, like many roguelites
Learning curve might be steep for players new to fast-paced FPS games
Some weapon types/builds may feel less viable than others




https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3360878681
Gameplay Mechanics
The Need for Speed
Movement feels incredibly fluid, with double jumps and dashes that would make Doom proud. When you're weaving through a hail of bullets while wall-jumping over a Pawns's suppressing fire, only to land behind a Pod unit for a perfect critical hit, you realise how masterfully the game's systems interlock.
Combat scenarios constantly evolve as you progress. A simple encounter might start with basic Bots rushing you, only to be complicated by the arrival of an Elite who begins to command the encounter. The game excels at creating these combat puzzles requiring split-second tactical decisions. It ensures no two runs are the same.
Gunplay
When you pick up your first weapon, you can feel the attention to detail that went into the shooting mechanics. Every trigger pull delivers satisfying feedback - from the subtle screen shake to the meaty sound design. Take the "Orbital Shotgun", for instance. Each blast creates a deep, resonating boom that echoes through the corridors while enemies vanish. Furthermore, what sets it apart is its diverse arsenal and how each weapon demands a different playstyle.
Progression and Depth
The dual-layer progression system offers both immediate and long-term satisfaction. During runs, you'll find weapons and modifications that can dramatically alter your playstyle. Finding a plasma rifle with ricocheting shots paired with a modification that enhances splash damage can suddenly transform your approach to combat, encouraging experimentation with each run.
Enemy Design and Combat Depth
The Elite and tanky units – rather than bullet sponges - create scenarios that force you to think about positioning and priority targeting. Combined with other units, like a Bot lying down suppressing fire while protected by an Elite, you get combat scenarios that feel like high-speed combat puzzles.
Each boss has clear phases and telegraphed attacks, but the challenge comes from how they combine these elements. At the same time, you manage the core combat mechanics. However, one issue with most bosses is that they can be easily defeated by keeping your distance and spam sliding, which ruins the fun once you figure this out.
Visual and Audio
The cell-shaded visual style does more than just look striking – it serves the gameplay. Enemy types are instantly recognisable even in chaotic firefights, and weapon effects provide clear feedback without obscuring the action. The desert-type facilities and underground complexes are detailed enough to be exciting but never so busy that they interfere with combat readability. Furthermore, the onomatopoeia when you shoot your weapon is a very nice detail.
The soundtrack by Noisecream deserves special praise for its dynamic synthwave-inspired score. During an intense battle with multiple elite units, the music seamlessly ramps up, adding driving beats and aggressive synths that perfectly match the on-screen chaos.
Conclusion
Roboquest represents the best of what the FPS roguelite genre can offer. It combines the speed and precision of classic boomer shooters with modern roguelike progression in a package that's both accessible and deep. While it may not revolutionise either genre, it executes their combination with remarkable finesse.
The game succeeds because it understands its identity – a high-speed, high-skill ceiling shooter that respects the player's time and ability. For fans of either FPS or roguelite genres, Roboquest offers something unique. It's a testament to how indie developers can refine and improve these genre conventions rather than simply repeat them like other companies.
Other


🟨 Suggestions




The Museum currently displays weapons with red, orange, and blue background colours, but lacks a clear legend explaining their significance. While these colours might indicate ammo types (e.g., orange for bullets, blue for energy weapons), there are inconsistencies - for example, the Bull Shotgun shows a red background while Grandma's Shotgun shows orange, despite having similar characteristics. To improve clarity, consider colour-coding the ammo type text in the weapon preview to match these background colours.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3360878525
While the Museum allows players to preview worlds, routes, and missing collectables, this valuable information isn't accessible through the in-game inventory system. Adding this feature to the inventory would streamline the collection process by helping players easily identify which routes and maps they need to explore to complete their collections.