	Robots
	Developer: Eurocom Entertainment Publisher: Vivendi Release Date: Out Now Players: 1	Words By:
Beep Beep Whirr…clunk. Beepboopwhirr REVIEW-O-MATIC ROBOT™ Please press any key Click REVIEW-O-MATIC ROBOT™ Please inset setup disc Whirr. Clunk. Beep. Grind REVIEW-O-MATIC ROBOT™ ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR Must kill all soft fleshbag humans Smack. Kick. Rend. Crush REVIEW-O-MATIC ROBOT™ User status – terminated Review status – unwritten Solution – Reviewselfwrite Processing… REVIEW–O–MATIC ROBOT™ generates a review of Robots game by Eurocom Entertainment. The Robots game is a cash-in franchise of the animated movie bearing the same name, and starring the voice talents of such A-list stars as Ewan McGregor, Robin Williams, Halle Berry, Mel Brooks and Jim Broadbent. However, apart from a few minutes of footage in cut scenes, the only resemblance to the actual film is in the presentation style. The plot in Robots is so redundant that it serves only to be a linking feature between ‘search and collect’ platform sections. Rodney, the protagonist, is on a quest to be recognised as an inventor, and as such makes a journey to the big city. Along the way, he must collect pieces of various items such as blueprints for new inventions or bits of scrap metal. REVIEW-O-MATIC ROBOT™ thinks this is silly. So, from the start, REVIEW-O-MATIC ROBOT™ will be controlling Rodney the robot in this classic style 3D platformer. REVIEW-O-MATIC ROBOT™ finds that Rodney controls easily enough with the analogue stick. He has all of the requisite moves such as double jump, as well as the usual combat options such as bottom-smash and the basic spanner to hammer at bad robots. The platform sections of the game are hampered by the temperamental camera, that bane of platformers, as it refuses to stay where it is put when REVIEW-O-MATIC ROBOT™ uses the right stick. Another annoying problem, ironically as a result of the lovely graphics, is that there is no way of knowing whether a platform is reachable or not, other than having a go. Luckily, there are save points all over the place if REVIEW-O-MATIC ROBOT™ finds itself falling to its death, as REVIEW-O-MATIC ROBOT™ does, frequently. Combat in the game is like a simplified mix of classic platform jump-on-head shenanigans and the more recent style of games like Ratchet and Clank. Early on, Rodney gets a ‘scrap shooter’, which is a gun that shoots the scrap metal that is laying about everywhere, and also used as currency. REVIEW-O-MATIC ROBOT™ can also visit shops to upgrade the scrap shooter to deal out homing, multiple or super-powered scrap. Rodney also gains other abilities and weapons as he goes along, none truly innovative, but some can be fun to use. The look of Robots is probably the best thing about the game. The animators have done a lovely job on movements, and the graphics show off the reflective shininess of the metal characters, streets and buildings. REVIEW-O-MATIC ROBOT™ detected no slowdown at all, even in hectic sections of the game. The only drawback is the loading times, which are a bit too long to be acceptable to REVIEW-O-MATIC ROBOT™. The sound in Robots is reasonable too, with all the metal clanging and tinkling that REVIEW-O-MATIC ROBOT™ would expect. Voice work is good, although it is such a shame that there are no recognisable actors from the film lending their voices to the game, even the sections of film that are shown on cut scenes are silent, with a narration over them. Music is taken from the film’s score, and adapted so that it is pleasantly inoffensive to REVIEW-O-MATIC ROBOT™. In conclusion, Robots is aimed at the younger player, but can be quite challenging because of the problems with the camera. This is really only a buy for fans of the film, robot fanatics, or platform fans that can’t get enough platform games, maybe worth a rental if you have a few hours to spare.

Best Bits
- Graphics.
- Animations.
- Classic platforming.

Worst Bits
- Camera.
- Lack of recognisable actor voice work.
- Loading times.


by: Scratchy