Don’t Die, Mr Robot! Switch Review by SwitchWatch
Developer: Infinite State Games
Publisher: Digerati
Release Date: May 3rd 2018
Price as of Article: $8.99 USD, £7.19 GBP
Game code provided by Digerati for review
Don’t Die, Mr Robot! is a game that began its life on the Playstation Vita back in 2014. Since then it has seen ports to both Playstation 4 and iOS in 2016, and now it has found its way onto the Nintendo Switch. Seeing a game that started on the Vita come to the Switch seems natural in a way, seeing as Sony pumped up the Vita to bring console level gaming to the small screen, and Nintendo have actually achieved that with the Switch. All that aside, is this game any good? Let’s find out!
The audio in Don’t Die, Mr Robot! is very good. The music has a real hard electronic edge to it, that is described as an “Acid flavoured soundtrack!” in its description. That seems apt, as the music manages to build tension, while also having a weird calming effect. I found this to help with getting into a flow state with the game, with my hands and reflexes reacting without me even putting much thought into my actions. On top of that, the sounds in this game are pretty nice, when you can hear them over the soundtrack.
In handheld mode, Don’t Die, Mr Robot! has a very nice look to it. Colours are vibrant and plentiful, flying around the screen in a chaotic masterpiece of arcade gameplay. The enemies looks are diverse, and add to the overall look tremendously. All this is great until you dock your Switch. On a TV, the game looks rather poor, like a handheld game has been blown up to fit on the big screen. Yes, that is essentially what this game is, but it is still something that Switch users who primarily use their console docked will have to keep in mind.
As for the performance, it runs extremely well. No matter how intense the action got on screen, the game didn’t skip a beat. This is always great to see from a small developer.
Don’t Die, Mr Robot! is the definition of a classic arcade style game when it comes to its gameplay. You control your character with the control stick, and holding down one of the triggers will slow your movements for more precise navigation. And… that’s basically it. There are some unique characters you can unlock that add a few more options, but no matter who you use the basic controls are still the same.
The game is a sort of bullet hell, where you have to dodge enemies that come flying your way. Enemies range from missiles and bullets, to turrets and other robotic lifeforms that can have their own unique attacks. You score points by grazing up against enemies without getting hit flush, or by collecting fruit. When you collect a piece of fruit, a small shockwave radiates from it, and any enemy that gets caught in it gets annihilated. You can also chain fruits together to rack up a multiplier, boosting your overall score further.
Getting the highest score isn’t always the goal though. Your objective can range from just surviving a set amount of time, to grazing a certain number of enemies, avoiding different fruits, and other variations upon those rules. There are trophies you achieve for completing your goal, with the longer you survive, more points you get, more enemies you graze etc rewarding you with a higher level of trophy. There are 5 levels of trophy in each level, and it can be real tough to achieve the max one.
There are other game modes available besides the main levels, including a Chill Out Mode that slows down the action for those that just want to have fun without such an intense challenge. The Arcade Mode is a lot of fun, as it is just non stop action that changes every play through. There is a Time Attack Mode as well that has a ticking clock, and dying eats up more time off of that clock. Besides the new conditions these new modes add, the basic premise is always the same.
*Review written by Lachlan Bruce for SwitchWatch.co.uk
Is Don’t Die, Mr Robot! worth your hard earned cash? It is a rather cheap title, which definitely goes in its favour. There are some things you need to consider though. As infinitely repayable as the game can be, it can get to be a bit dull after long sessions. Also, the quality drop when docked is something to consider if you are someone who rarely takes their Switch on the go. I would recommend it if it was on sale, but at full price, even with its cheap tag, I just don’t know if you will get your monies worth.
Pros
Gameplay gets intense
Nice visuals in handheld mode
Solid soundtrack
Cons
Visuals are poor when docked
Gets repetitive
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