RoboCop is a fusion of man and machine, a being caught between technology and his humanity. We feel trapped in the same way when a particularly addictive app prevents us from putting down our iPad. Glu’s new free-to-download shooter RoboCop is an endless series of intense shootouts that will fuse your device to your hands.
In any free game, you should expect numerous pay-gates and countdown timers that will try to interrupt your good time. RoboCop is no exception: Glu has mastered the art of freemium action games, from Gun Bros to Frontline Commando, and RoboCop contains some of the most aggressive attempts at monetization that we’ve seen yet. RoboCop’s best weapons are enormously expensive, and some premium weapons cost over $100 in in-app purchases. The only people making those kinds of purchases are rich idiots suffering from affluenza, or devious kids who have cracked their parents’ iTunes password. Either way, buying the big guns is for suckers.
Our advice is to completely ignore those absurd microtransactions for high-end items, and instead focus on RoboCop’s steady rate of progression and constant action. If you do, you’ll have a lot of fun, and it’s all completely free.
RoboCop unfolds through a series of realistic-looking VR training missions, featuring the city’s worst criminal offenders. While behind cover, you can use half of the screen to aim at enemies and the other half to pop out and fire. RoboCop can scan enemies to find their weak points– and it’s always amusing when the game urges you to aim for a crotch-shot instead of a head-shot. RoboCop can also perform a special targeted attack, and summon costly drones to clear the area for him.
The cover system is what makes RoboCop an especially great shooter. While you only have a few places to hide, you can shoot away the cover from your enemies and keep them exposed. Barrels and cars explode in glorious slow-motion when you focus your fire on them, and the game’s constant high level of challenge results in more than a few white-knuckle encounters.
As a cyborg, RoboCop can sustain a lot of damage before he shuts down. However, the difficulty ramps up very quickly, and you’re encouraged to continually upgrade your gun and suit in order to keep up with the faster and tougher enemies.
The upgrade tree for your gear is long and complex, with a series of nodes that each offer unique enhancements. You’ll have to spend your hard-earned in-game currency in order to improve your gun’s damage and rate of fire. You’ll also have to wait for certain upgrades to apply, or spend more to speed along the process. There’s also a power meter that takes time to replenish before you can start a new mission.
There are many money-sucking traps built into RoboCop. It’s easy to spend all of your currency quickly, and it’s tempting to buy the bigger guns to skip ahead. But if you’re up for an intense challenge, and you’re able to navigate around the in-app purchases, then RoboCop’s nonstop action is definitely worth your time.