Have you ever played a game and asked yourself at the end of the experience, “What in the hell did I just play?” while asking yourself, “Why was it fun?” That’s about where I am with developer Llamasoft’s I, Robot.
Based on the 1984 classic arcade game from mastermind David Theurer, this new release encapsulates what made that early 3D polygon experience so mesmerizing, while simultaneously delivering a giant batch of confusion on what the hell the game was about. This game is so psychedelic that it belongs in the 60s. That doesn’t mean it isn’t fun, though.
Anyway, mousse up that Flock of Seagulls hairdo and let’s revisit the age of neon and arcade spectacles. We are going on a ‘trip’, baby.
Story
From what I gathered, there is a large eye, it hates you (an independent, self-thinking robot), and you have to stay out of its gaze. Sure, it sounds a little like a Tolkien villain, but also with a sprinkle of 1984 somewhere in the recipe. To top it all off, there is a fair amount of oppression.
In a way, the story is spiraling toward today’s United States, where independent thought is slowly but surely being phased out by our new United States authoritarian government. Like that or hate it, it’s what is happening, and it is what was predicted in the book 1984, and to an extent, it is what this game is about.
I bet you never thought a video game would be so political. HA! Add this to your list of inspiring games to use as a blueprint to fight oppression. Also add Papers, Please, which is sadly also relevant to the current U.S. political climate.
Anyway, I, Robot has a symbolic story that adds some intensity to the gameplay. It works.
Gameplay
Wow, where to begin with the gameplay…well, let’s start with the eye. When the game begins, a giant eye awakens, and you, an independent-thinking robot, are placed on a maze-like platform and must traverse the platform to flip over tiles to get the heck out of there. You are armed with a laser, which can be fired as often as you want, and you have to worry about additional robots coming after you in the maze, while also keeping a watchful eye on the Eye before it eyes you.
At times, the maze requires you to jump to and from other platforms, while taking out robots and, again, keeping out of the gaze of the giant eye. Should you bump into a robot while jumping, then you die. Should the eye see you on the platform, then it will begin to fire lasers at you, which are tough to avoid. Should you take out robots and flip over all the tiles without being seen, then you move on to the next phase of the game.
The gameplay for I, Robot is a balancing act and strategy-driven. The balancing act of paying attention to all the batshit crazy stuff going on at once while you’re moving is tough. This type of chaos is purely from an arcade design, which is where the game originated, and is built for you to fail, so it can eat your quarters. If you’re dying to play this type of chaotic thrill, then you’re in for a high-sensation value treat with this game. For me, I enjoyed it and it had me hyper-focused and locked in from beginning to end. I was born in the peak of arcade times, so I have a good emotional connection to this style of gameplay and what to expect from it. Not everyone will, but it’s never too late to learn.
Anyway, juggling all the above madness makes this type of game work, as it heightens the tension of the gameplay, while also making the stakes feel very high when it comes to methodically picking and choosing how you’re going to approach warding off enemies and moving forward with progression. Again, it’s pure and beautiful chaos that was born from the fiery depths of its arcade grandfather.
Should you complete the first maze, avoid enemies and eye, then you’re sent off into space where you’re shooting down what looks like polygon-designed sharks. They move in a range of patterns, all harkening back to a Galaga-like design. You aren’t required to kill them all to move on, you’re just required to survive the swarm and take as many out as you can.
And then guess what?
You’re back to the maze again!
Only this time, the maze is a different shape, there are more obstacles that you have to account for when you plan out your strategy, and the same things are coming after you. It’s an insane pleasure to see this all go down repeatedly, yet move the dial to 11 with difficulty.
While this type of gameplay certainly won’t suit everyone’s game desires, it’s a respectful translation of a long-forgotten game that everyone needs to know existed. It keeps the essence of the original arcade title, and even the graphics to a point, while sprucing up controls and quickness that brought the 1984 version down quite a bit. In other words, it’s a wonderful improvement over the original but doesn’t deviate too far from the blueprint the first game created.
Overall, the gameplay is colorful, intense, and fun in short stints, and a wonderful representation of the original 1984 title.
Visuals and sounds
Back in 1984, the visuals for the original game were custom chip-driven, and that chipset brought with it around 2,000 polygons per second. You may not know this, but that was an amazing feat back in the day. Llamasoft has done a superb job of maintaining those visuals while at the same time cleaning them up for a modern gaming experience. You will still get the raw polygon feel and the early-3D gameplay that was new and exciting 41 years ago, so don’t worry about too much deviation from the original arcade game, but with modern visual familiarity here and there.
On the audio side, which was a big deal back in the day, some of those sounds get brought over, and some get translated for a modern audience. The sound effects are loud, disruptive, and perfect when you’re trying to audibly emulate oppression. This might be my favorite part of the game’s presentation, as it is certainly the aspect I’m happiest and most impressed about because of the way it is treated and delivered.
On that sweet note, let’s wrap up this review.
Conclusion
I, Robot from developer Llamasoft and publisher Atari reignites a forgotten Atari arcade classic from the 80s. While the visuals have been refined a little, the core gameplay from the original arcade title is still intact, which includes its chaotic style and psychedelic personality. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s a fun, nostalgia-driven arcade adventure nonetheless.
