RoboCop: Rogue City Review

The Return of Officer Alex Murphy to Old Detroit

After proving their reverence for classic '80s cinema with Terminator: Resistance, developer Teyon and publisher Nacon took on an even more ambitious task: putting players directly inside the titanium chassis of Officer Alex Murphy in RoboCop: Rogue City (2023). Rather than designing a generic, high-speed modern first-person shooter, Teyon built a methodical experience that embraces the deliberate weight, brutal gunplay, and biting social satire of Paul Verhoeven’s original universe.

Set between the events of RoboCop 2 and RoboCop 3, the campaign sees a ruthless criminal kingpin known only as "The New Guy in Town" ignite a gang war across Detroit. Dispatched to restore order, RoboCop must clean up the streets while battling corporate corruption, system glitches, and resurfacing fragments of his human past.

Anchoring the entire experience is Peter Weller, who returns to provide both his likeness and voice, instantly giving the narrative emotional resonance and authentic cinematic weight.

Combat Feel and Gunplay: The Weight of a Walking Tank

The standout achievement of Rogue City is how authentically it captures Murphy’s physical presence:

• No Cover Necessary: You do not sprint, slide, or hide behind waist-high barriers. You advance as an unstoppable juggernaut while low-caliber bullets ricochet harmlessly off your armor.
• The Iconic Auto-9: Murphy's signature burst-fire sidearm feels thunderous. Featuring infinite ammunition, pinpoint accuracy, and destructive stopping power, it delivers some of the most satisfying shooting mechanics in modern FPS games.
• Environmental Mayhem and Gore: Combat is unabashedly violent. Enemies suffer decapitations and limb amputations, while Murphy can grab hostiles by the throat to hurl them through windows, smash them with CRT monitors, or toss explosive canisters across the room.
• Tactical Targeting: Utilizing Murphy’s built-in target acquisition display and ricochet mechanics allows you to bounce shots off metal surfaces to eliminate thugs hiding around corners.

Police Work and Investigation: Beyond the Trigger

Between high-stakes firefights, the game slows down to let you perform actual police work across semi-open city hubs:

• Crime Scene Investigation: You scan areas for forensic evidence, trace blood splatter patterns, analyze ballistic trajectories, and uncover hidden contraband.
• Serve and Protect: Engaging with the citizens of Detroit involves routine street-level duties, from issuing parking violations and ticketing drunk drivers to mediating domestic disputes and dealing with graffiti artists.
• Dialogue Choices and Consequences: Conversing with citizens, reporters, and Omni Consumer Products (OCP) executives forces you to balance corporate loyalty against public trust, directly shaping how the city views RoboCop and altering story outcomes.

Character Progression and Auto-9 Customization

Murphy’s core systems can be upgraded via skill points earned from solved cases and recovered evidence:

• Combat vs. Utility Skill Trees: You can invest in traditional combat buffs (Armor, Vitality, Combat) or prioritize utility skills (Deduction, Psychology, Engineering). Higher utility stats grant crucial perks, such as opening electronic safes without combinations, hacking auto-turrets, and unlocking peacemaking dialogue options.
• PCB Circuit Board Customization: The Auto-9 can be modified through an intricate minigame. By routing power through printed circuit boards using scavenged microchips, you can unlock continuous full-auto fire, zero-reload magazines, and armor-piercing rounds while avoiding negative penalty nodes.

Atmosphere, Lore Fidelity, and Corporate Satire

Old Detroit is recreated with striking fidelity to the original 1987 film. The world is bathed in retro-futuristic '80s aesthetics: bulky CRT television sets, boxy police cruisers, acid-rain-drenched asphalt, and neon-lit punk alleyways.

The game also captures Verhoeven's sharp satire. Interspersed throughout the campaign are classic Media-Break news segments, dark corporate infomercials (such as Sunblock 5000), and the constant, ruthless greed of OCP executives.

Fan service is handled with care, featuring major roles for Officer Anne Lewis and Sergeant Warren Reed, alongside intense boss encounters against rogue ED-209 units.

Technical Presentation and Unreal Engine 5

Built on Unreal Engine 5, the visual presentation makes strong use of Lumen lighting and Nanite geometry. Neon reflections shimmer across wet pavement, and indoor firefights fill the air with volumetric smoke, shattered drywall, and crumbling concrete pillars.

The production does show some mid-budget rough edges:

• Occasional performance frame drops during busy street sections.
• Stiff lip-syncing and rigid facial animations on secondary NPC models.
• Repetitive enemy character models throughout minor side missions.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Authentic RoboCop Experience: Unmatched mechanical weight, sound design, and handling of the Auto-9.
• Peter Weller’s Performance: Elevates the story with genuine emotional nuance and nostalgic authenticity.
• Balanced Gameplay Loop: Seamlessly blends gory, high-impact firefights with slow-paced detective work and moral choices.
• Flawless Tone: Nails the dark humor, corporate satire, and '80s aesthetic of the original films.

Cons:

• Methodical Pacing Isn't for Everyone: The slow movement speed and lack of traditional mobility options may frustrate twitch-shooter fans.
• Dated Secondary Character Models: Stiff facial capture on non-essential NPCs contrasts sharply with Murphy’s detailed model.
• Uneven Late-Game Difficulty: Later levels occasionally rely on bullet-sponge enemies and heavy rocket spam.

Conclusion

RoboCop: Rogue City is easily the greatest video game adaptation the franchise has ever seen. By ignoring modern multiplayer trends and focusing entirely on delivering a faithful, single-player cinematic experience, Teyon crafted an atmospheric, violent, and deeply respectful homage to an '80s action masterpiece.