Bit Golem's Robot Squad Simulator X is perhaps one of the biggest gaming disappointments in ages. On paper everything about Robot Squad Simulator X should add up to a fun, tense robot simulation game where players intelligently and methodically use the various machinery provided to defuse bombs, save hostages, and anything else under the sun related to warfare or action tropes used in the last 20 years. And while the mission objectives are fun and the level design is interesting, Robot Squad Simulator X fails at a mechanical level. Movement is unbearably slow, operating the robot during missions is painfully frustrating, and there's no indication at all that the game was designed with an Xbox One controller in mind, in spite of the added on "X" at the end for that version of the game.
Robot Squad Simulator X starts by putting players through six training SnowRunner are slower-paced simulators and they capitalize on realism and are all the better for it. But when that methodical slowness and supposed realism is harmful to the experience, such as it is here, it's hard not to wish that the game just opted for a bit of a more arcade-like feel instead.
This clunkiness infects robot movement as well. Turning and pivoting the robots while on the move is not at all intuitive. There will be times where players will have to stop, use the bumper buttons to turn (again slowly) and waste precious time during a mission just performing what should be simple tasks. Again, in a better game, this might add something to the tension levels already present, but Robot Squad Simulator X is nearly devoid of all tension. The least it could do is not be completely exasperating on such a basic level like controls.
It's not all frustration and boredom, though. The designs of the various levels feel like they belong in a different game altogether. In fact, with a better control system, navigating these treacherous locations around the world and defusing bombs to save the day would probably feel like a smooth and somewhat fun experience. As it exists in its current form however, the levels are just something nice to look at to distract from everything else that Robot Squad Simulator X gets so confoundingly wrong.
This is equally true of the objectives in the game. Defusing bombs as part of a squad of robots that tasks the players to switch from ground units to air to water robots should be exhilarating. Here, it's just choosing the path of least resistance when it comes to game mechanics, trying to get through a mission as fast as possible without getting angry, and moving on. And, as fun as mission objectives can be, the layout of a lot of the mission objectives doesn't really build a lot of tension. Whether that's a failure of writing or because of the control scheme and movement issues is hard to say for certain, but it's still yet another issue present in Robot Squad Simulator X.
Robot Squad Simulator X could very well be a game that better on PC, where it first released a few years ago. But on console, its mechanical design is woefully underwhelming for a couch and controller experience. Achieving objectives, like disarming a bomb or doing pretty much any task throughout its 22 missions and 10-plus hours of gameplay is like pulling teeth at times. It would be one thing if the game was simply difficult, because at least difficult can be fun and rewarding. But Robot Squad Simulator X rarely finds moments of fun, and it's a simulator experience that probably never should have been released on the Xbox One in its current state.
Robot Squad Simulator X is out now on Xbox One. It was previously released on Nintendo Switch and PC under the name Robot Squad Simulator. Screen Rant was provided an Xbox One copy for the purposes of this review.
Robot Squad Simulator X
- Released
- October 20, 2016
