Robo Wars (Switch) Review

Robo Wars is a very simple 2-player arena battler with lower production values but has a sense of progression that is more enjoyable than you would assume.

It might look like a Flash game but try not to let that distract you too much. Playing as a generic robot, it is your job to defeat the computer controlled AI robot in a 1-v-1 arena match. Outfitted with a cannon and jetpack, both of which are on cool down timers, you need to time your attacks and dodges appropriately for success.  Each win grants the player treasure chests, some of which are unlocked with a mobile game-like timer, but the player is always given something even when losing. 

Honestly, combat is nothing special.  In fact, it is actually rather boring and quickly becomes routine in killing the enemy AI as they all perform mostly the same. If you lose, it is usually because you are simply underpowered and might need to grind slightly to enhance your health.  Each battle is super fast though, usually taking under 30 seconds to defeat your opponent.  Thing is, the player only uses the left analog stick, one button for the jetpack, and the other to attack.  This is not a twin-stick shooter. Point being, the game auto aims for you.  It always points towards your opponent but slower bullets mean you’ll need to get close to do damage. In time, new weapons and robots can be unlocked but the game doesn’t explain what they do before you purchase them. Meaning, if you buy a gun you don’t like, you are stuck with it as you burned your precious and hard-to-acquire purchasing gems.

Crates also randomly drop from the sky and will aid your offense or debuff your opponent which is just enough to spice to make gameplay more entertaining.  Lasers also enclose the arena to ensure each match is over quickly.  Thanks to fast loading times, the player can whip through battle after battle and make a lot of progress in a short amount of time. Even if you lose, your opponent, the opponent’s weapon, and the arena changes after every match. So if you get killed by that slow but overpowered cannon blast, you’ll probably face a machine gun robot with a fish in its head next round for some reason. 

Robo Wars is a very generic game. There is nothing special about it and has a very amateur level of polish. But for some dumb reason, I liked this game way more than I thought I would thanks to the simple approach, super fast gameplay, and wealth of unlockables.

Also Try: Cannon Brawl  

Not As Polished As: Super Hiking League  

Wait For It: the next Real Steel movie

By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com

Twitter: @ZackGaz

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