At a time when video game pricing and preservation are making headlines, it’s refreshing to see a publisher putting out a modestly priced new release that’s available both digitally and at retail on day one. It isn’t as if we’ve seen many single-player first-person shooters of late either, with DOOM: The Dark Ages, Atomfall, and the belated PS5 release of Indiana Jones being the few from 2025 to spring to mind. Just like RoboCop arriving at a crime scene within seconds of a weapon being drawn, the timing here is impeccable.
Of course, there’s a reason behind the lower £25 price point – and if you’ve been following Unfinished Business’ development, it’s something you’re likely already aware of. This is a smaller scale 8-10 hour standalone that clearly recycles assets. It’s akin to stepping straight back into the original, with the same feel and an identical UI. This isn’t exactly a bad thing considering Rogue City showed that Polish developer Teyon has a very good understanding of both the wonderfully satirical RoboCop franchise as a whole, and Robocop as a character.
Our hero is, simply put, a walking tank – with every footstep emitting an audible crunch. Robo can withstand dozens of hits and while often outgunned is able to dispose of large gangs swiftly with a few well-aimed headshots, fierce punches, forcibly flung furniture, and environmental takedowns. The Auto 9 pistol also packs a wallop, making goon’s heads satisfyingly explode like ripe watermelons. Robo can additionally activate a shield, frazzle enemies with an electric blast, and boost dash out of harm’s way. All of this ensures that you’re never a sitting duck.
The opening sequence involves an assault on Detroit’s police department, prompting RoboCop to single handily storm an OCP-owned tower block under mercenary control. Over time, the head of the mercenaries and their intentions are revealed. As there are civilians still trapped inside, plenty of chances arise for Robo to protect the innocent – while dishing out a few fines and verbal warnings too. What a stickler.
A brief tutorial helps ease in returning players and guide newcomers, essentially breaking down RoboCop’s abilities along with the skill tree and the Auto 9 upgrade mini-game, which like before entails forming an electrical circuit using passthroughs. While additional circuit components are found in chests throughout, it’s an idea that soon takes a backseat. Once the Auto 9 was moderately more powerful than default, able to takedown most adversaries with 2-3 hits, I was content enough to leave it be. A good thing too, considering my save game glitched towards the end, making it impossible to pick up any secondary weapons.
After hearing of the tower block setting, I expected something quite linear and formulaic, with Robo simply making his way from one floor to the next while dispatching increasingly tougher enemies. These expectations were soon shattered as chapter locations have a spawling ‘ground floor’ feel, with only the final chapter being based around a tower-climb. You’ll get to storm the foyer – accompanied by Basil Poledouris’ celebrated main theme tune – before heading into an abandoned shopping mall, civilian housing including a shanty town, a recreational area with an arcade and cinema, a food court with a fountain set-piece, and eventually the OCP laboratories – along with what awaits at the top floor.
Doors are smashed off hinges, locations trashed completely, and countless precariously placed explosive barrels are made useful along the way. All the while the mercenaries employ new tactics to slow RoboCop down, bringing in back-up and brandishing bigger guns.
RoboCop’s assault soon comes to a standstill. The tower is on lockdown, meaning paths are often blocked by reinforced doors. As such, it’s never long until the need arises to find a terminal or locate a keycard. Fortunately, help is on hand from a mysterious civilian who knows the tower inside and out. They’re one of a few key NPCs met along the way, and a good attempt has been made at establishing recurring characters to care about, with even a marriage proposal to become involved with. Cast aside any mental images of RoboCop as best man.
While a tad shallow, being a shorter supplementary side-story and all, the plot is engaging enough to carry the experience through to the end. Where it really excels though is with its diversions. In quite a few areas, such as the shanty town, RoboCop holsters his weapon to help the community with menial tasks – and the levels are designed around this, with a few optional areas to explore. Said tasks teeter on the comical side, including retrieving a pet rat and locating a rare comic book. Often there’s a conflict to resolve, allowing for sides to be taken. Playable flashback scenes help to introduce additional variety, and later there’s the chance to indulge in wanton destruction of OCP property via an ED-209 unit. More experimental weapon types wouldn’t have gone amiss, though.
More detrimental is the predominantly grey, warehouse-like, nature of the tower – ergo no outdoor locations. You won’t be patrolling Detroit’s crime riddled streets here; something I sorely missed. It isn’t until the final chapter that you’re able to take in the tower’s views and look out onto the world below, with little more than grey walls and floors to stare at prior, the occasional flashy set-piece notwithstanding. Between the gung-ho opening and climatic ending there’s a bit of flab too, although this isn’t enough to leave a sour taste, and after a spot of slower paced detective work it’s never long until you’re back to unpacking hot lead.
While it’s hard not to shake the feeling that Unfinished Business only exists because the original was one of publisher Nacon’s biggest recent hits of recent times, it still feels worthwhile too, offering plenty of bloodshed, joyfully heavy-handed action, and a reasonable attempt at establishing a meaningful story. Despite the £25 price tag, it manages to avoid feeling like a cheap cash-in, and I’m glad the developers didn’t lean into the ‘tower block climb’ premise too heavily. Not even RoboCop likes taking the stairs when the lifts aren’t working.
Teyon’s RoboCop Rogue City: Unfinished Business is out now on PS5, Xbox Series and PC. Published by Nacon.