GATO ROBOTO REVIEW
If Gato Roboto was specifically created for anyone in the world, it was me. I’m an avid cat fan, I love metroidvanias (though I’ve only played a few), and I devour short indie games. So, as you can imagine, I was VERY excited to dip into this - what is essentially a standard, 4 hour metroidvania, but with the novelty of getting to play as a cat in a mech suit. Is that feline MC biasing me a little bit here? Maybe. But, come on, there’s a dedicated meow button.
In all seriousness, I think that GR has a very solid game going underneath the gimmick. While it certainly isn’t anything groundbreaking, it’s a good way to spend a few hours. I even had fun speedrunning it.
SHORT REVIEW
Visuals: 4/5
Sound: 3.5/5
Story: 2.5/5
Gameplay: 3.5/5
Worldbuilding: 3/5
Achievements (Does not count toward overall score.): 3.5/5
Overall game score: 3.5/5
IN-DEPTH REVIEW
Visuals:
Gato Roboto boasts simple, charming pixel art that fits the metroidvania genre well - but what really makes its visuals stand out is the two-tone color palette. It’s a unique, remarkably executed style that I enjoyed a lot. In fact, my favorite part of the game might be the collectible cassettes, which unlock other palettes beyond the default black and white. On top of just being a cool idea, it helps keep things fresh for the short playtime. They all look nice, too, though some are less usable than others due to the clashing colors.
The enemies and environments aren’t very memorable, but they get the job done. While it would’ve been nice to see this stuff fleshed out more, I understand that the lack of any color theory makes that more difficult. It certainly isn’t bad, at least.
The menu setup is easy to understand and appealing. I thought it was cute how the cat was the center of the power-up screen. I found the map very helpful, too, as a room isn’t added until you’ve actually entered it. This might be standard for the genre, I’m not sure, but I still appreciated it.
The cat is extremely cute. Best purrtagonist in history, maybe.
Overall, 4/5.
Sound:
While the music here is really cool. It provides amazing ambience. However, it’s also loopy and short. Like, ‘a lot of the tracks are only around a minute and a half’ short. I think it’s a great style, but that repetitiveness is definitely noticeable for me.
I feel like focusing on this area more would’ve really benefited the overall game. Distinct, longer pieces for different levels/boss fights would’ve helped set things apart in a way the visuals lack.
The sound effects are satisfying and distinct.
The cat's meow is very cute.
Overall, 3.5/5.
Story:
The story isn’t anything too special, but it’s enough to move everything along. I’m not a fan of these plots driven entirely by going from one place to the next, but I can’t say I expected much more here.
The writing and childlike humor actually made me chuckle a few times. I’m used to indie stuff like this having awful comedy, and while this one still isn’t AMAZING, it’s decent.
Overall, 2.5/5.
Gameplay:
Others have pointed out that Gato Roboto borrows heavily from the original Metroid. I personally can’t compare the two, but I would agree that GR’s mechanics are pretty typical for the genre. That doesn’t mean it’s not fun, though!
While I wasn’t a big fan of its platforming initially, the ball jump and dash upgrades made it a lot more enjoyable to get around the world. There were still a few times where room/enemy setups annoyed me, but it was never egregiously bad.
I wish that the shooting felt more powerful early on. It seems obsolete for a large chunk of the game, since the missile launcher is just a lot stronger. Still, the limits put on the missile launcher incentivize shooting every once and a while, and it does become much more useful once you finally get to upgrade it.
The boss fights were fun! I only wish they’d been more diverse in visual design. They’re still entertaining, though, and most of them have a unique enough gameplay gimmick where it doesn’t get repetitive while playing. I especially enjoyed them while speedrunning, where the challenge became to beat them as quickly as possible.
Overall, 3.5/5.
Worldbuilding:
As I’ve mentioned, a lot of the environments are hurt by the lack of color. They don’t really stand out from each other, despite being drastically different settings. It’s just a sacrifice made for the two-tone style, unfortunately. That’s why I think more music would’ve helped to pick up the slack.
I really like the collectibles/hidden upgrades, though. They’re not often difficult to get, but they’re rewarding. It makes the world feel a lot larger and worth paying attention to. What Gato Roboto lacks in ‘lore’ or environmental design, it makes up for with the exploration aspect of the gameplay.
There are some ‘audio’ logs, too. It’s a nice touch that adds to the plot a bit.
Overall, 3/5.
Extra Category - Achievements:
A good chunk of the achievements are progression-based, but there are a few that require additional playthroughs. To my surprise, I actually really enjoyed replaying to get those. While it was frustrating at times, it wasn’t unmanageable.
One of them is for beating the game in under an hour. This took me a few attempts, but I eventually got it while streaming for my friends. It was a very satisfying moment, and it’s probably one of my favorite achievements I’ve earned as a result.
Overall, 4/5.
Overall game score: 3.5/5. Gato Roboto is an imperfect, but fun and precise little metroidvania with a lot of heart. While I wish there was a bigger soundtrack, and the story and environmental design are lacking, the unique visual presentation, good gameplay, and great exploration make up for it. It managed to keep me entertained for multiple playthroughs. Worth a try if you’re a fan of the genre.
If Gato Roboto was specifically created for anyone in the world, it was me. I’m an avid cat fan, I love metroidvanias (though I’ve only played a few), and I devour short indie games. So, as you can imagine, I was VERY excited to dip into this - what is essentially a standard, 4 hour metroidvania, but with the novelty of getting to play as a cat in a mech suit. Is that feline MC biasing me a little bit here? Maybe. But, come on, there’s a dedicated meow button.
In all seriousness, I think that GR has a very solid game going underneath the gimmick. While it certainly isn’t anything groundbreaking, it’s a good way to spend a few hours. I even had fun speedrunning it.
SHORT REVIEW
Visuals: 4/5
Sound: 3.5/5
Story: 2.5/5
Gameplay: 3.5/5
Worldbuilding: 3/5
Achievements (Does not count toward overall score.): 3.5/5
Overall game score: 3.5/5
IN-DEPTH REVIEW
Visuals:
Gato Roboto boasts simple, charming pixel art that fits the metroidvania genre well - but what really makes its visuals stand out is the two-tone color palette. It’s a unique, remarkably executed style that I enjoyed a lot. In fact, my favorite part of the game might be the collectible cassettes, which unlock other palettes beyond the default black and white. On top of just being a cool idea, it helps keep things fresh for the short playtime. They all look nice, too, though some are less usable than others due to the clashing colors.
The enemies and environments aren’t very memorable, but they get the job done. While it would’ve been nice to see this stuff fleshed out more, I understand that the lack of any color theory makes that more difficult. It certainly isn’t bad, at least.
The menu setup is easy to understand and appealing. I thought it was cute how the cat was the center of the power-up screen. I found the map very helpful, too, as a room isn’t added until you’ve actually entered it. This might be standard for the genre, I’m not sure, but I still appreciated it.
The cat is extremely cute. Best purrtagonist in history, maybe.
Overall, 4/5.
Sound:
While the music here is really cool. It provides amazing ambience. However, it’s also loopy and short. Like, ‘a lot of the tracks are only around a minute and a half’ short. I think it’s a great style, but that repetitiveness is definitely noticeable for me.
I feel like focusing on this area more would’ve really benefited the overall game. Distinct, longer pieces for different levels/boss fights would’ve helped set things apart in a way the visuals lack.
The sound effects are satisfying and distinct.
The cat's meow is very cute.
Overall, 3.5/5.
Story:
The story isn’t anything too special, but it’s enough to move everything along. I’m not a fan of these plots driven entirely by going from one place to the next, but I can’t say I expected much more here.
The writing and childlike humor actually made me chuckle a few times. I’m used to indie stuff like this having awful comedy, and while this one still isn’t AMAZING, it’s decent.
Overall, 2.5/5.
Gameplay:
Others have pointed out that Gato Roboto borrows heavily from the original Metroid. I personally can’t compare the two, but I would agree that GR’s mechanics are pretty typical for the genre. That doesn’t mean it’s not fun, though!
While I wasn’t a big fan of its platforming initially, the ball jump and dash upgrades made it a lot more enjoyable to get around the world. There were still a few times where room/enemy setups annoyed me, but it was never egregiously bad.
I wish that the shooting felt more powerful early on. It seems obsolete for a large chunk of the game, since the missile launcher is just a lot stronger. Still, the limits put on the missile launcher incentivize shooting every once and a while, and it does become much more useful once you finally get to upgrade it.
The boss fights were fun! I only wish they’d been more diverse in visual design. They’re still entertaining, though, and most of them have a unique enough gameplay gimmick where it doesn’t get repetitive while playing. I especially enjoyed them while speedrunning, where the challenge became to beat them as quickly as possible.
Overall, 3.5/5.
Worldbuilding:
As I’ve mentioned, a lot of the environments are hurt by the lack of color. They don’t really stand out from each other, despite being drastically different settings. It’s just a sacrifice made for the two-tone style, unfortunately. That’s why I think more music would’ve helped to pick up the slack.
I really like the collectibles/hidden upgrades, though. They’re not often difficult to get, but they’re rewarding. It makes the world feel a lot larger and worth paying attention to. What Gato Roboto lacks in ‘lore’ or environmental design, it makes up for with the exploration aspect of the gameplay.
There are some ‘audio’ logs, too. It’s a nice touch that adds to the plot a bit.
Overall, 3/5.
Extra Category - Achievements:
A good chunk of the achievements are progression-based, but there are a few that require additional playthroughs. To my surprise, I actually really enjoyed replaying to get those. While it was frustrating at times, it wasn’t unmanageable.
One of them is for beating the game in under an hour. This took me a few attempts, but I eventually got it while streaming for my friends. It was a very satisfying moment, and it’s probably one of my favorite achievements I’ve earned as a result.
Overall, 4/5.
Overall game score: 3.5/5. Gato Roboto is an imperfect, but fun and precise little metroidvania with a lot of heart. While I wish there was a bigger soundtrack, and the story and environmental design are lacking, the unique visual presentation, good gameplay, and great exploration make up for it. It managed to keep me entertained for multiple playthroughs. Worth a try if you’re a fan of the genre.