Inspired by Metroid

Wandering a sprawling map

What's my objective?

Haiku, The Robot is a 2D Metroid-style game with melee combat, platforming, and a few interesting tricks up its metallic sleeve. However, it doesn't do a great job of giving you clear objectives to aim for; you're largely left to explore its expansive world and map as you see fit. For some, that freedom may be liberating, but others are likely to find it frustrating.

As you explore a series of interior spaces, like water ducts, an incinerator, and a factory, you need to find map data, defeat bosses, and collect upgrades. Annoyingly, the map terminals that you smash apart to reveal each area are themselves sometimes hidden away. New abilities you can earn include turning into a ball, wall jumping, and teleporting short distances. Many abilities, including a dash move that you start with, fill up your heat gauge and when it's at capacity, you have to wait for it to cool down. You can also equip your little robot with chips that provide a variety of buffs and perks.

While you eventually find a few more ways of damaging enemies, your primary weapon throughout is a short-range sword slash, which starts to grow stale pretty quickly. One aspect that I actually really liked about Haiku, The Robot is how its central currency, spare parts, can be used at any time to heal back any damage you take at a small cost. The rest can be spent at shops on new chips, extra slots for chips, and heart container pieces, or the robotic equivalent, I suppose. Fast travel options do show up, and more than a dozen NPCs that you encounter help to fill in the game’s backstory. Without a doubt, there's a charm to the game's protagonist and enemies, who mostly seem like scrap heap refuse come to life.

The openness of Haiku is both its strength and its weakness, and some who get drawn in by its Metroidvania trappings and retro look will be let down by the lack of direction provided. Those who don't mind experimenting and backtracking will find a more satisfying experience, but about halfway through I felt like I had already had my fill. Aesthetically, the clean presentation is an asset, but the soundtrack lacks punch and variety. Ultimately, even though Haiku, The Robot does play well, it can be tedious more often than it is compelling.