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Fair or unfair, this roguelite shooter certainly presents a formidable challenge | Review - Bibots
2K View2023-08-25
Bibots is a roguelite dungeon crawler shooter where players take on the role of a warrior that can pilot mech armors called Bibots. As Tayar, you are the only one left standing (literally) and the only savior of his world.
đźź©Pros
+Pleasing HD visuals
+Intense bullet-hell action
+Variety of weapons and upgrades to experiment with
+Procedurally generated levels and easy traversal mechanics
🟥Cons
-The touch controls are floaty and clunky
-The titular Bibots are underutilized as a gameplay concept
-Persistent progression is a bit grindy, even for a roguelite
+Pleasing HD visuals
+Intense bullet-hell action
+Variety of weapons and upgrades to experiment with
+Procedurally generated levels and easy traversal mechanics
🟥Cons
-The touch controls are floaty and clunky
-The titular Bibots are underutilized as a gameplay concept
-Persistent progression is a bit grindy, even for a roguelite
Bibots features a unique HD-2D art style that primarily incorporates intricately drawn cartoon visuals, creating a surreal and gentle atmosphere. The style predominantly employs dark color palettes with subtle neon lighting undertones. The visual effects are pleasing to the eye, and even amidst the chaotic bullet hell screen clutter, the action remains visually coherent, with projectiles remaining easily discernible.
The game is currently available for a discounted pre-order of $3.99 USD (from $5.99 USD) on the AppStore and open for pre-registration on the PlayStore, the game is also available for PC on Epic and Steam since last year. The mobile release date is set for August 29, 2023.
The gameplay mechanics in Bibots follow a classic twin-stick shooter formula: character movement is controlled using the left stick, while aiming and shooting are executed with the right stick. A well-timed dodge mechanic proves crucial for evading enemy projectiles, and the inclusion of obtainable secondary attacks, like grenades or flying discs, adds tactical depth. The main event, however, is the titular Bibot-summoning special ability. This powerful ally can be deployed defensively or offensively, during intense encounters against a diverse array of enemy types and formidable bosses.
While Bibots pays homage to the twin-stick shooter genre, it does introduce a unique challenge: the controls, more specifically the implementation of touch controls. Movement feels floaty, and aiming demands manual precision via the right stick, which makes it a bit more difficult than its usual mobile contemporaries who have auto attack or auto target mechanics. Overall, the controls feel very clunky and frustrating that it introduces an added challenge, and further impedes actual enjoyment of the would-be fun game mechanics. I never really felt in total control while playing.
The game mechanics on the other hand are actually decent for a rogue-lite: Bibots employs a rogue-lite approach that encourages experimentation and replay value. As players journey through the game's levels, they're presented with a series of three random choices for temporary upgrades in each run. These choices encompass stat boosts and new modifiers, such as health augmentation or chance-to-freeze effects. The progression extends to loot acquisition, with chests and merchants strategically scattered across the map. Weapon diversity and modifiers are all fun to try and use, as each weapon flaunts distinct attributes, from projectile behaviors to splash damage effects.
Level design mirrors the unpredictability of rogue-lites, featuring procedurally generated dungeons and multiple pathways. A commendable feature is a non-linear layout that avoids monotony. Conveniently, the player can teleport to previously cleared rooms, streamlining map traversal and erasing unnecessary backtracking.
Persistent progression comes in the form of leveling different types of Bibots, each boasting its unique strengths and play styles. As well as unlocking new passives called “Compos’ups” for purchase. These modifications range from imbuing projectiles with poison to straightforward damage amplifications.
Fair or unfair, the game certainly presents a formidable challenge, I already died many times even on the first level and before encountering the first boss. Restarting isn’t a problem as there is fun to be had in trying out different weapons and upgrade combinations.
However, I feel that the titular Bibots are too underutilized: when activated via the ultimate ability which takes quite some time to fill up, it is only summoned for a few seconds and it’s gone in almost an instant. Leveling them up also takes quite a while and even if you unlock new Compos’ups, you’d still have to farm the currency to unlock these and use them.
Conclusion:
Bibots is certainly an engaging Roguelite dungeon crawler shooter with a captivating HD art style, enjoyable mechanics, and a challenging bullet hell experience. However, I can't help but feel disappointed by the floaty controls and the missed opportunity to make better use of the titular Bibots throughout the gameplay.
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