Gato Roboto
Year: 2019
Rating: E
Time Played: 210 minutes / 3.50 hours
Here’s the hook: you control a cat who can also pilot a mecha robot. That’s Gato Roboto. It’s a simple Metroidvania, both in length and graphics, but the charm of the concept itself makes it worth a play-through. It almost reminds me of Earthworm Jim (where a worm pilots a humanoid power suit) without all the weird gross-out elements. Despite its straightforward concept, Gato Roboto has a bit of a learning curve. Fortunately, given enough time and practice, it can be beaten in a couple of hours. Your mileage may vary given how used to Metroidvanias and Souls-like games you are.
Plot-wise, Gato Roboto has some amusing little twists and turns that help drive the game forward. I love that the principal antagonist is a rat/mouse in a variety of mecha robots. There isn’t too much backtracking/looping involved here, which usually lengthens how long it takes to get through a Metroidvania—thus the shorter length of this game. All the standard upgrades that you’d find in a Metroidvania are here, so expect to get dashing and double-jump abilities as you play through each individual area.
The real challenges here are the boss fights. There’s no way around their difficulty other than to “git gud” and memorize their attack patterns, using the Metroidvania skills you’ve obtained to dodge and stay alive. I found that sometimes I’d have to put it down for a few days to clear my head before tackling the boss with fresh energy. Overall, though, I thought this game had the right amount of difficulty, gameplay length, and charm. I didn’t feel compelled to 100% it, but I got most of what it offered in my singular play through.
An amusing concept for a Metroidvania, I give Gato Roboto 4.0 stars out of 5.
