RoboCop: Rogue City – Unfinished Business review: “Wonderfully indulgent”

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A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Are video games entering another golden age of movie tie-ins? It certainly seems so.

In 2020, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was the most compelling Indy tale since The Last Crusade from 1988. By the end of 2025, expect Arnold Schwarzenegger to make a digital return as the T-800 in Terminator 2D: No Fate, a side-scrolling shooter inspired by T2: Judgement Day from 1993.

It seems like it’ll evoke a delightful dose of ’90s nostalgia, as video games inspired by movies were extremely popular back then.

When transforming popular movie franchises into video games, there are two crucial aspects to consider: either capture the essence that made the film successful, or create an immersive experience that lets players embody the characters they’re playing.

In recent years, not many licensed games have successfully balanced authenticity like Robocop: Rogue City did in 2023, despite its numerous issues. It functioned as a sequel to the first two films, merging their violence, satire, and the over-the-top action from Frank Miller’s Robocop comic books.

In other words, the fundamentals of how you play Rogue City are found in Unfinished Business, an independent expansion that doesn’t require ownership of the earlier game or any prior familiarity with it to enjoy.

Upon our arrival back in Detroit, we discover the Metro West police station in a state of chaos. Flames consume its hallways. The once serviceable Ford Taurus patrol cars are now pockmarked with gunshots. The gruesome remains of officers lay scattered throughout the building. An unsettling stillness hangs heavy, save for the rhythmic clanging of Robocop’s mechanical footsteps.

A group of hired guns caused the devastation. They stole Robocop’s data chair and escaped to the OmniTower, a high-rise building developed by Omni Consumer Products (OCP), the film’s corporate rulers, with the intention of enhancing life in Old Detroit.

With a burning desire for retribution and driven to complete his unresolved tasks, Robo storms into OmniTower, navigating its levels one by one, eliminating goons until he encounters their leader, the menacing Cassius Graves. It’s tough not to draw parallels with movies like Dredd and The Raid, where law enforcers relentlessly climb towers, dismantling adversaries along the way.

Within OmniTower lies an unpleasant, concreted abyss that’s been compared to a decaying carcass, slowly deteriorating with each passing day, by one of the bartenders we encounter.

As I navigate through this grimy, futuristic cityscape, I stumble upon a decaying mall and a grim slum, where survival seems to cost a heavy price – the selling of lungs. The area is a labyrinth of industrial corridors, leading to intense firefights, and expansive open spaces teeming with adversaries either rushing at me or taking cover to rain down bullets from above.

In the game Unfinished Business, the intricate side missions of Rogue City and its role-playing dialogue options have taken a backseat, with the focus now primarily on action scenes; however, there’s still a sprinkle of those elements present.

The narrative unfolds at a fast-paced rhythm, propelling you from one intense firefight to another, as you force open doors and walls while taking down adversaries using Robocop’s incredibly potent Auto 9 machine pistol. Even with the introduction of the freezing Cryo Cannon, it remains the most gratifying weapon to employ.

A diverse group of formidable adversaries has emerged, including heavily-armored soldiers, cyborgs equipped with katanas (similar to those in Robocop 3), and aerial drones. These opponents present a more challenging threat than your typical criminal, most of whom still blunder into Robocop’s line of sight.

The developer Teyon again recreates the essence of being Robocop with aplomb.

The intense gunfights are where Basil Poledouris’s music score becomes loud and clear. Robo, in his way, moves around, absorbing heavy damage as if he were a tank on foot. The dramatic finishing moves, such as hitting R1 next to an object highlighted in yellow, allow the cop to brutally smash someone’s head through a TV or fuse box.

In this game, you’ll have an opportunity to assume the role of Alex Murphy prior to his death and subsequent transformation into a cyborg. This change in perspective provides a refreshing contrast to the heavy, oppressive environment of OmniTower.

An event unfolds within a deserted warehouse, offering insightful perspectives on the function and societal impact of the police force.

A standout moment comes when we get to operate ED-209, a massive weaponized device equipped with both a rocket launcher and twin cannons, in an intense sequence that’s incredibly violent.

Similar to how Rogue City offers a satisfying evening of pizza and popcorn, Unfinished Business delivers an equally enjoyable gaming experience that’s not overly complicated or showy, yet remarkably pleasurable.

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2025-07-17 14:12