Don't Die, Mr. Robot! DX (iOS) Review

Made by British developer, Infinite State Games, Don't Die, Mr. Robot! DX is purely an arcade-like experience that focuses on pure gameplay and getting to it as quickly as possible. The titular character's home is invaded by robotic drones, and by grabbing exploding fruit he can eliminate them from the grid. One touch equals death for Mr. Robot, which will eventually happen from swarms of enemies, leaving the high score being the main driving force behind playing the game.

The '80s inspiration behind Don't Die, Mr. Robot! DX is on full show here, with a neon-like aesthetic design, and bright colourful visuals, emphasised by background flair and animation. Acid-style musical tracks accompany these stages, and the sound effects being akin to a slot machine or a crane game at the amusements only add to the sense of place.

Guiding Mr. Robot around his spacious 2D home is very simple, with a choice of the analogue stick or d-pad buttons; the stick being optimal for gradual movement and the pad for instant dashes. Collecting fruit is as easy as touching it, ideally when next to other produce as it then creates a chain reaction of blasts, but one touch of an enemy spells the end of the run. This super straightforward control scheme and game structure makes Don't Die, Mr. Robot! DX an ideal choice for casual players and those new to videogames, in general, but still offers enough challenge for the experienced to enjoy.

The game opens with mandatory Remix levels, which serve a dual purpose; a quick tutorial that eases players in by offering one goal at a time, and a look into the new content in this release. This mode contains a vast array of differing level objectives and reward trophies to collect, which unlock consecutive stages to play. Players may use only one enemy time, for example, or make one kind of fruit poisonous to Mr. Robot instead of his foes. Although a basic addition, this mode adds a great deal of replayability and variety to the game overall.

After the informative early Remix levels, the other options open; Arcade, which is a basic survival and subsequent High Score feature, Time Attack that sets a duration limit for points acquisition, and the most surprising addition that is Chill Out that tones down the enemy speed and sets a mellow background melody to the default rule-set. Going against the core mechanic of the base game and providing a means to unwind instead of tensing up during play is unusually alluring, and works incredibly well as an addition.

Repeat play is rewarded though the Shop feature, that allows for clothing and accessory customisation through the use of coins collected during the levels. Power-ups that affect stats, and guest characters that play slightly differently to Mr. Robot are also options, making for a subtle, yet effective means of changing up the core gameplay. High Scores through each of the modes is tracked in a separate menu option, but is sadly limited to offline only. Don't Die, Mr. Robot! DX is a strictly solitary experience, but for that purpose it is an essential pick-up-and-play gem.