Robodies: Machine IS NOT Learning

[h1]Experienced on the Meta Quest 3[/h1] Remember, the game is in Early Access and is liable to change. However, I don't like writing negative reviews, especially on a game with zero reviews. It kind of feels like kicking a dead horse in VR. I no longer do these videos on my channel. There's no joy in it. I'll keep this short. Game feels like a demo. You have a 60 minute timer, but it's more like 5 minutes or maybe even less, but it feels much longer. You either tap, slap, throw a book, or draw a picture. You can also pick up and throw the robot student, but I believe it's the same as a tap. Just follow the prompts. Then repeat. Same classroom, same prompts, same robots. No difference between first or second round. You have full locomotion or teleportation available. You only have snap turning (low degree of turn). You can sort of play comfortably seated (you're too low to the ground to start off, but once playing, you're fine). [b]Rate 4/10.[/b] [quote]Please note: I received a free Steam key through the Steam Curator Connect program. If you enjoyed my review, please consider joining my Steam Curator group [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/Oculus_WMR]Oculus Rift Reviews.[/url][/quote]

Robodies: Machine is not Learning offers a fantastic concept for VR, providing a genuinely fun experience for the first 30 minutes, before the gameplay loop begins to feel repetitive. There is a lot of potential here, and with some more work from the developers, this could easily become a standout title. One of the first things you'll notice is the lack of a menu. The game throws you directly into the action, and there are currently no settings to adjust audio levels or music. More importantly for me as a seated player, the game lacks comfort and accessibility options. Without height adjustment or a "crouch" button, seated play can be a little tricky. The game kicks off with a narrative hook: you answer a phone call to get a sense of the story, followed by some interactive visual instructions on a computer. From there, you’re tasked with "teaching" a class of AI robots, though they act more like typical teenagers than advanced machines. The core mechanics play out like a series of fast-paced, reaction-based mini-games. You'll find yourself: Throwing specific coloured books. Drawing pictures on the blackboard. Waking up sleeping students (not sure why robots sleep). Disciplining by hitting chatting robots. Repairing by hitting malfunctioning robots. Stopping robots from Self destruction. Each round is timed and graded, which adds a nice competitive edge. However, after a few sessions, the lack of variety becomes apparent. The "fun energy" is there at the start, but it needs more content to sustain it. To keep a player like myself engaged, the game needs a sense of progression. I’d love more audio too. Adding heavy "impact" or "slap" sound effects would make interacting with the robots much more satisfying. Adding vocal responses (funny quips or robot noises) when they are disciplined would also add a lot of character. Also more task variety. The blackboard mini-game is a good start, but it needs a wider library of images ranging from simple shapes to complex drawings to match rising difficulty levels. Then with the malfunctioning robots, I feel there needs to be something different. Instead of just whacking a malfunctioning robot, perhaps players could have to hit a specific area that is sparking or quickly reconnect a few loose wires. I hope there will also be more environments (different classrooms), a larger variety of characters, and things like random events would go a long way in breaking up the repetition. As an Early Access title, Robodies is a solid foundation. I really enjoyed the initial vibe and the humour of managing a chaotic robot classroom. I truly hope the developers continue to build on this, as I’d love to return to a more in-depth version. I live streamed my first experience of the game if you want to check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/live/-fhf44xR4Nc