Humanoid

Humanoid is a very simple top down shooter that feels like it was pulled straight out of an old arcade cabinet. I am dropped into a robot factory with one job, get through the maze, destroy the robots and shut down the controllers before they can launch an attack on Earth. The controls are basic and I can start playing almost immediately, but the game is not nearly as easy as it first looks. The walls are electrified, the enemies can hit hard and the game constantly pushes me to keep moving. The thing I like most is how much the game rewards me for being aggressive. I have 81 rooms to work through, and clearing rooms powers me up so I can deal with the tougher areas ahead. I can choose a quicker route towards the exit or take the time to clear more of the factory, which gives me a nice little choice every run. I cannot just sit in one place either because leaving too many robots alive can bring in rocket robots, and taking too long can cause a Controller Demon to appear and chase me. That pressure makes even the simple rooms feel more tense than I expected. The shooting itself is basic, but there is a nice rhythm to it. I have to move through tight spaces, avoid touching the electrified walls and learn how the enemies attack. The Controller Bosses are probably the best part because I have to actually learn their firing patterns instead of just running up and shooting until they fall over. I like that the game keeps the focus on movement and quick decisions rather than giving me a huge inventory or loads of abilities to manage. It feels clean and easy to understand. The biggest problem for me is that the game is also extremely limited. There are only so many things it can do with the same basic setup, and once I understand the rooms and enemy behaviour, I start seeing the structure underneath it. There is no big story to pull me forward and not much character development either. The retro style is clearly deliberate, and I think it looks fine for what it is, but it also means I am not getting a lot of visual variety. The game is really depending on its arcade challenge to keep me interested. I do like having the freedom to decide how I want to approach the factory. Sometimes I can rush through and look for the quickest route out, while other times I want to clear everything and see how strong I can make myself before moving on. That makes the same basic rooms feel a little different depending on what I am trying to achieve. The game is also completely free, which makes the short and simple design easier for me to appreciate. I am not expecting a huge campaign when I can just jump in and play without spending anything. What holds it back the most for me is how quickly I can understand everything it has to offer. The challenge is there, but the actual mechanics are very straightforward. Once I have learned to move aggressively, avoid the walls and deal with the different enemy patterns, there is not a huge amount left for me to discover. I still enjoy trying to get further and improving how I handle each room, but it feels more like a small arcade challenge than a game I am going to spend dozens of hours with. Overall, Humanoid is a neat little shooter that knows exactly what it wants to be. I like the fast pace, electrified maze, room based progression and the pressure to keep moving, and the Controller fights give me some of the best moments in the game. At the same time, the limited mechanics, simple presentation and lack of much beyond the core arcade loop stop it from reaching the higher end of my ratings. It is not a deep shooter, but it is a clean and focused one, and I think it is worth trying when I want something quick, difficult and uncomplicated. Rating: 7.2/10