ROUTINE - Rapid Fire Review

Quick Overview

The Angry Joe Show gives the long-delayed sci-fi survival horror game "Routine" a 7/10 in a rapid-fire review, praising its excellent atmosphere, environmental storytelling, and unique CAT device mechanics, but criticizing the frustrating gameplay loop involving constant backtracking and the game's eventual cancellation, which left the story unresolved.

Key Points: The game "Routine" was originally announced back in 2012 and eventually shelved, only to resume production and find a new publisher in 2020. The reviewer rates the game a 7 out of 10, noting that while the atmosphere and sound design are excellent, the gameplay loop involves excessive backtracking. A key mechanic involves the CAT (Personal Data Assistant) device, which functions as a scanner to find hidden clues, footprints, and enemy locations, which the reviewer found to be a neat tool. The horror elements stem from the dark, unsettling passages, the constant threat of invisible and unkillable enemies, and the necessity of slowly creeping through the environment. The game's length is estimated to be around 5 to 10 hours, but the reviewer spent a considerable amount of time backtracking or getting lost. The review highlights that the game relies heavily on atmosphere and puzzle-solving rather than constant action or traditional jump scares. Despite the positive aspects of atmosphere and design, the game ultimately feels like it did not live up to its full potential due to the frustrating pacing and unresolved narrative.

Context: This video is a "Rapid Fire Review" by The Angry Joe Show focusing on the video game "Routine," a sci-fi survival horror title that experienced a famously long and troubled development cycle, having been initially announced in 2012 before being shelved and later revived in 2020. The review assesses the game's atmosphere, gameplay mechanics, horror elements, and overall value, particularly in light of its troubled history.

Detailed Analysis

The reviewer scores the sci-fi survival horror game "Routine" a 7/10, acknowledging its initial 2012 announcement and subsequent shelving before finding a new publisher in 2020. The game casts the player as a software engineer stranded on an abandoned lunar base. The core gameplay loop involves slow, cautious exploration through dark, unsettling corridors, heavily relying on atmosphere rather than cheap jump scares. The primary tool is the CAT (Personal Data Assistant) device, which acts as a scanner to locate hidden clues, enemy footprints, and enemy heat signatures—a neat mechanic that allows players to locate threats that are otherwise invisible. However, the reviewer strongly criticizes the gameplay for forcing excessive backtracking and puzzle-solving, stating that the need to constantly search for clues and reread emails consumes a considerable amount of the playtime, sometimes leading to frustration. While the atmosphere, sound design, and 80s-inspired aesthetic are praised as excellent, the overall experience is dampened by this slow, deliberate pace and the fact that the game's narrative remains incomplete due to its eventual cancellation. The game is estimated to be short, around 5 to 10 hours for a full playthrough, but the frustrating navigation makes the experience feel longer. The reviewer concludes that while it has great potential, the pacing issues prevent it from being a must-play title.