Gunbot Diplomacy Review
Bullet heaven roguelite Gunbot Diplomacy doesn’t do enough to distinguish itself.
Gunbot Diplomacy. Sleepy Sentry / GrabTheGames / Gamersky Games
Gunbot Diplomacy, from developer Sleepy Sentry and publishers GrabTheGames and Gamersky Games, is a rogue-lite Survivors-like “bullet heaven” game. Though small in scale, the game includes many weapons and augments, and features a unique hexagonal upgrade grid that opens up a wealth of interesting strategic options. Though there’s a great deal to experiment with in your own build, the game is hurt by a lack of variety in its campaign and hewing too closely to Brotato in its gameplay design.
You pick from several available Gunbots, though you only start with one, and a starting weapon. You must survive through a series of waves with different win conditions, including beating a timer, killing a certain number of enemies, defeating a boss, and more. Each wave, the level layout and enemies change, but there isn’t much variety in its Brotato-sized arenas. Your only abilities are movement and a dash dodge; your weapon is aimed for you. There isn’t anything unique here. Runs get repetitive very quickly, especially with how short waves can be, and I never felt the compulsion to play “just one more time.”
Gunbot Diplomacy. Sleepy Sentry / GrabTheGames / Gamersky Games
Gunbot Diplomacy. Sleepy Sentry / GrabTheGames / Gamersky Games
As you’d expect, you gain upgrades as you level up while playing. Additionally, you can spend scrap in the shop to buy weapons and augments after each wave. You place weapons and augments on a hexagonal grid, where augments affect weapons on their perimeter, so you must plan carefully as you create your build over the course of a run. Nearly everything you place on the grid can be upgraded by purchasing the item repeatedly and putting it in the same place. You’re only limited by the space available on the grid; it’s up to you whether you want to upgrade individual things or place multiple copies instead.
The graphics are flat, similar to Brotato, but lack the charm. Simpler sprites with thicker outlines and a more carefully controlled color palette would have helped the game’s visuals immensely. Visually, the game is frankly boring, which I could let slide if the gameplay were top-notch, but it’s not.
Gunbot Diplomacy is difficult to recommend when there are so many similar but superior games at the same price point. Playing the game just made me want to return to Brotato, which is what I’d suggest you play instead.
Gunbot Diplomacy is available now on Steam.
Overall Score: 5/10
Played on: Steam Deck
