Haiku, the Robot mini-review

Haiku are short poems that adhere to a precise format. Artistry comes from being able to fluently express yourself in a restrained form. Similarly, Mister Morris Games’ Haiku, the Robot devotedly follows metroidvania formula, which extends a modest amount of mechanical innovation.

Set in a post-apocalyptic setting where humanity has perished, artificial life still lingers. But after two centuries, most of the world’s machinery has been corrupted, making it aggressive. But the game’s eponymous lead and a few lingering NPCs are immune, setting up Haiku’s trek through a labyrinthine underworld. You’ll journey through zones like a derelict factory, a volatile incinerator, and intricate networks armed with vicious defense systems.

While Haiku is a rotund little bot, he’s quite potent. Armed with an improvised blade that hits in a wide circular arc, combat is melee-based. Unfortunately, your arsenal doesn’t vary all that much. Sure, Haiku can slot in three different colors of chips that augment his output and even inject a bit of customizability. But essentially, you’ll be hacking your way through the game’s five-to-seven-hour trek.

But just don’t expect the game to hand over its upgrades. You’ll need to scour the game’s recesses, prove your platforming prowess, and hoard currency dropped by defeated enemies.

Remarkably, capitalism extends into the robotic age. While you can recharge Haiku’s health at save stations, the bot can also heal at any time. Doing so will cost you money and a few seconds- so don’t expect to effortlessly repair yourself in the middle of a boss fight. While one of Haiku’s NPCs will also charge you for poems, there are a few complimentary items that are earned after the game’s encouraging boss battles.

These tend to increase Haiku’s maneuverability, allowing the diminutive droid to double-jump, scamper up walls, ‘blink’ across short distances, or fling a grappling hook. Like the dash ability that you begin the adventure with, most of these capacities will increase an on-screen heat meter. While that’s not an issue with the game’s subordinate foes, you’ll definitely have to keep your eye on the gauge during Haiku’s boss battles. Like many metroidvanias, these moments are where adversity emerges; confrontations with standard enemies are rarely threatening.

You’ll also have access to the genre’s customary tools, that detail Haiku’s mobility and offensive upgrades. You’ll also have a zoomable map, which is updated when you find and annihilate nodes. Although the game offers a fast travel system, it’s not all that effective for quickly getting around the underworld. But fortunately, Haiku is quite good at sign-posting which areas are accessible and which ones need a specific tool for entry.

Fundamentally, Haiku’s don’t veer far from genre convention, which is a bit disappointing. If you’ve played a multitude of metroidvanias, play probably isn’t distinct enough to win you over. As such, innovation is found in other areas. The game’s storytelling is shrewdly conveyed through short conversations with NPCs. This decision keeps the tempo taut and the exposition is just ambiguous enough to hold your attention. Wisely, the game’s aesthetics are inspirited, with a restrained color palette and lovely art style evoking Game Boy Color title.  Guy Jones’ moody soundtrack is just as skilled, providing a hit of desolation across the robo-dystopia and driving intensity across the showcase skirmishes.

Haiku, the Robot is available from the Nintendo eShop
and via Steam. Review code was provided by the publisher.