Protodroid DeLTA review

When video games started transitioning into 3D worlds in the late 90s, there was no guarantee that your favourite titles would feel good with a whole extra dimension. While characters like Mario moved seamlessly into this new generation of gaming, others weren’t so lucky. One series that didn’t really stray from its 2D roots was Mega Man, and the blue bomber was (for the most part) happy to stick with the two dimensional side-scrolling action we all know and love. Now Protodroid DeLTA dares to ask the question “what if those classic Mega Man games were reimagined in 3D?”, and the answer might just surprise you.

In the near future of 20XX, a powerful AI with near human intelligence called Protodroid DeLTA lives with her inventor Dr Shelton. This genius scientist wants to show the world how robots can help humanity, but while in the process of teaching DeLTA all she needs to know her lab is attacked by some bad bots. DeLTA is the only one who can stop this metallic menace, and after realising her combat potential sets out to save the city from some troublemakers known as Vypers. It’s a fairly straightforward setup, but one that gets you into the action nice and quickly and squeezes in plenty of Mega Man references.

DeLTA is a joy to play as, with plenty of tricks up her sleeves. In the brief tutorial you’ll learn how to dash, jump and fire your gun, which covers all the basics pretty well. She has plenty of other combat abilities to go alongside a standard shot of the blaster too, like a sword that breaks shields and a devastating charge attack. The pesky robots littering the stages won’t stand a change once you master these moves.

Protodroid DeLTA is a game much more interested in precision platforming than blasting weapons though, so to ensure your focus is on weaving in and out of obstacles your gun will automatically lock on to the nearest target. It’s a clever system that makes sure that dodging and jumping is the star of the show, so prepare for some tricky manoeuvring.

Each of the stages of Protodroid DeLTA is a sort of deadly obstacle course, with spinning lasers, vanishing platforms and rotating cylinders to contend with on your way to the exit. Dash jumping your way through hundreds of hazards to make it to the goal just feels magical, and really captures that Mega Man flavour that I crave.

Getting from one end of a level to another is one thing, but you’ll probably want to try and find some collectables and upgrades on your adventure too. Each section of a stage has a secret warp gate that leads to a particularly tough area, which if you can survive will reward you with a boost to your maximum health or energy. There are also ten purple orbs to find in each stage that unlock some cool Mega Man inspired outfits if you find enough of them. I never really struggled to find any of these shiny orbs, but enjoyed the journey to get them so I could dress up as Zero and Axl.

It wouldn’t be a game inspired by Mega Man without some epic boss fights to beat, and Protodroid DeLTA doesn’t disappoint in that department. Each of the nasty Vyper bots has a whole host of screen filling attacks to weave your way through and a big ole health bar to whittle down, so you’ll need to get that blaster charged pronto. While I enjoyed all these boss fights I was able to beat them all without a single death, and I would’ve appreciated a little more of a challenge personally.

One aspect where Protodroid DeLTA really shines is in the visuals. The vibrant “Solarpunk” world is a joy to look at, and really feels like an old school 2d platformer brought to life in 3d. The soundtrack is sensational too, with intense tunes that really suit the action.

Protodroid DeLTA is a hell of a good time, but it does have a couple of issues hidden throughout. There are some enemy types that are just plain annoying to fight, specifically these floating bastards with a shield that you have to stand and wait to deactivate. The story also outstays its welcome, with fairly sizable cutscenes after each level that just aren’t that interesting. You can skip them if you’re so inclined though, and if I go for another playthrough down the line I’ll be doing exactly that.

It’s worth mentioning that Protodroid DeLTA isn’t a particularly long game. My playtime clocked in at a tight five hours, and I unlocked every single upgrade before I saw the credits. There aren’t any other difficulty modes or extras when the game ends either, so if you’re looking for a game to play for longer than a couple of sessions this might not be the one for you.

Protodroid DeLTA is a fast paced action platformer packed full of tricky obstacles to dash between and colourful stages to overcome. DeLTA herself controls like a dream, and fans of a certain blue blasting dude will feel right at home trashing robots alongside her.