One gets the feeling upon playing Sad Robot that it was created all around the premise of the catchy theme song that plays during the game. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it might excuse some of the more questionable parts of this experience. Let us explore further.

You control a robot flying through space. You collect coins, avoid obstacles, and sometimes you can gain a power-up to aid you. The coins can be used to purchase new robots, upgrade the power-ups and buy items to start the next game with. This is all tilt control based, and the controls themselves are quite loose (perhaps even a little too loose). The reason this is problematic is that the obstacles come at you quickly, and what shape they present themselves in is quite random, giving you little time to react. It could be argued that this is what adds to the addictive quality of the game, but especially when you hit the later stages and are taken out by a group of obstacles that seemed impossible to avoid, it can be quite frustrating.

The characters and obstacles are all simply represented by low key pixel art. All the robots have a unique look and you'll never mistake an obstacle for anything else. The music is where this game really shines. The song is a very catchy melody that builds on itself until the lyrics pop in. Unfortunately every time it's game over, the song abruptly stops, restarting again upon a new game. Aside from the unlocks, there are missions that grant you additional XP and coins when completed, plus you find yourself getting a little better at the game every time you play.

Sad Robot is a game that succeeds despite itself. The music, visuals and the way the game throws things at you add to a charm that seems to overcome the simplicity and short-comings inherent. This one's worth a try.