Robocop places you in the titanium-coated-with-kevlar boots of Alex Murphy, killed in the line of duty and resurrected as the cyborg officer Robocop. The 2003 game features a new plot not featured in any of the films. Crime is up in Neo-Detroit due to the rapid proliferation of a new designer drug "Brain Drain," and the efforts of crime lord William Nexx to control its profitable distribution. Meanwhile, a mayoral race is heating up and getting dirty. And of course, mega-corporation OCP's role in all this is almost certain, but unclear.

Robocop will have to get to the bottom of all of these mysteries through 9 missions. Gameplay is handled as a typical first-person-shooter, with various Robocop enhancements. His HUD is projected on screen and points out available targets. The player can mark up to three targets with a lock-on button, who Robo will then auto-aim at in sequence. Thermal vision can be activated to see through walls in a limited distance. Multiple weapons are also available, from the signature automatic pistol, to missile launchers and energy weapons.

Objectives are given for each mission, from rescuing hostages to finding clues. Clues can be examined after each mission to explore the story (also updated through TV news breaks, in the style of the films). If the player can target and shoot a enemy's pistol, they will surrender and can be arrested. Should the player kill a hostage or surrendered enemy, they will take damage, forcing the player to follow Robocop's ethics and "prime directives."