Must know
What is it? A third person shoots them on skates.
Expect to pay $30/£25
Publication date August 16, 2022
Developer roll7
Publisher Private Division
Judged by Nvidia GeForce GTX-970, Intel i7-4790K, 16GB RAM
Multiplayer? no
Clutch Official site
Rollerdrome is a game about achievements. There is struggle, but it is not about winning as such. It’s about style. The attitude you give it. Put on a show. Efficiency is a byproduct of mastering the violent dance – really, you’re here to look good.
It might be my favorite action game since Devil Daggers. A determined, stylish and evocative beast that will sweep you along for a ride that’s hard to let go. Let’s say I’ve had more than one session of Rollerdrome after midnight, looking for those high scores.
The main character, Kara Hassan, is thrown into a gladiatorial contest on roller skates. Think Running Man on wheels and you’re basically there. Essentially, the game is quite simple: you skate and shoot. The nice thing about it is that even though it builds so much on that foundation, it’s still a lot of fun even if you’re just learning the basics. Coming from Roll7, the people behind the fun skateboarding series OlliOlli, it’s no surprise. Skating is easy – you just steer and build momentum – but it feels great. There’s a real sense of speed that adds to all your actions, no matter how much you master.
With Max Payne-esque bullet time, landing shots are more about timing than aiming, making battles part of the overall rhythm of the game rather than interrupting your flips and tricks. You can gain health by killing enemies, but only regain ammo by performing tricks like grinds or perfect dodges. There should always be a balance between movement and attack. That combination is the sweet spot where Rollerdrome gets exciting and pushes you to go faster and faster. What weapon combinations can you take out a shielded enemy in seconds? Can you trick that enemy into launching mines at their allies? I expect social media to be awash with clips of people’s best runs. It’s a game that is almost as fun to watch as it is to play.
The visuals certainly don’t hurt in that regard. It has a sketchy, vibrant look reminiscent of last year’s Sable with a retro future 70’s inspired design. All of this is clearly due to the work of artist Jean Giraud, better known as Moebius. (No, not the double checkout bomb vampire.) It’s striking in screenshots or in motion, but also very readable. Strong colours, high contrasts. Even the big bold text that introduces new levels speaks to the clarity they strive for.
The game can afford to get incredibly chaotic and explosive (especially in the later stages) because it communicates information to the player so clearly. Sniper beams or charging lasers turn white to indicate the perfect dodge, for example. Even the sounds are amazing, that hard rolling of wheels on concrete that pulls you in before the symphony of explosions, rockets and gunfire erupts. The soundtrack itself seems to mimic the increasing tempo of each level, letting you know when the timer has kicked in. All this ensures that you know what is happening at any given moment without having to really think about it. It just looks damn good and sounds damn good to do it.
get up and grind
It might be my favorite action game since Devil Daggers.
As you progress, the complexity increases rapidly. Enemy types pile up, each asking for new tactics from the player (check the challenges for hints) as well as the player’s skills. Ice skating is complemented by wall runs and your starting pistols are soon joined by a shotgun, grenade launcher and rail cannon. Each of these offers a new dimension or playstyle, allowing you to tackle enemies with specific combinations until you have a routine that will make even your first runs quite successful. I loved getting into crazy new spaces with a lot of confidence. In fact, the difficulty of the game feels perfect. It definitely gets harder towards the end, but I’ve never felt out of my depth. New enemies never felt like setbacks, just exciting new puzzles to solve.
No matter how much it stacks on top of it, the core of the game is always with the performance. It’s not about taking out your enemies, it’s about doing it with style. Running past an enemy so you can turn and shoot him in the back looks cool – and the game is quick to recognize that. Doing a flip right before launching a grenade on a walking mech is what gets the crowd excited about this ridiculous death sport. There are also a ton of tricks to master (with a handy “trick” listing them all) and fitting them into your runs is essential if you want those high scores, or to complete the game’s challenges.
Progress through the game’s campaign (about a dozen levels, plus an unlockable mode upon completion) is tied to those challenges, which encourage players to try out daring moves or chase impossible score multipliers. You don’t have to work those into a serious run – even if you take on a challenge before you beat it, it still counts, so you can just tackle each challenge on its own if you want. Again, if you want to take it easy, the game allows it. There are even a host of modifiers to make the game easier, including invincibility, so that the experience is as accessible as possible. Using them will remove you from the leaderboards, but you can enjoy the game on your terms.
Bloodthirsty
However, if you’re anything like me, you want those high scores. Linking together a number of challenges and a high multiplier? Let’s get started. Having a few practice runs before putting in a wild performance is a thrill that only the best action games can provide, but I don’t know if I’ve played such score-oriented games that made me feel so… relaxed. I rarely got frustrated with a failure or stunt failure. There’s a sense that it’s all just practice, doing the work to get it right next time instead of losing. Which only adds to the joy because not only do you start to do well, but also small blooms. A turn for a gunshot here, a somersault before taking out a sniper from above.
This bravado is also part of Kara Hassan’s identity. She’s practically a silent protagonist, but there’s an idea of who she is from the in-game stunts encouragement and the small amount of narrative sections. At the start of each new level of the Championship, you get a little breather, a little slice of life in the champion’s shoes as she explores behind-the-scenes spaces to shape the world. The way she comments on some of her aloof rivals, or plays with an action figure, portrays someone who is competitive but just humble enough to understand the interests beyond this sport she’s in.
I don’t know if I’ve ever played such score-oriented games that made me feel so… relaxed.
You will too as you play, finding hints of protests and revolution outside the arena, but on some level knowing… you love this horrible thing. You’re good at it. At what point do you go from reluctant fighter to complicit champion in this world? It is a slippery slope, especially if you have skates on.
All this is a complementary story, applied with a light touch. Just enough to make you catch your breath and wonder where this is all going. As much as Kara, I wanted to see the end. Partly because of the sights, with each new level ramping up the spectacle from stadium battles to all the battlefields. There’s a really spectacular spider tank fight later that fits effortlessly into the game’s over-the-top sensibilities. If you could see from the beginning what you’re going to run into at the end of the game, you’d think it’s impossible, but by the time you get there, the overwhelming odds will just put a smile on your face. Bring it on.
Skate outside the ten
Staying on top of the increasing chaos is an important survival skill, but you can’t keep things too calm or it will be impossible to match those score multipliers together. Enemies almost become dance partners, and you have to plan careful choreography to achieve those high scores instead of killing everything in sight. You could hit an enemy once to keep a multiplier going and leave them around the map for the next round instead of killing them. Once you start thinking about Rollerdrome in those terms, you’ll be amazed at the ridiculous heights you can reach.
Not that speed isn’t important. You get a bonus on your score for how much you beat it under the time limit, and a penalty for any time that is over. Just don’t lose sight of what’s important. The game certainly isn’t.
Because Rollerdome is a game that squints, aims and hits the bull’s eye. The focus is entirely on delivering that loop of lightning fast action, the kind of thing you can play over and over because each individual beat hits so hard and flows effortlessly into the next.
No skill trees, no unlockable skills or experience points to hone. No obstacles between you and the excitement on offer. It’s a game that knows exactly what it wants to be and doesn’t let anything get in the way. Kara Hassan certainly does not stop until she has conquered this sport. After more than tens of hours in the Rollerdome, I’m starting to think I won’t either.
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