Rollerdrome review – Extreme (blood) sports

 As Roll7’s kinetic triumph challenges genre boundaries and raises the bar for third-person shooters, Rollerdrome is the creative offspring of Max Payne and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.

Developers Roll7 have tapped into their talent for amazing movement and world design to create roller derby gold with the Olli Olli series. The extreme sports genre’s future is now up in the air, thus Roll7’s balletic genre-bending creation is a much-needed breath of fresh air.

With the seemingly straightforward goal of eliminating enemies while performing a variety of roller-skating manoeuvres, the developers have managed to combine two playstyles that would not normally go together.

Rollerdrome is not only successful in the latter, but it also has the potential to be among the best third-person shooters in a decade.

Rollerdrome: Key Details

• Creator: Roll7
• (Release Day: $19.79/£16.49) Price: $29.99 USD / £24.99 GBP
• Availability: August 16, 2022
• PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC are the platforms.

Shake, Rattle, and RollI

I was initially dubious about the notion of Rollerdrome and concerned that it would end up being nothing more than a failure that followed in the footsteps of the greats, similar to the apparent comparison, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. However, Rollerdrome is incredibly assured in its strategy and makes a strong impression on both skaters and shooter aficionados. What is Rollerdrome, though, exactly, aside from the action?

Players are placed in Kara Hassan’s roller skates as she participates in the yearly Rollerdrome events, drawing inspiration from cult classics like The Running Man and, yes, the late James Caan’s Rollerball. Each gruelling encounter brings Rollerdrome’s hosts, Matterhorn, one step closer to revealing their genuine truths in exchange for paying off absurd debts in a dystopian future. due to chance and It’s up to you to defy the general public and claim the title of Rollerdrome champion as fame becomes easier to grasp.

While dynamic violence is the main focus of Rollerdrome’s gameplay, there are also satisfyingly hidden details to discover in between the mayhem. The game’s stages are divided into tiers, and each one starts with a fresh first-person environment to explore and interact with as you piece together the plot. Although you won’t personally interact with any of the other competitors, knowing their whereabouts will reveal a grim future that the evil Matterhorn will conceal. With the help of little details like this, Rollerdrome may attain depth without undermining the player’s engagement with the narrative.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Shooter

Of course, many people will ignore the plot as they focus on Rollerdrome’s captivating gameplay. Roll7 surpasses the once-impressive Neversoft since their adaptation of the traditional THPS model disproves any claims to being a ripoff. Leaning on the pleasant movement of underappreciated treasures like Airblade and Jet Set Radio, the THPS franchise’s fundamentals have been carefully updated and refined. Every bump and bounce across the game’s diverse arenas is amplified by the DualShock 5’s haptics when our urethane wheels impact halfpipes and kickers.

In their eagerness to literally survive, players can perform grabs, grinds, spins, and flips because doing so will reload your ammunition. The player must accomplish a number of objectives, each more difficult than the one before it, in order to advance through each level of the Rollerdrome championship. The game really pushes you to raise your game at this point. Total in all, you’ll have four different sorts of weapons at your disposal to exterminate your adversaries, and man, do they feel great to wield. A rousing soundtrack of electronica anthems and synth-wave bangers will accompany your quest for success. Electric Dragon’s songs are the stuff of sci-fi fantasies rather than catering to the upsurge of 1980s nostalgia that the genre can fall into. In order to accurately depict the dystopian environments of the game, the composer said he felt the need to “invent a new genre.” Crossing our fingers for a vinyl release of this song.

The music by Electric Dragon also perfectly complements the game’s setting. Due in part to its wonderful line art look, Rollerdrome is vivid but not saturated. As your eyes go over each panel of the texture, additional shadows and details are introduced, giving you the impression that you are reading a graphic novel. This skill is carried over into the character models as well, with each foe delivering a vicious glare that, should you meet a gruesome end, is followed by a Hong Kong-style zoom.

Live alone, die alone

You can play the game’s ‘Out For Blood’ option, which is a brutal rendition of each level with a remixed soundtrack, after finishing the main stages. Gamers who have mastered Rollerdrome’s gameplay will undoubtedly enjoy this.

In both the main game and its bonus mode, your deadly clashes will win you the chance to move up a global leaderboard. Although its appeal may be restricted to dedicated gamers, the aspect that keeps track of your performance within the stage may provide an additional incentive to re-take stages. Having said that, it felt fantastic to rule over them for a short period of time – at least till launch.

The Verdict – 8.5/10

I don’t think it’s exaggerating to state that this is a crucial game for 2022, despite the lack of cooperative or PVP action. Rollerdrome’s futuristic fusion of two diametrically opposed styles is anything but a dystopian bullet ballet.