OlliOlli<\/em><\/a> franchise. While the team is sticking with extreme sports, it’s roller-skates rather than skateboards this time around, and the skateparks are a bit more dangerous than they used to be. We got to check out a preview build to see just how.<\/span><\/p> <\/iframe><\/p>
The world of Rollerdrome<\/em> pits competitors against the House in an arena spectacle. Taking on the role of Kara Hassan in the year 2030, you compete in the brutal blood-sport of Rollerdrome<\/em>. While you compete in each match, some of them are punctuated by brief explorations of this world, and the sometimes bleak future it paints.<\/span><\/p> In its art and world, Rollerdrome<\/em> is absolutely fantastic. The retro-futuristic tone, mixing tech and throwback in equal measure, makes for a very distinct world. And with each new arena, it feels like you’re seeing a bit more of what this world is, what it’s become, and how it could wind up supporting a bizarre sport like Rollerdrome<\/em>.<\/span><\/p> Rip, grind, shred<\/h2> As you compete and rise up the ranks, you also start to unravel some of what’s going on behind-the-scenes at the corporations running this bloody circus. But hey, until then, you need to drop in and take some guys out. The most succinct description of Rollerdrome<\/em> is that it feels like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater<\/em>, but with an arsenal of guns.<\/span><\/p> <\/p>
Each stage is a deathmatch, where enemies spawn in waves and you need to eliminate them as fast as possible. Aiming is <\/span>easy enough<\/span> as locking on and pulling the trigger, which might seem <\/span>straightforward<\/span> at first. But that’s because aiming and shooting aren’t the only moves you’re pulling off in the arena.<\/span><\/p> Tricks are a key part of the deathmatch, too. Alongside adding some style to your routine and upping your score, tricks are also how you reload in Rollerdrome<\/em>. This isn’t just a good push to engage with the level as a skatepark as much as an arena, but it’s a constant tension between the player and the game. It helps that tricks are fairly streamlined, with a healthy but manageable list of moves to keep in mind as you skate along.<\/span><\/p> In frequent situations, I’d find myself scouring not just for the next enemy to take down, but the best route for doing so. Sure, I could just pepper that sniper from a ways away with my dual pistols; but if I took the ramp and went up and over, I could get close enough for my shotgun and do a trick reload, all in one go.<\/span><\/p> <\/p>
Guns blazing<\/h2> The weapons add a good bit of variety to the action, too. While the pistols are your basic bread-and-butter, Rollerdrome<\/em> keeps adding new options that add a little bit more. The grenade launcher is great for dealing with crowds. And the shotgun was a fast favorite; it has a quick-action, active-reload-style system where after locking onto an enemy, a timed shot would unleash a slug-shot that had a little more power to it.<\/span><\/p> Of course, there are constant dangers to consider too. Enemies start off with just bats, bringing sports equipment to a roller-derby-gunfight. But snipers soon add a wrinkle, as they gradually hone in on you and take a shot once you’ve been in their sights too long. Missile launcher enemies release a storm of explosives that follow you around the level, and riot shield foes are just the worst. They wait for you at the bottom of a ramp with a hello and a shield to the face.<\/span><\/p> Getting out the other side is one challenge. But Rollerdrome<\/em> is built on challenges, much like the OlliOlli<\/em> games. Each level has its own set of objectives, ranging from score-based markers to very specific ones. One level might ask you to blow up a few missiles that are hot on your trail, while another might call for executing a specific trick over the arena’s combo markers.<\/span><\/p> <\/p>
Mastering the motions<\/h2> If the two systems, shooting and skating, were at odds at all, it would be easy to see one taking over and pulling it all apart at the seams. Roll7 uses a few specific mechanics, like spot-on perfect dodges and trick-reloading, to keep the action and the score-chasing neatly entwined.<\/span><\/p> The core realization for me, in the levels I got to play of Rollerdrome<\/em>, was that I didn’t need to look for just openings, but whole routes. Say, for example, I saw a sniper on the far side that was really a thorn in my side. I could go right for them, or I could calculate out a route to deal with some enemies on the way, building up points and keeping my ammo stocked in the process.<\/span><\/p> Going from barely scraping by to sorting the match out in style is a really good feeling that Rollerdrome<\/em> nails down. I did sometimes get a little frustrated with having to insert dodges into my tricks, but the chaos kept me rolling on through.<\/span><\/p> Roll7 has shown they’ve got a keen sense of how to handle an extreme sports game. This is a bit of an evolution. Rollerdrome<\/em>‘s arena battles do add a bit more work and mental RAM to the load, but it all clicks together in a chaotic ballet of tricks and bullets. Fans of both pro skating and pro sniping should keep an eye on this one.<\/span><\/p> Rollerdrome<\/em> is out on August 13 for PC<\/a>, PS4, and PS5.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":808,"featured_media":336404,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"article_type":"","gamurs_wordpress_blocks_hide_tags":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[19112,19259,19364,19114,19116,19870,21507,520,19140,87],"internal-label":[],"invoiceable_action":[],"article_type":[],"coauthors":[{"id":808,"display_name":"Eric Van Allen","user_login":"EricVanAllen","user_nicename":"ericvanallen"}],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRollerdrome mixes Tony Hawk with a fistful of bullets – Destructoid<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n