Rollerdrome

 PlayStation 5
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 43 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 43
  3. Negative: 4 out of 43

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  1. bullwinky
    Aug 25, 2022
    10
    I played this mostly on PC, which is great too, but I did play this a bit on PS5 with my friend and the controller stuff feels amazing!
    The R2 button squeezes in such a realistic way when you shoot, and the rumble stuff feels great. And we were playing at 4k and it was really smooth (I guess that's because the graphics are quite simple compared to other games). I did a more in depth    I played this mostly on PC, which is great too, but I did play this a bit on PS5 with my friend and the controller stuff feels amazing!
    The R2 button squeezes in such a realistic way when you shoot, and the rumble stuff feels great. And we were playing at 4k and it was really smooth (I guess that's because the graphics are quite simple compared to other games). I did a more in depth review on the PC version but I think the PS5 one is probably the best way to experience this game.    … Expand
  2. P_resting
    Aug 19, 2022
    10
    Tony hawk pro skater with a Hotline Miami soundtrack, if you like a game that rewards you for mastering mechanics this is it. 10/10 will play for years to come.
  3. Simpson_761
    Aug 18, 2022
    10
    Daring to be different and gets straight into the meat and potatoes. The skill needed to do well is seemingly quite high so far into my playtime! Feels quite satisfying to do a good trick combo and really nail a run!
  4. Jasonreidreview
    Aug 19, 2022
    10
    Fun and addictive gameplay, played the trial on ps5 premium and was hooked instantly. Great game and cheap too.
  5. Jt0429
    Aug 19, 2022
    8
    Good-
    Cel-shaded visuals look clean and sharp while the dystopian aesthetic feels unique. Synthwave music suits the chaotic action to a tee. Controls are comfortably responsive, making for some smooth combat and skating. Excellent arena design with optional objectives that provide a reason to revisit and retry each level.
    Bad- Sometimes the action can get a bit too hectic. Not much by    Good-
    Cel-shaded visuals look clean and sharp while the dystopian aesthetic feels unique. Synthwave music suits the chaotic action to a tee. Controls are comfortably responsive, making for some smooth combat and skating. Excellent arena design with optional objectives that provide a reason to revisit and retry each level.

    Bad-
    Sometimes the action can get a bit too hectic. Not much by way of the narrative and characterization. Music can become a bit repetitive overtime. Some environments may also feel a bit too familiar. Even with reasons to replay, base campaign feels short.

    Thoughts-
    Those who appreciate a tough, skill-based experience, whether in shooters or sports titles, are encouraged to give Rollerdrome a shot. It’s challenging but fair while offering a unique blend of shooting and platforming. One could make a case that it’s too short, but the true value is in replaying its levels and improving your skills on top of appreciating the beauty of gunning down foes while performing a 360 Front Flip in slow motion. It may not possess the most immediately impactful narrative with the most memorable characters, but the overarching gameplay and atmosphere, combined with the responsive controls and wealth of options, makes Rollerdrome worth checking out.    … Expand
  6. MrDeven
    Aug 19, 2022
    10
    This game kicks hiney. Everything about it from the get-go was right up my alley! A future cult classic in the making if I’ve ever seen one.
  7. Pickle
    Aug 22, 2022
    9
    I feel as if games that can stand on gameplay alone whilst ignoring most of their stories should receive bigger commendations than games that are composed of both story and gameplay, using both to incentivize the player to keep going.

    This is, on one hand, because designing a modern title with only the gameplay as the focus -I feel-, it’s a fairly difficult thing to accomplish and on    I feel as if games that can stand on gameplay alone whilst ignoring most of their stories should receive bigger commendations than games that are composed of both story and gameplay, using both to incentivize the player to keep going.

    This is, on one hand, because designing a modern title with only the gameplay as the focus -I feel-, it’s a fairly difficult thing to accomplish and on the other hand; the gameplay is what makes this medium of video games unique, is what sets it apart from the rest of the mediums; it’s interaction with the player, the player’s agency in the actions presented throughout the journey.

    I prefaced with those last two paragraphs because Rollerdome is a game that, while it has a story, is a fairly basic one at that; you’re competing in a blood sport tournament for the price of an award. The incentive however is the gameplay on its own, that’s what holds the game up.

    The controls are extremely fluid, seemingly basic at first but increasingly becoming more complex as you learn how to perform new moves using your roller-skates, all throughout a beautiful number of levels that are fairly distinctive from one another but that sadly, after a while, tend to fall onto a similar territory, at least with how they’re presented visually; you get your desert, a snowy mountain terrain, then a regular indoors facility with a number of ramps and ways to traverse through the levels, etc. The real difference here has to do with the levels design, the levels are unique and flow as arenas where you have to constantly keep moving and performing tricks in order to regain your ammo.

    In the game you get a multitude of different enemies, all of which work differently forcing you to apply different strategies, however, the game retains a beautiful level of balance in giving liberties to the player on how to take down their targets; the basic goal here is to complete the levels killing every enemy without dying, you also regain health each time you kill your enemies, you get your basic grunt that’s fairly to take down, a sniper that you have to look out for its laser sight, and eventually some enemies that even fly around the level and create pools of acid that you have to dodge all while shooting, performing tricks and trying to stay alive. It’s frantic and it gives you a rush of adrenaline, all of this is also complemented by an incredible soundtrack and a beautiful aesthetic, the art design and style are beautiful, looking like a moving comic or painting from Moebius, the animations and enemy design are detailed and mesmerizing at times.

    If there are complaints for me with the game they have to do with two elements; one, the game requires you to complete challenges within each level in order to progress to the next set of levels, something that felt more like an artificial way to prolong the length of the game, rather than an actual idea from an artistic standpoint of view; and two, the game has a very obnoxious system where some enemies teleport themselves to avoid taking damage, forcing you to move out from them only to then return and attack them again, rinse and repeat; the issues with these two issues can be easily mitigated though; for starters, you get accessibility options from the developers, they’re extremely helpful and shows that developers wanted the player to actually have fun while playing through their game rather than focus only in the competitive elements presented here, it’s nice because it shows consideration for players that might approach this game for reasons other than challenge. The accessibility options range from disabling the requirements to complete challenges in order to progress, to even reducing how much damage you take, to even tweaking the game speed, to making you invincible, to tweaking other more specific game mechanics; it’s pretty darn good. As for the enemies that teleport? After a while I understood this design choice given that the game forced me to change my strategies; after a while I figured how to kill most of the teleporting enemies with only a few shots from my pistols and or my rail gun.

    By the time I finished the game, only three hours had gone by, but I didn’t feel as if Rollerdome had been short, it felt much more like it was the type of game that had just the right amount of time, keep in mind I did use accessibility options to get past any issues I personally had with the challenges and difficulty presented in the game. The game’s credits tell you this was made by a team of 44 people but it just goes to show what someone with imagination and talent can do in gaming.

    It's definitely one of the highlights of the year for me so far.    … Expand
  8. vgmkyle
    Aug 22, 2022
    0
    There is nothing Tony Hawk about this ugly piece of crap. I could see how somebody could have a seizure trying to play Rollerdrome. It really is a cheap corner-cutting experience that tries to scream its sophisticated but fails tremendously.
  9. ParanoydAndroyd
    Nov 23, 2022
    10
    Good, clean, consistent fun from a very small dev team. Game only takes approximately 3 hours to finish, but the challenges are what make you come back for more along with the extra tough version of the campaign. Ended up taking about 8-10 hours to get the platinum, and it was every bit worth the price. Don't sleep on this game!
  10. skilledplaya
    Aug 18, 2022
    1
    an absolute disaster this game looks like it was made in 1975 and it is so repetitive and boring and they lied about the trial only offering 30 minutes after saying one hour... horrible game don't bother
  11. Grampus
    Aug 22, 2022
    5
    It’s some ways games are all or nothing to me so I want to give this 0 but I like the artstyle and it’s not full price. I read several positive reviews and bought it without too much research and it was a total waste of 20 bucks. This game is pretty terrible.
  12. thepixeldoctor
    Aug 25, 2022
    5
    Finally someone made a Rollerball game that didn't get cancelled by EA. Hopefully it's more James Caan than LL Cool J though.
  13. drlongbottom
    Sep 18, 2022
    5
    I just couldn't get past the unskippable tutorial. What on earth do you mean, I use the left stick to move and X to jump?!? Glad this was a free demo, but it was not even worth the time.
  14. JDConspirator
    Dec 3, 2022
    7
    An awesome extreme-sports showcase with an insatiable roller-skating and combo-scoring hook, but is peculiarly underweight, lacking in content and further flourishes to its gameplay.
  15. superbanne
    Oct 9, 2022
    6
    the idea and artstyle is unique and fantastic. but the difficulty in the later stages gets too high and its too chaotic sometimes.
  16. Badgerryan27
    Oct 16, 2022
    7
    Pretty good. But does ultimately become one note and gets a little tedious and boring after a while. It is extremely fun to play though.

Awards & Rankings

33
#33 Best PlayStation 5 Game of 2022
76
#76 Most Discussed PlayStation 5 Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 49 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 49
  3. Negative: 0 out of 49
  1. PLAY
    Oct 15, 2022
    80
    A score-driven game that’s stylish in every way, this is perfect for the competitive, jumpsuit-and-gun-loving beast desperate to skate its way out of you. [Issue#19, p.86]
  2. New Game Network
    Sep 9, 2022
    75
    Rollerdrome certainly has its issues, but the overwhelmingly chaotic action is fun enough to compensate. I continually found myself dropping back into levels to try and chase higher scores and take out my foes with increasing style. There are elements that could have been fleshed out further, but considering the scope of the project, I'm impressed with the results.
    Read full review
  3. Edge Magazine
    Sep 8, 2022
    60
    That speed and flow, ultimately, is a fantasy - one that's ever harder to appreciate when you're constantly being knocked off course by rockets. [Issue#376, p.104]
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