Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder

If you’re looking for an unusual little curio that's quite unlike anything else on Nintendo Switch, Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder is the oddity for you. While it’s very much in the same vein as the original game, the sequel simply ups the ante with more obstacles, more courses and a ton of crazy characters from history, myth art and popular culture to battle in Python-esque fashion (well, in looks at least). Support for four-player multiplayer – with added customisation for those that like to customise their boulders – offers the strangest of detours, and makes this another local multiplayer classic for Switch.

Much like its predecessor, the game comes in two parts. The first part is a tower defense game. The second part involves you carefully meandering your own boulder through all the traps the enemy has set down in part one, before hurtling yourself at the enemy gates.

Quotation forthcoming.

Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder is a good game with a great sense of humor. A worthy sequel to ACE Team’s first Rock of Ages title, fans of its predecessor are sure to find Bigger & Boulder a worthy successor. Some of the stages overemphasize jumping, and the process for unlocking traps seems to give too much to the opponent. I wish I had more fun with the tower defense mode, but the fun the presentation provides helps smooth over these concerns. If you’re looking for a laugh on your Switch, you’re not going to find anything on Switch more willing to laugh at itself than Rock of Ages 2. In spite of some of my gameplay concerns, I recommend it.

An extraordinary art direction, well designed and full of humor. Unfortunately, the poor optimization and especially the resolution of the portable mode make this game not shine on Switch as much as it should.

Rock of Ages 2: Bigger and Boulder manages to combine conflicting genres with a truly weird and wonderful aesthetic style. Unfortunately, the Switch release stumbles in a few areas namely its visuals and the lack of local multiplayer. Still, if you’re looking for something truly left field then Rock of Ages 2: Bigger and Boulder is a funny and entertaining ride sure to raise a smile or two.

Overall, Rock of Ages II: Bigger & Boulder is a solid sequel to one of the most bizarre games of the last generation. The wacky writing and adorable art paired with the challenging yet rewarding gameplay lead to a recipe for success. Unfortunately, that recipe is somewhat botched by the very basic tutorial options in the game, unexpected difficulty spikes, as well as the severely downgraded visuals of this Switch port. Fans of the series will have a blast with it on Switch, but if visuals are a priority, you might want to play elsewhere.