Rollerdrome

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Rollerdrome
Developer(s)Roll7
Publisher(s)Private Division
Director(s)Paul Rabbitte
Producer(s)Drew Jones
Designer(s)Andreas Yiannikaris
Composer(s)Electric Dragon
EngineUnity[1]
Platform(s)
Release
  • Windows, PS4, PS5
  • August 16, 2022
  • Xbox Series X/S
  • November 28, 2023
Genre(s)Action
Mode(s)Single-player

Rollerdrome is an action video game developed by Roll7 and published by Private Division. The game was released on August 16, 2022, for Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. It also was released for Xbox Series X/S on November 28, 2023.

Gameplay[edit]

Players assume control of Kara Hassan, a participant in a deadly sport named "Rollerdrome" in which contestants must perform roller-skating tricks while fighting against enemies using firearms.[2] As a third-person shooter,[3] ammunition is refilled by performing various roller-skating tricks, while health is restored by acquiring health pick-ups from defeated enemies.[4] Players skate throughout various stages while dodging incoming attacks, and using a bullet time function to aim weaponry. As players complete levels, they will gradually unlock more powerful weapons such as grenade launchers and shotguns, though they will have to face more challenging enemies as the game progresses.[5] Each stage also has optional challenges, which prompt players to perform feats such as eliminating enemies while performing tricks.[6]

Development[edit]

Rollerdrome was developed by Roll7, the company behind the OlliOlli series. The game was initially a side project of solo game designer Paul Rabbitte. Rollerdrome was initially conceived by Rabbite during a 48-hour game jam hosted by Game Maker's Toolkit in 2017 with the theme of 'Dual Purpose Design'.[7][8] Roll7 took a liking to this prototype, and Rabbite subsequently joined Roll7 to finish the project. Rabbitte at that time described the game's prototype as a mix between Tony Hawk's games and Doom.[9] The game's spent two years in production, with the team spending the first year of development deciding the core gameplay. They ultimately decided that Rollerdrome would primarily be a shooter game, though the skating mechanics will heavily complement with gunplay. Players will not fall despite failing to perform a trick. This is an intentional gameplay design decision to ensure players can maintain their momentum in both skating and combat.[10] According to lead producer Drew Jones, the game was "a wealth of fantastic inspiration from the 1970s", citing Rollerball and The Running Man as examples. The game features a stylized, cel-shaded visual style since the team believed that a simple art style would not compromise gameplay readability and that players would not be easily overwhelmed.[11]

Roll7 and publisher Private Division announced the game on June 2, 2022, during Sony's State of Play event. The game was released for Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on August 16, 2022.[12]

Reception[edit]

According to review aggregator Metacritic, Rollerdrome released "generally favorable reviews" upon release.[13][14]

GameSpot enjoyed the way the game incorporated skating gameplay with traditional third-person shooter mechanics, remarking "it never feels like the tricks are an impediment to the shooting; instead, they're the secret ingredient that helps Rollerdrome stand apart from other shooters".[17] The Guardian praised the flow state that players could achieve with combos, but criticized the high difficulty spikes as "downright brutal".[23] Game Informer liked how tricks were needed to reload, causing the player to rely on trying to "dazzle the crowd or down an adversary".[18] The Washington Post felt that the game could be unclear on where the player could skate, writing "I often felt the wind knocked out of my sails when I failed to get that one wall ride to the balcony some gunman was on. It started to feel like a flaw in a certain map’s design and not a challenge".[25] GamesRadar+ disliked how the game failed to make full usage of the arenas, "each arena may look different, but they rarely challenge you to use their layouts in creative ways".[16] Eurogamer praised the artstyle, comparing it favorably to magazines and the works of Jean Giraud.[15] The game crossed 1 million players on March 19, 2024[26].

Accolades[edit]

Year Award Category Result Ref
2022 Golden Joystick Awards Best Indie Game Nominated [27]
2023 19th British Academy Games Awards British Game Won [28]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Made with Unity: 2022 in review". Unity Technologies. December 27, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  2. ^ Nwosu, KC (July 26, 2022). "Rollerdrome Combines Sick Roller Skate Tricks & Gunplay for a Great Time – Preview". The Escapist. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  3. ^ Conditt, Jessica (July 26, 2022). "'Rollerdrome' preview: Twitchy dystopian bloodsport is my new favorite genre". Engadget. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  4. ^ Van Aken, Alex (July 27, 2022). "My Rollerdrome Preview Is Late Because I Can't Stop Playing It". Game Informer. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  5. ^ Northup, Travis (July 30, 2022). "Rollerdrome Preview: Extreme, Sports Just Got a Whole Lot More Extreme". IGN. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  6. ^ Donlan, Christian (July 26, 2022). "Rollerdrome brings together the very best of Roll7". Eurogamer. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  7. ^ Garcia, Chris (August 15, 2022). "Rollerdrome is Proof That Even Simple Concepts can Make a Game Stand Out". One More Game. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  8. ^ "THE ROLLER DOME by ChonkuRabb". itch.io. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  9. ^ Bailes, Jon (July 26, 2022). "Rollerdrome preview: Hands-on with the skating sensation born from a viral tweet". GamesRadar+. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  10. ^ Hornshaw, Phil (July 26, 2022). "Rollerdrome Is Like Slapping Roller Skates On Max Payne". GameSpot. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  11. ^ Leri, Michael (July 27, 2022). "Interview: How Roll7 Released 2 Games in 6 months Without Falling Apart". ComingSoon. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  12. ^ Diaz, Ana (June 2, 2022). "Rollerdrome will make roller derby deadly". Polygon. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  13. ^ a b "Rollerdrome for PC reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Rollerdrome for PlayStation 5 reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Rollerdrome review - Roll7 delivers a game of impossible style". Eurogamer. August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  16. ^ a b Jon Bailes (August 16, 2022). "Rollerdrome review: "Reaches impressive heights, but keeps dropping back down to earth"". GamesRadar+. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  17. ^ a b Hornshaw, Phil. "Rollerdrome Review: Skate Or Die". GameSpot. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  18. ^ a b Reiner, Andrew. "Rollerdrome Review - A Dystopian Delight". Game Informer. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  19. ^ Dornbush, Jonathon (August 22, 2022). "Rollerdrome Review". IGN. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  20. ^ Greer, Sam (August 16, 2022). "Rollerdrome review". PCGamer. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  21. ^ Andriessen, CJ (September 1, 2022). "Review: Rollerdrome". Destructoid. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  22. ^ Mejia, Ozzie (August 16, 2022). "Rollerdrome review: Trick shots". Shacknews. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  23. ^ a b Regan, Tom (August 16, 2022). "Rollerdrome review – skating as a bloodsport". The Guardian. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  24. ^ Croft, Liam (August 16, 2022). "Review: Rollerdrome (PS5) - Just As Good As Tony Hawk's Pro Skater". Push Square. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  25. ^ "Review | 'Rollerdrome' brings gunfights to skateparks but it's no 'Pro Skater'". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  26. ^ "Rollerdrome Achieves Milestone with Over One Million Players - Manual Droid". manualdroid.com. March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  27. ^ Jones, Ali (October 20, 2022). "Time is running out to cast your vote in the Golden Joystick Awards 2022". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  28. ^ Wood, Anthony (March 2, 2023). "BAFTA Games Awards 2023 Nominations Announced". IGN. Retrieved March 2, 2023.

External links[edit]

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