It’s Tuesday morning. I’m late. I’ve missed the embargo deadline for Rollerdrome. Throughout the video games press, web site authors have already revealed previews and tales about their time taking part in Roll7’s blood-packed sports activities title.
However I can’t cease taking part in Rollerdrome.
As a substitute of writing, I as soon as once more queue the Barbican Area competitors, the final leg in my six-level demo. The extent begins in an extended, claustrophobic tunnel lit in pink mild. I’ve every thing I would like – rollerskates and a shotgun – to placed on the present of a lifetime. Forward of me are echoes of a crowd clapping in unison, an ominous metronome inviting me additional previous the steel-latched mouth of the sector. They paid for a present, and I’m going to present it to them.
Rollerdrome is a bloodsport funded by a mega-corporation in a near-future dystopia. Challengers journey the globe, competing in industrial arenas to climb the ranks of a televised competitors – all to distract the general public from a grim actuality. Every match-up shares a simple-but-effective formulation: drop into an enviornment, kill corporate-owned militia models, and skate on your life. It’s like Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater however with weapons. It’s nice.
All the things within the enviornment desires to kill you. Snipers, rocket-wielding commanders, riot guards, and even mechs are all continuously focusing on you. One of many recreation’s challenges is to know when to strike or evade, a tough lesson I discovered after a couple of deaths. When you run out of ammunition, it’s essential to carry out skate methods to generate extra. Low on well being? Kill enemies to regenerate or rapidly escape by grinding a close-by rail. If a sniper nest is out of attain, achieve some air on a close-by half pipe to shut the gap.
Rollerdrome is fast-paced and filled with spectacle, however it’s by no means unmanageable, due to the sport’s bullet-time function. Upon getting into bullet time, which you’ll be able to set off nearly any time, every thing slows down, giving time to line up cinematic kill photographs simply. Sure weapons have distinctive secondary mechanics that activate whereas in gradual movement. The shotgun, specifically, has a deadly slug shot requiring a further timed button press just like an energetic reload, and it’s pleasant to wield. Bullet time makes it straightforward to change between gradual movement and real-time whereas stringing collectively combos, making a hypnotic move state I by no means wish to finish.
“Kara Hassan: Match Victory,” a faceless commentator declares after I extinguish the final of my opponents within the enviornment.
It’s too early to share a remaining judgment – I’ve solely performed a small demo of a bigger undertaking – however Rollerdrome could possibly be within the working for the best-feeling recreation of the 12 months. We’ll have to attend to seek out out when it releases on August 16.