It’s a new month and this is what it means PlayStation Plus Subscribers can download a new game collection for free. PS Plus was added for February Steelrising and the multiplayer shooter from Square Enix Foam stars. But the highlight of the new offers is Rollerdrome from developer Roll7. The third-person shooter-meets-skating game was one of the most underrated titles of 2022 and thanks to its unique genre mashup Rollerdrome remains a worthwhile experience. As a PS Plus subscriber you shouldn’t miss this.
Rollerdrome has one of the best elevator pitches in recent memory. What if Tony Hawk’s professional skater had weapons? That’s all I needed to hear to entice me to try the game. And Rollerdrome fulfills this promising premise in the first few minutes and only ups the ante thereafter. The short explanation of RollerdromeThe world is that in the near future there will be a blood sport called Rollerdrome that combines roller derby with gunfights. You play as Kara Hassan, a participant in the titular competition who works to stay alive while gunning down enemies and pulling off the craziest tricks in the battle arena. Mechanically, this plays out as a series of stages full of enemies trying to kill you as you try to get the highest score, which you achieve by defeating enemies and performing tricks.
For this to work, Rollerdrome has to get both the shooting and skating just right and then make them work together. Luckily, developer Roll7 is no stranger to skating, having created an indie skateboarding game Olli Oli and its sequels, and their expertise is evident. Roller skating Rollerdrome features a palpable momentum and smooth controls that make movement second nature as you grind, turn and twist through the variety of arenas. But what about the shooting? Good news, it’s excellent too. While twitch aiming is not required as the game has helpful aim assist, each weapon has its own advantages and disadvantages that must be weighed against each other. Pistols can be fired quickly, but may not do as much damage as a shotgun. However, the shotgun requires you to get up close and personal, which puts your own health at risk.
However, due to the smart ammo approach, you can’t just walk around and shoot enemies to progress Rollerdrome lasts. There are no ammo pickups on the map; Instead, ammunition is acquired through tricks. By linking the two aspects of the game together, Rollerdrome requires you to think equally about shooting and skating. To progress you have to eliminate every enemy in a phase, but to have enough ammunition to do so you have to use tricks. This allows you to think more strategically about how you approach each level. It’s important to consider when you can do tricks and whether you can do them under fire.
In the later stages of Rollerdrome, The arenas become more complex and the number of enemies is enormous. This makes every movement feel important and skillful tricks and shooting around in the drome become a real rush. Hopefully the release on PS Plus will give more players the chance to experience one of the most unique action games in recent memory.
