Rollerdrome is a fast paced third person action shooter developed by Roll7. In it you play as Kara Hassan, a new contender in the fast paced tournament of Rollerdrome. Here she must make her way to the top of the food chain and win the Rollerdrome championship. With fast, fluid, and frenetic gameplay Rollerdrome is a game that you shouldn’t miss out on.

DEADLY, FAST FUN

The main goal of Rollerdrome is to fight your way through increasingly challenging combat arenas. Here you will shoot, dodge, and trick your way around opponents that want Kara in the dirt. In the game Kara will have 4 weapons to choose from each with their own gameplay roles. For example her shotgun is useful for blasting lower ranking enemies away, while the dual pistols are useful for chipping away at enemies health bars before they activate their shields.

Movement in the game is easy to get the hang of and as the maps gradually increase in complexity the game forces the player to be quick on their feet to survey the battlegrounds. This assessment of the battlefield is rewarded as taking out snipers and higher level enemies makes it easier on Kara to survive. Furthermore, it also helps the player as the levels start to feature zones where they can fall to their deaths. New enemy types in the game also change up strategy.

Rollerdrome is unique in the way that it encourages flair along with practicality. For example to regain ammo the player must utilize the trick system. As Kara flips and does cool tricks she regenerates the necessary ammo to blast her enemies away. Usually in games with trick systems they fall by the wayside as there is no practical use for them. However, here in Rollerdrome the added flair is intrinsically tied to gameplay which keeps the action fresh and fun. Shooting enemies in slow motion while flipping around the arena never got old.

In the game there is a scoring system for each arena along with challenges. The scoring system encourages replayability as you as the player strive to get better and better at the game. Likewise, leaderboards also help with this as after a match you can see who on your friends list has a higher score than you. To move to the next bracket in the tournament Kara must complete a certain number of challenges with the arenas in her current bracket. Challenges are mostly earned through normal gameplay but some encourage players to try out new gameplay styles. For example, this can range from only using a shotgun or doing a certain trick before killing an enemy. Rollerdrome has multiple tricks up its sleeve to keep gameplay fresh and engaging.

Along with the gameplay the synth-like soundtrack and artstyle also help to make Rollerdrome an experience like no other.

THE UNDERDOG

In between the different brackets of the tournament Rollerdrome moves players into small story sections. Here we learn more about Kara and her fellow contestants. We also find out more about the world that they inhabit. This is where Rollerdrome loses its step a bit for me. Set in 2030 the world of Rollerdome seems on the edge of social collapse. News snippets talk about disasters around the world and letters scattered around the environment give us insight into the drama surrounding Kara and the other contestants. No one expected someone like Kara to put up such a fight in the arena and this scares them.

For me they could have done so much more with this strong foundation. Who really is Kara? Why are the other contestants the way that they are? Does the worldwide event of Rollerdrome really distract the masses from tragedies around the world? It is a credit to the team at Roll7 that I even want answers to these questions and I wish we had gotten some of them. A future sequel would benefit greatly from this worldbuilding.

SHOOT, SPIN, WIN

Overall Rollerdrome is an experience like no other. Fast, frenetic, and challenging gameplay are the game’s strengths, always pulling me back for more. The story, although barebones, sets up a good foundation for future stories in the Rollerdrome universe. Rollerdrome is out on Steam, PS4, and PS5. For more game reviews and other geek content check them out right here on Geekwave.

Game Score: 8/10