Within the last twenty-ish years, roller derby has ascended into a higher place of awareness in the collective American consciousness. I’d be lying if I said the 2009 movie Whip It didn’t help. But, as with any sport experiencing a steady rise in popularity, there’s always someone on the sidelines loudly wondering, “What’s next?” Whelp, beloved indie game developer Roll7 just announced a very intriguing and dystopian answer to that question during the June 2022 PlayStation State of Play. Their new game, Rollerdrome, is essentially roller derby, but with tricks and guns.
Rollerdrome takes place in 2030, when a new and fatal sport is gaining popularity around the globe. You’ll play as Kara Hassan, a rising star. And apparently, as you progress through the story, you’ll uncover information about the giant tech company behind the sport’s ascendency—which sounds about right, doesn’t it? This is more or less the dystopia I’m expecting exactly eight years from now. The sci-fi vibe of all these large, vacant-feeling areas is definitely helped by the fact that the game’s distinctive art style feels heavily reminiscent of Moebius, which also means it looks colorful and beautiful.
Personal feelings of pessimism for the world aside, Rollerdrome looks awesome. You reload your ammo by doing tricks, which gives off a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater vibe. As someone who had an OG PlayStation in 1999 (eep), I crave anything that reminds me of Pro Skater, because Pro Skater remains fun as hell. I didn’t quite catch the GoldenEye bug from around that same time, which would’ve paired amazingly with Rollerdrome—you can unlock new weapons like grenade launchers—but I remain deeply intrigued nonetheless. Because doing stunts and flips that I could never do in real life is deeply satisfying. Rollerdrome even lets you skate on buildings’ walls, jump off them, do a flip, and then land your shot. Badass as hell. You can also dodge and stagger enemies, further bringing nuance into the action element of the game.
Rollerdrome comes to us courtesy of Roll7, an indie developer well versed in the niche combination of sports, action, and platformer games. They released an incredibly well-received skateboarding action-platformer called OlliOlli World earlier this year. As its name implies, OlliOlli World also incorporates doing sweet tricks in a satisfying way. And the warm reception that game received from audiences and critics alike definitely bodes well for Rollerdrome. You can begin competing in the roller derby of death on August 16 if you have a PS4, PS5, and/or Steam.
(featured image: Roll7)
