Rollerdrome is actually the online game model of Rollerball, the fabulous 1975 sci-fi movie starring James Caan. In Rollerball, monolithic companies management society and the least highly effective residents are compelled to compete in deadly roller-skating competitions, within the identify of leisure and classism. (Yes, dystopian fiction existed far earlier than The Hunger Games.) The film is a gradual burn of brutality, odd human rituals and shirts with large collars, and it’s a superb time capsule whose themes stay related in the present day.

Rollerdrome builds a equally wealthy, unsettling world by way of set items, costuming and audio cues, pulling a Nineteen Seventies aesthetic firmly into the twenty first century within the course of. It takes place in 2030, in a world managed by large firms — the Matterhorn company is on the middle of a brand new bloodsport known as rollerdrome, the place individuals are challenged to shoot their manner by way of enemies whereas finishing ridiculous roller-skating tips. Rollerdrome comes from Roll7, the studio behind the skateboarding collection OlliOlli — it simply has 4 extra wheels and much more weapons than these video games.

I performed a preview of Rollerdrome on Steam, utilizing a controller as really helpful. The whole recreation options daring, comedian book-style visuals, with the principle character sporting a purple jumpsuit and striped white helmet, skates on their toes and a handful of firearms at their disposal. It’s a third-person, single-player shooter with environments starting from deserted malls to abandon canyons, each lined with ramps, partitions, gaps and breakable home windows, providing loads of alternatives for tips.

Tricks are important to Rollerdrome, and never simply because they feel and look tremendous cool. Completing tips is the way you refill ammo, so it’s essential to maintain the strikes coming. The recreation helps the classics, like ollies, grinding, flips and grabs, permitting you to spin each which manner mid-air to alter issues up. Roll7’s experience with fast-moving motion is on full show right here — it’s enjoyable sufficient to easily skate alongside the ramps, increase pace and making an attempt out new tips, however this is only one facet of gameplay.

While rolling and flipping by way of the maps, you must dodge incoming photographs from enemies, handle your well being and ammo, and homicide each character you see. Killing enemies leaves behind gems of well being, there’s a lock-on possibility for all firearms, and also you’re capable of decelerate time in bursts. All of those components mix to show every degree into an motion film with a hand-drawn ’70s filter: The important character flips in slow-motion excessive above the battlefield, capturing down a sniper earlier than touchdown again in actual time, dodging missiles and rolling at full pace into one other bounce. Dramatic scenes like this play out many times, because the time-slowing means refills quickly and finishing tips rapidly turns into second nature, within the identify of amassing ammo.

Enemies have a spread of weapons, together with sniper rifles, bats, handguns and rockets, whereas the principle character will get firearms like dual-wielded pistols, a shotgun and a grenade launcher. There are tokens hovering across the maps indicating trick challenges, however in any other case every atmosphere is an open, harmful playground. It’s attainable to skate off the sting of platforms and mountainsides, and this leads to a time penalty, but it surely doesn’t cease the spherical. For the completionists of the world, there are particular time- and skill-based challenges in every degree, each elevating your general rating on the finish.

Once you begin shifting in Rollerdrome, there’s no want to repeatedly press ahead to speed up, releasing up the mechanics for turning, dropping, flipping and capturing. Dodging is among the coolest elements of the sport, particularly when a number of enemies have you ever of their sights — incoming hearth is displayed by a blue line that turns white when the shot goes off, and timing a dodge completely leads to a satisfying sound impact and the chance for a short lived harm enhance. It’s a thrill to dodge, dodge, dodge after which leap into the air, decelerate time and take out the folks capturing at you, refilling ammo and amassing well being within the course of. And all of the whereas, an authentic synth-forward soundtrack retains the vitality excessive.