Players assume control of Kara Hassan, a participant in a deadly sport named "Rollerdrome" in which contestants must perform roller-skating tricks while fighting against enemies using firearms.[3] As a third-person shooter,[4] ammunition is refilled by performing various roller-skating tricks, while health is restored by acquiring health pick-ups from defeated enemies.[5] Players skate throughout various stages while dodging incoming attacks, and using a bullet time function to aim weaponry. As players complete levels, they will gradually unlock more powerful weapons such as grenade launchers and shotguns, though they will have to face more challenging enemies as the game progresses.[6] Each stage also has optional challenges, which prompt players to perform feats such as eliminating enemies while performing certain tricks.[7]
Development
Rollerdrome was developed by Roll7, the company behind the OlliOlli series. The game was initially a side project of solo game designer Paul Rabbitte. Rollerdrome was initially conceived by Rabbite during a 48-hour game jam hosted by Game Maker's Toolkit in 2017 with the theme of 'Dual Purpose Design'.[8][9] Roll7 took a liking to this prototype, and Rabbite subsequently joined Roll7 to finish the project. Rabbitte at that time described the game's prototype as a mix between Tony Hawk's games and Doom.[10] The game's spent two years in production, with the team spending the first year of development deciding the core gameplay. They ultimately decided that Rollerdrome would primarily be a shooter game, though the skating mechanics will heavily complement with gunplay. Players will not fall despite failing to perform a trick. This is an intentional gameplay design decision to ensure players can maintain their momentum in both skating and combat.[11] According to lead producer Drew Jones, the game was "a wealth of fantastic inspiration from the 1970s", citing Rollerball and The Running Man as examples. The game features a stylized, cel-shaded visual style since the team believed that a simple art style would not compromise gameplay readability and that players would not be easily overwhelmed.[12]
GameSpot enjoyed the way the game incorporated skating gameplay with traditional third-person shooter mechanics, remarking "it never feels like the tricks are an impediment to the shooting; instead, they're the secret ingredient that helps Rollerdrome stand apart from other shooters".[18]The Guardian praised the flow state that players could achieve with combos, but criticized the high difficulty spikes as "downright brutal".[24]Game Informer liked how tricks were needed to reload, causing the player to rely on trying to "dazzle the crowd or down an adversary".[19]The Washington Post felt that the game could be unclear on where the player could skate, writing "I often felt the wind knocked out of my sails when I failed to get that one wall ride to the balcony some gunman was on. It started to feel like a flaw in a certain map’s design and not a challenge".[26]GamesRadar+ disliked how the game failed to make full usage of the arenas, "each arena may look different, but they rarely challenge you to use their layouts in creative ways".[17]Eurogamer praised the artstyle, comparing it favorably to magazines and the works of Jean Giraud.[16] The game crossed 1 million players on March 19, 2024.[27]
