Gaming

Rollerdrome Review: Trick, shoot, repeat

Challenging, fun, and never boring

Published

August 16, 2022

The best way I can describe Rollerdrome to anyone curious about trying it is that it’s a cross between Tony Hawk Pro Skater and the shooting of Max Payne. You get shades of those two games in a unique art style along with a gameplay that demands hours to be mastered.

The game has a pretty simple premise. You play as Kara Hassan making her way through the tough, violent sport called Rollerdrome.

The opening area tells you a little bit about the world Kara is in. But after that, it’s pretty much one challenge after the other.

Basic tutorial

Like any other game, you’ll be put through some relatively easy tutorials. You’ll first be taught the easy movements and then progress to more advanced ones as you beat each level.

It’s a good idea to spend some time trying out the various trick combinations during the tutorial stages. Things can get quite hectic during the actual levels so, the more you’re familiar with the controls, the better chance you’ll have at getting high scores.

That’s not what I did. I took some of the tutorial stages for granted and had to learn on the fly. Not being too familiar with the controls while advancing through stages is hard as the game will really challenge you.

Advancing gameplay

Each stage has a number of different challenges you have to meet. This includes doing specific tricks on a trick marker, killing enemies a certain way, and having to do specific maneuvers on an area in the stage.

There are also high score challenges which are the hardest to beat in each stage. These are the ones that require some level of mastery of the tricks and the shooting.

The tricks and shooting are tied to each other. You only have a limited number of ammo and you’ll need to perform tricks to reload. So, the primary gameplay loop is having to do tricks while dodging enemy attacks, and then unleashing your own attacks all while transitioning to the next trick to reload.

It’s easy enough to understand conceptually, but it’s in the execution where it can be extremely challenging. Enemies spawn in waves and they get tougher and more aggressive as you progress.

Precision required

My consistent thought throughout each stage is how I wished I had more time to be familiar with all the controls. I keep thinking back to how I just know NBA 2K controls by heart, having played it for years, despite a few changes here and there in the core gameplay.

It was frustrating not being able to apply that same level of mastery. Especially since I had to go on a work trip in the middle of this review process so I couldn’t spend as much time with the game as I wanted.

Regardless, it’s a game I’ll probably keep coming back to. More skilled players will likely have an easier time, but Rollerdrome does demand you put in the hours.

The controls are pretty tight and precise too. You won’t get through this by randomly pressing buttons. Your mastery of doing tricks while controlling the camera to properly aim will all be tested.

Overall presentation

Other than the gameplay, it’s the art style and its bombastic and frenetic animations that really caught my attention when the game was first announced. It simply looked fresh and unique.

There are instances where there is a lot going on during a stage. Other than the characters and items on screen, you also have markers alerting you if a sniper has you on lock or if you have projectiles tailing you.

Despite this, the screen never gets too busy to a point where you no longer know what’s going on. The design of each stage makes it so you can easily tell which areas you can perform tricks on without it standing out too much from the rest of the stage.

The soundtrack largely stays in the background but does a good job of not being distracting. Which is great because having something blasting too loudly could give you sensory overload with everything that’s going on.

Overall, this game is stylish AF without going overboard. I’m personally a big fan of the art style and it works well in this kind of game.

Is this your GameMatch?

Rollerdrome is a day one pick-up. If the preview videos intrigued you at all, I guarantee you’ll have a grand time playing. This is especially true if you’re fond of challenging yourself.

Figuring out how to smoothly go from attacking, to doing tricks to reload, and dodge in the process can be really challenging. Unless you’re super skilled, there’s no way you’ll get all of it in one go.

But despite needing to repeat stages, it never feels stale because the core gameplay loop is engaging. It can get frustrating, sure, but the feeling of beating each stage all while crossing off specific challenges is extremely rewarding.

Rollerdrome retails for US$ 29.99 both on Steam and the PlayStation store. But it will be discounted on both platforms until August 29, 2022.

Related Topics:PlayStation 5 Private Division PS5 Rollerdrome Steam

Gaming

Project Helix is Xbox’s next console, and it plays PC games

It might be as powerful as a modern PC.

Published

March 6, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Among all the platforms in today’s generation of consoles, the Xbox has to be biggest loser. Compared to the PlayStation 5 and the Switch 2, the Xbox Series X|S isn’t as memorable. To rectify its position in the rankings, Xbox is heavily teasing its next console codenamed Project Helix.

As was hinted before, Xbox is trying something different with its next-generation console. Rather than just a simple iteration over the current-generation console, the upcoming one will reportedly double as a PC. Today, the company itself has confirmed that this is the case for Project Helix.

Through a post on X, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said that the console will “lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games.”

Great start to the morning with Team Xbox, where we talked about our commitment to the return of Xbox including Project Helix, the code name for our next generation console.

Project Helix will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games. Looking forward to chatting about… pic.twitter.com/Xx5rpVnAZI

— Asha (@asha_shar) March 5, 2026

There are two things to unpack here. Firstly, Project Helix will aim to bridge the perilous divide between console players and PC players. Unlike the past, there will be a way to play both platforms on both devices… except for games exclusive to the PlayStation and the Switch, that is.

Secondly, a “lead in performance” seems to indicate that this isn’t just a mini-PC. Most recently, Valve announced the Steam Machine. Though it offers a convenient way to play Steam games in one device, it doesn’t have the best specs. Project Helix, if Sharma’s words are to be believed, might be as powerful as a modern PC.

Xbox won’t wait long before revealing more details about the console. Sharma, who only recently started her post as CEO, will be at next week’s Game Developers Conference to explain Project Helix more.

Gaming

Ubisoft confirms Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag remake

It’s officially called Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced.

Published

March 5, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

If you ask an Assassin’s Creed fan what their favorite game of the series is, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag will likely be one of the top contenders. Because of its reputation, gamers are constantly asking for a remake of the popular pirate simulator. Now, the dream is finally here. Ubisoft has confirmed that a remake, called Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced, is coming.

Released in 2013, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag saw the journey of Edward Kenway, a vagabond pirate haplessly thrust into life as part of the Assassin Brotherhood against his will. The critically acclaimed game was something that all gamers have been clamoring for since Sid Meier’s Pirates: a true pirate simulator. It was no surprise that the game got as popular as it did.

Today, through an official roadmap shared by the company, Ubisoft has confirmed that Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced is real, and it might launch later this year. The company also released the first concept art for the remake.

Currently, there’s no official word as to how Ubisoft is remaking the game. At the very least, we can expect significant graphical upgrades to put it up to par with the modern games. We wouldn’t be opposed to more stories and missions too.

Now, though the Black Flag remake is already a big deal, the same roadmap also emphasizes that Codename Hexe, the next mainline title, is still coming. Ubisoft hasn’t confirmed the actual timeline yet, but the game will depict “a pivotal moment in history.” With post-launch development for the ongoing Shadows winding down, efforts to launch Codename Hexe should be ramping up soon.

Gaming

PlayStation will stop releasing its games on PC

A new reports suggests that Sony is going back to console exclusives.

Published

March 5, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

PC-only gamers have been eating well for the past few years. The formerly exclusive PlayStation library opened its gates and released worthy ports for PC. Unfortunately, Sony is putting an end to this short-lived era of openness to PC gamers. According to a new report, the company is once again making first-party PlayStation games exclusive to the console.

During the pandemic, Sony started releasing its critically acclaimed first-party games on PC. The new wave saw gamers get the ability to play titles such as Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last of Us, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and God of War on another platform. Even now, players are still eagerly awaiting the PC launch of Death Stranding 2, due out later this year.

However, as reported by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, Sony has just had a change of heart and will no longer release any more games on the PC, beyond those already confirmed for future launches.

This will mean that last year’s Ghost of Yotei and the upcoming Saros will remain PlayStation exclusives for the foreseeable future.

It’s a big change to Sony’s direction. However, it’s not without its precedents. For one, Microsoft has started to compete in the non-exclusive market. The company is already set to launch Fable and Forza Horizon 6 on other platforms, including PC and PlayStation, concurrently with the Xbox launch. To compare, PlayStation still waits a long time before launching exclusive games on PC.

Also, now that rumors have begun to speak of a fabled PlayStation 6, Sony might want to keep things close to its chest for now. After all, selling the console might be its top priority for now.