Robot Roller Derby Disco Dodgeball

Developer: 82apps

Publisher: 82apps

Format: PC

Robot Roller Derby Disco Dodgeball is one of those games that has earned a very specific place in my heart. This is due to many things, like it being the first multiplayer game I've actually liked in a long time, or maybe because it's the first game to go from a "First Look At" to a full review (courtesy of 82apps for finding me on Twitter and gifting me with a Steam key to the game. If 82apps didn't do that there would not be this review). This game is special to me, so I feel I must give it a grand and unbiased review. Here I go.

The mechanics are solid. The game is an FPS in which you run around, throwing dodge balls at your opponents. There's a charge up mechanic tied to 3 important mechanics in the game: Jumping, Sprinting, and most importantly, Shooting. All three things can be charged up via holding down their respective keys as long as you want to change it. Shooting from a long ways away can be quite hard, but not nearly as hard if charged all the way! The charge on your ball affects how long the ball remain your color and can kill opponents, useful for ricochet kills. It's also really satisfying to deflect an incoming ball with yours. The fact that you can't change your momentum in mid-air when jumping takes a bit of getting used to, but in the end really adds to the whole "derby" part of the game.

A thing this game does right is bots. Maybe it's just because the bots are actual robots(like everyone else in the game), or maybe it's the fact that I practically saw a robot Luigi in my game once, but whatever the reason this game did them very well. Being serious, the bots have really good AI, can be set to different difficulty settings, and have little to no bugs. While I think it's a good way at keeping the game going as people join your game, I don't mind actually playing with just bots.

The game modes are just as fun as the levels. Theres a lot of variety in both, yet it's one of those things you kinda have the most fun with when you stick to your favorite of both. The levels can range from open arenas to tight and twisty pathways to something in the middle. Each one is different enough for it to develop it's niche use in the game, but there will always be that one level that you learn like the back of your hand. The game modes are straight forward, each having a Team-Based mode and a Free-For-All one. There's modes like deathmatch, elimination(my personal favorite), score battle, hoops(essentially basket ball), super ball(kinda like Halo's oddball), demolition derby, and even things like training and horde survival.

The aesthetics are great in both the department of art but music as well. The art is great, using lots of neon lights to essentially highlight the important parts of the level. The character models are looking really nice (especially with those eyes that I just can't get over), being customizable with an assortment of colors, mustaches, and even unlock-able glasses. The dodge balls themselves looks awesome, being white when just begin a ball but turning the color of the person holding it. The ball even has a little particle trail of the color of the ball, and it's length is actually determined by the kill streak of the player holding it.

Now when I said that the music is good, I meant GOOD. This soundtrack has got some really fantastic electronic beats that you can really imagine playing in a club. It's got good variety in tone with each piece, but all of them stick to the theme of a fun and action-packed electronic vibe. I've already went over one of the tracks in the VGMCs, but looking at the whole track I think I might do a VGMC covering just the OST from this game.

This game is a blast to play. It has simple mechanics that can be used with many different techniques, resulting in a great variety of playing styles. There are all sorts of achievements and trick-shots you can pull off, making the game's awesome announcer say the respective things. I'd suggest giving the Free Alpha (a much less advanced version of the game) a try, and to give the game a look on Steam. It's about ten dollars, but is enormous amounts of fun and will only get better.

My only complaint is that there's no customization option for an afro.

#robot #disco #dodgeball #gamereview