Run Roll Rumble – Review
Follow Genre: Arena brawler
Developer: Matthew Marcellino
Publisher: Benua Softworks
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC

Run Roll Rumble – Review

Site Score
7.5
Good: Fun with friends, Smooth animation
Bad: No options for AI
User Score
8.0
(2 votes)
Click to vote
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 8.0/10 (2 votes cast)

How do you settle disputes between neighbors? You can leave passive-aggressive notes in each other’s mailboxes or hash it out at the annual neighborhood barbecue. Or you can pick your nearest weapon and destroy your next-door enemies in free-for-all combat. That’s the idea Matthew Marcellino came up with at least. It’s time to Run Roll Rumble.

Story

The story in this game is pretty much non-existent. It’s a party game, more or less, that focusses more on gameplay and accessibility for all. Something you can easily get into with a group of friends, even if they aren’t pro gamers by any means. There is no plot, story mode or anything like that. From the store page we can pick up the basics though: in a lovely neighborhood, several inhabitants have decided that fighting is the best way to solve their petty arguments. Now, all these normal people with less than normal abilities will take each other on in combat with the victor earning bragging rights, and presumable the privilege to display as many garden gnomes on their lawn as they can dream of.

Graphics

Run Roll Rumble is animated in a colorful 3D style. There are various different characters to choose from, each coming with an assortment of different color variations, including changes in skin and hair color. But the true creativity of this game lies in the arenas. There are a bunch of locations you can throw down in, and they all are designed differently. Not only does this mean a difference in gameplay, but it also makes for some very fun visuals. Things can get hectic really quick in this game, and while the animations remain remarkably smooth throughout, with some ragdoll physics thrown in for good measures, it might be a bit hard to keep track of exactly what is going on at all times. Then again, many will consider that part of the fun.

Sound

The music here is pretty good. Expect upbeat techno tunes to match the fast-paced action of the game, with some of them being quite catchy and getting stuck in your head for a long while after. There are also plenty of sound effects to accompany each punch and kick because nothing is more satisfying than clobbering somebody over the head with a stop sign with a metallic “clunk”. There is no voice acting in this game.

Gameplay

Run Roll Rumble is an arena brawler that has both a local and online mode. In both cases, you can play with up to four people in a chaotic free-for-all battle where the last man (or woman) standing wins. To do this you will have to deplete the health bar of all your opponents. You can punch, dodge and jump your way to victory, or you can pick up one of the melee weapons that spawn on the map to deal some real damage. Picking up a weapon will rob you of your ability to double jump though, so it isn’t always the best choice.

There are also so-called abilities that spawn at different intervals and places. Picking these up can grant you a temporary bonus, like moving faster, or it might give you a power you can use later when the time is right. These powers can be a game-changer, for example by forcing everybody to move in slow motion or unleashing a devastating fireball. Health also appears occasionally. The maps in Run Roll Rumble are really diverse too, from an ordinary neighborhood to the middle of a thunderstorm. Some maps are flat while others have various platforms and levels, so there really is something for everybody.

If you want to be sure to be able to beat your friends to a pulp later there is also a practice mode, where you can get the hang of the controls, and practice your fight moves. It’s a very simple addition, but it can be great fun to experiment with. If you don’t have any friends to beat though, Run Roll Rumble still has you covered. In local mode, you can also have AI fill in the empty spots. The only downside here is that you can’t choose their intelligence, meaning it isn’t easy for beginners to start out with, because the AI will completely take you by surprise and show you every corner of the arena, so to speak.

Another slight downside is that, as of writing this review, the online mode is still in beta. As a result, there aren’t exactly many people to actually play the game with. Even after waiting for up to five minutes, the game could not match us with any other players. While this is not the devs fault, of course, it is something to keep in mind when buying this game. You will have to either convince your friends to buy it as well or invite them over for a game night. Or simply be content with the AI defeating you mercilessly.

Conclusion

Run Roll Rumble is in essence not much different from other games in this genre. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a good way to spend time with friends. If you can keep your head cool during the chaos, this game will surely occupy you for a few matches at a time, and the replayability is of course top-notch. While nothing groundbreaking is happening here, you won’t be bored in this neighborhood.

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 8.0/10 (2 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)
Run Roll Rumble - Review, 8.0 out of 10 based on 2 ratings
Jessica


Games are my escape and writing is my passion.

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