Rock of Ages

[Sno]

ACE Team's sophomore effort is out on PC and XBLA. They had a really cool debut with their weird first-person brawler Zeno Clash, but they've gone and done something completely different this time

I... I don't know how to describe Rock of Ages, but Giant Bomb has done one of their quick looks for it.

It looks cool, i want to try this out.

[Thompson]

I pre-ordered it after seeing that Quick Look, it looks like awesome fun. The Monty Python-esque aesthetic and humor are a big hook.

[Gwardinen]

Played the 360 demo yesterday... it's an interesting hybrid of a game. There's the obvious control the rock as it rolls down a hill and try to smash things with it game, and there's the more tactical placing of defensive structures and units to try to defend your own gates game.

I honestly don't know how deep into this game I could get, the basic premise doesn't particularly hook me now that big game releases are starting to take up my time again, but it is certainly novel.

[Murdoc]

Yeah Im hoping the depth is surprising as you go along, but for $9, I think the art design and UI sells it to me alone.

This has been in development for what seems like forever, so it might be deeper than what Giant Bomb was showing off, but I'm excited to see that it lives up to the premise.

I can't believe this was a game the Thumbs discussed at one point, that's why it feels like it's been so long.

[syntheticgerbil]

ROCK OF AGES ROCK OF AGES STILL ROLLIN' KEEP A ROLLIN' ROCK OF AGES ROCK OF AGES STILL ROLLIN' ROCK AND ROLLIN'!

[toblix]

It's out for PC? It's not out for my PC...

[elmuerte]

it's not, yet, out, for pc.

6 more days

[miffy495]

Yeah, I pre-ordered it on PC a month ago. Excited for next week when it launches, especially after watching that Giant Bomb QL. Does anyone know if the PC version will support local multiplayer? I can't find an answer anywhere, but admittedly haven't looked very hard.

[Murdoc]

Oh I was waiting for PC, but knowing its out for console now, I'll bite... assuming its the same price as PC.

[miffy495]

Steam has it on pre-order sale for a buck cheaper than XBLA. I doubt that's a huge barrier for a potential customer though. I just wanted the PC version more.

[Murdoc]

Yeah, Normally Id go for PC, but since I've apparently spent like 20 hours on one with Deus Ex, I'll move my lazy butt to the couch for an hour or two.

[miffy495]

Ye gods, go outside sir!

...wait. I've apparently put 13 hours into Deus Ex in the last week. I guess I'm not one to talk. In my defence, I was playing on a laptop, so I could move it around as I played! Taking my games from work to home and back (especially with the wonders of Steamcloud between desktop and laptop) means I will only buy a game on console if it is exclusive to it.

[Erkki]

So I tried to play it, but I can't get past the first tutorial. I can't select any other level (or don't know the magic button), so I'm stuck playing the first one again and again.

[€dit] haha, there was a small arrow button that appeared next to the FIRST tutorial after I completed it (or maybe was there all the time). My bad. Except that it's stupid to make me click on the level I completed instead of the next one.

[brkl]

I didn't notice it until I had played the first tutorial again either.

[K-bohls!]

I think this might just be my favorite game this year so far. I love everything about, especially the overly detailed rock. It is the prettiest rock. However the online seems to be non-existent! I am looking for some thumbs who want to play some rounds of war, this seems like it would be a great multi-player game. Just add me through my steam profile linked below.

[miffy495]

I have it and have played a little, but unfortunately most of my gaming is done on my laptop during slow periods at work and there's not a great internet connection there. Thus, the majority of my gaming time I am unavailable for multiplayer. Still, if you're online and want to try your luck, there's no harm in sending me a steam message. If you're lucky, I'll be on my desktop at home and up for a game.

[Erkki]

Finished the campaign.

After a few levels, I thought I'd seen most of what it has to offer and would get bored after a couple of more levels.

The first part of that was true, but I didn't really get bored. It didn't get a whole lot more interesting either, but it was captivating enough that I played for a couple of hours straight.

The art history theme was less prominent than I expected, because the things you mostly look at are repeating from level to level. Only a few levels I rememeber as being rather distinct.

The boss battles are kind of too easy, but not too boring. Compared to Deus Ex,

The balance seemed good, most levels were pretty close. I thought I'd try some levels without building defences, just focusing on the rolling, but that didn't work because what are you going to do while your ball is being rebuilt? The pause there is kind of good and kind of bad. Good because it makes you play defense as well. Bad because what if you really don't want to or just don't have enough money to spend the whole time building. Most of the time I quickly built a few defences in a single place and then found out I was out of money, and just waited for my rock to be built.

The defences building kind of seemed a weak part of the game, even if the above wasn't an issue. Usually they didn't buy me more than a few or a few tens of seconds, rarely were they enough to change the flow of the game (like de-syncing mine and my enemies roll times).

Smashing things was fun, though.

Getting all the keys on each level wasn't usually possible later in the game if I wanted to win as well, but you can get them separately and still keep them if you don't win.

[miffy495]

Yeah, I discovered at one point that if you get all 3 keys and then immediately go into the menu and hit "restart level" the game lets you keep the keys without even finishing your round. If you're getting frustrated trying to collect everything, keep that in mind. I sort of really just wish that this game was Super Monkey Ball: Art History. The defense part is inoffensive I guess, but completely slows the game to a crawl right when you're enjoying yourself. Whatever, still a good game.

[Erkki]

Yeah, I discovered at one point that if you get all 3 keys and then immediately go into the menu and hit "restart level" the game lets you keep the keys without even finishing your round. If you're getting frustrated trying to collect everything, keep that in mind.

Yeah, I think the state is saved any time you get a key, probably.

I sort of really just wish that this game was Super Monkey Ball: Art History. The defense part is inoffensive I guess, but completely slows the game to a crawl right when you're enjoying yourself. Whatever, still a good game.

Agreed. I'm trying to collect all the keys now and it's annoying, especially the FIRST wait. At least one should be able to start rolling right away at the beginning of the level.