Official Score
Overall - 30%
30%
Despite looking the part, Run Roll Rumble commits a number of cardinal sins that DQ it from making any sort of impact in the platform fighter space.
A newcomer in the platform fighter space, Benua Softworks and Matthew Marcellino try their hand at the genre with their new title Run Roll Rumble. With supernatural elements and support for up to four players, can this brawler stand toe-to-toe with the heavyweights of the genre?
Run Roll Rumble Review
Those who have thrown down in Super Smash Bros., PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, or even Icons: Combat Arena will know the drill in Run Roll Rumble. After choosing their character of choice and arena, players must then dispose of their opponent while double jumping, rolling, and using items. It’s all bog standard for the genre, and though there is a health meter as opposed to a percentage-based mechanic, it is familiar nonetheless.
However, the execution of each of these elements is extremely lacking. Players are only given one button to attack, and there is no variation between moves. Those weaned on the meteor smashes and juggling of other titles will be thrown for a loop with the lack of variety here. This lack of mapping of directions to attacks is a sore oversight, and using the same combo in all instances gets stale very quickly.
In addition, the “special” attacks of Run Roll Rumble lack any sort of balance. One might feel like the mere inclusion of power-ups alone DQs it from high level play, but what is here is mandatory and broken. Players can get themselves fire, lightning, and ice attacks, which can then be released with a flick of the d-pad. These moves are grossly overpowered – the fireball launches opponents high in the sky with little warning, while the ice attack freezes players for seconds at a time. As the most unique element this game has going for it, it is a disappointment to see the execution found here.
Other than these attacks, there are also weapons like guitars and the environment to watch out for. Certain stages have floods and fiery threats that can easily take out a player if they’re not paying attention. There is a serious faux pas with the After Life stage (pictured above) – by making everything white, players are unable to see when stages end. Bottomless pits prove little threat, just taking a bit of life, but not seeing where they begin is a cardinal sin.
Programming in this title could use some work as well. There were times where we got stuck in the middle of platforms, unable to do anything to get out. In addition, there were times where our fights against the AI had them continuously walk into a wall. There are no difficulty settings or modifiers to smarten these foes up – other than choosing how many opponents you want to face and your character, everybody will have the same experience.
Outside of the main Couch Party Mode, there is also a Practice Mode (with no variables to adjust), Quick Match Online (which is in beta), and Custom Online (which is also in beta). We were unable to find anybody to play online, so we unfortunately cannot say if the netcode is up to snuff as of this review.
Despite looking the part, Run Roll Rumble commits a number of cardinal sins that DQ it from making any sort of impact in the platform fighter space.
