Rollers of the Realm Review

Rollers of the Realm is an exciting twist on the typical pinball game. Developed by Phantom Compass, the game offers a new way to play through one of the oldest ideas in the industry and makes it work. Rollers of the Realm is a pinball/RPG game that sends players on a hero’s quest and offers plenty

The gameplay is the key brilliance in Rollers of the Realm. The player takes control of a characterized pinball, using either left or right flippers to bounce the ball in the desired direction. Each pinball is unique in a few different ways. Each one has it’s own voice over and character drawing and each ball has its own special powers and play style. It’s a unique game that’ll have you emotionally invested in a not-so-simple pinball. The pinballs all play differently enough so that by the end of the game you know which pinball to use for every situation. Even more, you have the ability to buy and upgrade gear for each pinball, making them more powerful against the onslaught of enemies. Oh and trust me, you’ll need all the help you can get. Rollers of the Realm is not an easy game. It offers the perfect challenge to keep players invested while still being fun.

Not only is the main gameplay a genius concept, the map design definitely adds to the gameplay. The maps are all different and extremely fun. The environmental design added to the epic RPG feel. The biggest issue with playing as a pinball is that sometimes it takes a few tries to get to a specific location on the map, such as to unlock a door or activate a power-up. This is just a minor annoyance that ends up becoming second nature, though.

The story in Rollers of the Realm is the weakest aspect of the game. Don’t get me wrong – the story is fun and it offers plenty of hours of play, but it’s nothing that hasn’t been done before. Even though it is predictable, you’ll still be invested in the characters and you’ll have the urge to keep pushing through. On top of the story, the voice work was surprisingly good. Each character has a unique voice and so do most of the major villains. The voice acting isn’t just a voiceover either, each characters actor/actress adds a nice sense of emotion and depth. The voice acting is something that really helped make the characters more familiar and the game would not be what it is without it.
Rollers of the Realm excels in its artistic vision. There are many times where I would just take a step back and admire the work that the artists had done. Not only are the maps beautiful, but each pinball is designed in a way that really captures the essence of the character. Each ball is different enough to know which one is being used and they all feel as if you were actually playing as that character. Neither of these account for some of the most beautiful moments in Rollers of the Realm, though. There are certain paintings throughout the game that will simply blow you away. Specifically, there’s two different scenes before one of the final battles that showcases all the characters and the deluge of enemies they’re about to fight. The paintings used to set the scene are simply amazing. It really took me by surprise and I was sad that there wasn’t more of these scenes.

Rollers of the Realm seems like a crazy concept that sounds like nobody should ever attempt. You won’t be saying that after you play it though. Chances are you’ll wonder why nothing like this was thought of earlier. In its own way it could be described is genius. The script will have you laughing and the gameplay will have you engaged. It blew me away how invested I had become in a pinball. While the story might not be the most epic thing that you’ve ever played, Rollers of the Realm is definitely worth a shot.