6 Sep, 2011
Title: Rock of Ages
Platform: XBLA, PSN, Steam (reviewed on XBLA)
Developer: Ace Team
Publisher: Atlus
Tagline: Monty Python Decided to make a marble madness clone with tower defense
Family Friendly: The game sheds no blood and uses humor to look at the artistic ages of the world. I don’t think there is a problem with any kids, although you might have to explain when the rock squishes someone.
I have to hand it to the folks at Ace Team, as they continue to put together some of the more interesting games on the Xbox Live Arcade. First there was the port of Zeno Clash, a great title that mixed up shooting with a first person brawling system that seemed to be misunderstood by most. Now we have Rock of Ages, a game that is all about rolling over everything while destroying the enemy’s castle. It has a shrewd sense of wit and charm, but it again seems destined to languish in the bowels of the Arcade, not because it is bad, but because it seems so off the wall.
Playing Rock of Ages is like walking into a large game of Marble Madness, except that Monty Python has invaded the screen and redecorated with its own brand of off the wall insanity. The idea is to build up defenses, in a way very similar to most tower defense games, all the while your side is creating a very large boulder that can be rolled down a winding path to hit the drawbridge of the enemy’s tower. Of course, the enemy is doing the exact same thing, so you are in a race to see who can siege the other person’s tower first.
The whole concept for Rock of Ages is quirky, yet highly entertaining. You start off as Sisyphus, the man from Greek mythology that was forced to roll a rock up a hill, only to be sabotaged along the way, letting the rock roll back to the bottom of the hill. Sisyphus decides he has had enough of his punishment in Hades and uses the giant rock to siege the defenses of Hades. What transpires from there is a trip through several periods in time, each done with art appropriate to the period. However, the fun is in the way that Ace Team mixes up humor with these bits. Watching Leonidas perform his “This is Sparta” line, only to get rolled over by a rock is highly amusing. It is cleaver wit, dry in its approach, but you will find yourself chuckling out loud many times by the end of the game.
Your rock becomes your primary weapon, as you control its descent down the path, hurtling it towards the enemy’s base. As you roll, you can run over just about everything in your way, from people, to enemy structures, it can all be destroyed with enough momentum. Be cautious however, as your rock can only take so much damage. As you run into things, you slowly start to see chunks of rock splintering off from your rock. It is a nice visual touch so you do not have to monitor your damage meter so closely. I can view the damage, take a quick glance and move on. Rocks can also be modified with cash to add iron plating, molten plating and more. These additions allow for your rock to both take more damage and dish more out. Rolling the rock is a lot of fun, and while you do spend a lot of time doing it, it is never boring or tedious. Sadly, you probably spend more time with tower defense than you do rolling the rock as you start to get deeper into the game.
The tower defenses that you erect start off very simple, with simple wooden towers, cows and catapults that you will litter in specific points on the path. As you move on and defeat more enemies, you unlock more defensive measures like stone towers, bombs and trebuchets to name a few. While I like the idea of adding defenses, as you have to balance what you spend with what you use on your rock, the instructions are not very clear on how to rotate defenses. The map also becomes confusing at times, as to which direction the other rock will be rolling. There are arrows that show direction, but then my defenses seem to be placed in the wrong direction. I started to wonder if the tower defense portion of the game was put into place late in development as it seems very half baked in design.
Rock of Ages does come with both split screen and online co-op and multiplayer, and I would have loved to had more to discuss on this part, but alas, I never found a game online happening over three days, and this is the fate I was talking about earlier. Ace Team makes great titles, but they just seem to be a little too quirky for the XBLA crowd. The concepts are very highbrow and may not click with people. This is a sad proposition, as Rock of Ages is a lot of fun to play. It may find a wider audience on PSN or Steam, but on XBLA, unless you have a friend commit to buying it or a roommate that owes you a favor, you are destined to play this by yourself.
I enjoyed the core concepts and humor that can be found in Rock of Ages. Sadly, some of those tasks are better than others. I loved rolling the rock and watching the humor unfold over the experience, but the tower defense sections were awkward and confusing at times. A little more clarification in the instructions would have helped, but if you can struggle past that, you will find a lot to love with Rock of Ages. It is a bit rough but overall, a fun journey to play through.
The Good:
- Extremely sharp sense of humor
- Fun rolling rock mechanics
- Good use of historical figures
The Bad:
- The tower defense sections are poorly explained, and rough to comprehend
- Complete lack of online players for the multiplayer component
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