Rollerdrome unleashes dystopian skater-shooter action this summer

Skate or Die

During yesterday’s PlayStation State of Play presentation, publisher Private Division gave the world its first look at the exciting new “skater-shooter” title, Rollerdrome. The retro-futuristic title is currently in development for PlayStation and PC with an eye to release on both platforms this coming August.

Set against the backdrop of an alternate (or perhaps not) 2030, the global public is kept distracted from increasing political unrest by the invention of a dangerous new arena sport — the titular “Rollerdrome.” As civil disruption and governmental corruption creep ever close to the knife’s edge, a brand new Rollerdrome player — Kara Hassan — is starting to capture the hearts and minds of the home audience. Players will follow Hassan’s journey to the top of a sport that is, ultimately, more than just a sport, as the young player’s talent, courage, and popularity bring a spark of light in the darkest of times.

Developed by British independent outfit Roll7, (of OlliOlli World fame), Rollerdrome will blend stylish skating gameplay and intense combat mechanics into its intense, politically-minded narrative. The new title sports stylistic visuals highly reminiscent of the iconic French artist Jean Giraud, while musician Electric Dragon offers Rollerdrome its haunting, ’70s style electro score.

It is pretty much impossible not to point out that Rollerdrome — pretty blatantly — repurposes both the narrative themes and audio aesthetic of Norman Jewison’s 1975 classic, Rollerball, and its own People’s Champion, Jonathan E. But I don’t mean to point this out as any kind of “gotcha,” as Rollerdrome clearly wears its influence proudly on its sleeve. The State of Play trailer creates the right kind of impact, and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more of the game as we approach its August release.

Game? This wasn’t meant to be a game.

Rollerdrome launches on PlayStation and PC platforms August 16.

Chris Moyse

Senior Editor – Chris has been playing video games since the 1980s. Former Saturday Night Slam Master. Graduated from Galaxy High with honors. Twitter: @ChrisxMoyse