Preview: No Straight Roads hits all the right notes
Picture this: you enter a computerised underwater dreamworld that’s blindingly colourful to battle a digital J-pop idol, in the form of a mermaid singing hyperactive synth pop, using the power of rock music. If Guitar Hero lets you rock out in your front room, then No Straight Roads makes you feel like an actual hero with a guitar.
How did we get to that? Let’s back up a second. No Straight Roads is the first game from Malaysian studio Metronomik, whose founders worked on the likes of Final Fantasy XV and Street Fighter V. The game brings music to the forefront of its gameplay and storytelling, for an experience that merges rhythm gameplay with 3D platforming action, oozing frenetic style as you leap around inside the crazy minds of its fictional pop stars.
The setup is cheesy but fun: saving the city from the titular energy company NSR through the power of wailing guitars and pounding drums. You see, they convert music into energy but they favour electronic dance music (EDM) over irrelevant rock. And so, playing as a duo from a rock band, you must fight injustice and restore power through rock music, overthrowing NSR’s female Simon Cowell-alike dictator.
It has a Saturday cartoon feel to it all, with animated scenes between battles and a sense of try-hard cool to its vibrant, plucky protagonists who spout words like “rock-a-licious!”. Mayday is the excitable and fiery guitarist, Zuke is the laidback drummer; together they form the band Bunk Bed Junction.
It’s the personalities of the bosses you must defeat that really shine, though. Each represents a specific style of music and the world they inhabit reflects that. After the X-Factor style tutorial, the first boss is DJ Subatomic Supernova, an EDM DJ who spins planets in his club rather than records. Next up is the aforementioned mermaid character Sayu who epitomises cutesy, frantic J-pop. With platforming sections leading up to each fight, it has the feel of Pokemon gym battles as you explore the city and banish each artist.
So what does all this mean for the gameplay? As both Mayday and Zuke, you leap around and smack enemies with your guitar and drum sticks respectively. The twist is that enemy attacks are all timed to the soundtrack, giving audio clues as to when to dodge. The result is a world that moves and bops to the beat around you, though it’s a little disappointing that your own attacks aren’t also in rhythm.
What’s more, the game’s central theme is morphing the world through the power of music and that means influencing the soundtrack itself. Repeatedly fail and it’ll be pure electronica; fight back and you’ll hear rock and funk sounds mixed in seamlessly on the fly. It’s incredibly satisfying to hear, as well as see, your impact on the world.
And what a soundtrack it is! The theme of the city alone is this cool 90s electro-funk jazz track, while the two bosses so far manage to parody each genre without ridicule. That J-pop track especially is so infectious – am I evil myself for enjoying it more than the rock?!
Between the soundtrack and the clean, colourful graphics, NSR is a riot of music, though some gameplay flaws hold it back slightly. The camera, for the most part, cannot be moved and is zoomed too far out – likely to accommodate the game’s two-player mode – which makes depth tricky to judge when platforming. Your attacks are also too simple, though with loads of collectible stickers and mods to boost your attacks and provide new abilities, there should be more depth later on in the game.
The creativity on offer in just two battles is hugely entertaining, playing with the concept behind each boss with changing music and visuals, and a dash of fourth-wall breaking. Future battles promise to be an explosion of neon colour and brilliant music. I can’t wait to play more.
Demo
But don’t just take my word for it… As a surprise for fans looking to rock out with Bunk Bed Junction today, a playable demo is now available to download from the Epic Games Store, introducing Mayday & Zuke as they lead the musical revolution against corrupt EDM empire NSR.
No Straight Roads will release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via the Epic Games Store on August 25.
It will be available digitally on all platforms, and physically on PS4 and Xbox One, including an awesome Collector’s Edition packed with exclusive items. The physical Nintendo Switch version and physical Nintendo Switch Collector’s Edition will follow shortly after.
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