ROCK OF AGES 3: MAKE & BREAK
Take a roll on the weird side
Too few game devs are inspired by Monty Python, we reckon. Even fewer have the desire to include a giant egg in their games. “I think we should definitely have more games that feature Humpty Dumpty!” says Andres Bordeu, co-founder of Ace Team, and egg fanatic.
The big egg Bordeu is obsessing over is from Rock Of Ages 3’s new Humpty Dumpty race mode. The series is famed for enabling you to control a number of goofy indestructible boulders, so you can crash gleefully through anything in your path. Humpty Dumpty mode spins this around: now you’re vulnerable and need to roll your eggy hero out of harm’s way across a series of trap-laden obstacle courses. It’s egg-citing, if a little egg-centric.
EGG ROLL
That’s not all, yolks: this sequel is bringing back the core story and competitive modes from the previous game. The Terry-Gilliam-style animations link together a story that covers various periods in history, including Ancient Greece and Medieval Europe. In each you play as a famous boulder (yes, really) and must career down a hill obliterating the enemy forces. It’s tower defence meets Super Monkey Ball, and it’s lots of fun.
There’s more to Rock Of Ages 3 than simply guiding a boulder into an enemy castle. There are also tactics and upgrades at play. Every boulder has unique stats – varying across categories such as speed, damage output, acceleration and mass – but many of the more distinctive boulders have special properties and shapes.
“The giant meatball gains mass and power as it absorbs damage, the cheese wheel is shaped like a cylinder and moves faster but is harder to manoeuvre, the angel boulder can jump in the air…” says Bordeu, adding: “Choosing your boulders can be essential for winning in certain game modes and map layouts.”
The team are aiming to include 70 maps in the main story mode, three times more than featured in the previous game. But if you crash through those, a new map editor will enable you to create your own.
“MANY OF THE MORE DISTINCTIVE BOULDERS HAVE SPECIAL SHAPES AND PROPERTIES.”