Play Station Official Magazine - UK (2020-11)

REVIEW

071

REVIEW

Metronomik is composed of

incredibly talented human

beings. Despite the dryness of

the fundamentals, the action

never has a chance to grow

stale, with new ideas thrown

in almost constantly, and

without warning.

BEAT ROOT

One of many things to

celebrate about this game is

that it allows for two-player

couch co-op. Yay! It doesn’t

always do a great job of keeping

you both on-screen if you

don’t stay close together, but

it’s welcome nonetheless. Play

solo, and you switch between

characters at will (subject to a

brief cooldown), which works

brilliantly. Solo play doesn’t

even interfere with the sections

specifically designed to exploit

the fact that there are two

characters, an achievement

worthy of praise on its own.

The game doesn’t take itself

too seriously, unsurprising

when the basic premise is ‘rock

fights EDM for control of a

place called Vinyl City’. The

art, the music, the script, and

the acting (especially Mayday)

are full of joy and energy. It’s

a game happy to joke around

and, while mostly failing to

mock rock and electronica

tropes seems like a missed

opportunity, the boss battle

against robot boy band 1010 is

a delicious slice of satire.

The party’s over sooner than

we’d like at four to five hours,

but there’s enough to keep you

around backstage for a while:

new difficulties and modes for

the boss fights, upgrades to

chase, and an incredibly difficult

challenge from an optional foe.

Party on, dudes.

VERDICT

Right Your

sewer hideout

has a cool little

rhythm shooter

game called

Master Wolfe.

Below This is

a looker – the

character

design always

impresses.

Above left Boss battles are filled with incredible creativity, but demand skill.

A colourful sonic wave of

imagination and joy with possibly

the best soundtrack of any

videogame this year, No Straight

Roads is sure to pluck your

strings in the best possible

way. Luke Kemp

When someone is too emotional to speak in a

musical, they sing. Here, you rock out. While the

dance of avoiding attacks matched to the beat

isn’t much more complicated than a one-two-step, the

visual direction and the soundtrack are a double act

that proves to be the perfect headliner. You owe it to

yourself to give this one a spin. Jess Kinghorn

SECOND OPINION SERIES EXPERT

THE FIRST FIVE HOURS...

1 How dare those judges fail to recognise our musical talent! Time to

take our anger out on the city, like true heroes. 2 So we’re fighting...

a squeaky-voiced electronic idol? Sure, why not, so long as we can hit

her. 3 Now we’re fighting a nine-year-old kid?? Oh well, anything for

rock! 4 Our skill tree is starting to look tasty. 5 With the story beaten,

we have another go at the second, optional DK West rap battle.

1 2 3 4 5

19% Going back

to enjoy a boss

fight with new

music or modes.

12% Being

grateful for the

super-generous,

flow-saving

checkpoint

system.

10% Tapping r

to attack, wishing

there was a little

more to it.

4% Not caring

that you can see

where the story

is going next.

WHAT YOU DO IN... NO STRAIGHT ROADS

35%

Grooving to the

soundtrack,

almost forgetting

you’re playing

a game.

20% Being

treated to a

surprise, and

breaking into

a goofy smile.

THE OPM BREAKDOWN

TROPHY CABINET

OO

OO

H,^

SHI

NY!

OR

CK

R

IG

HT

NOW

!

CS

OH

LO

O

F^

HA

RD

RO

CKS

BRONZE

You can find stickers

offering temporary

attack boosts in the

city hub. Collect your

first, and this is yours.

SILVER

Finish all boss fights

on Hard. To unlock it,

finish the story, then

speak to somebody

outside each venue.

GOLD

Unlock all skills for this.

You’ll need a lot of fans

(basically XP), so this is

one to work on earning

in the postgame.

H GH

,

One half of band Bunk

Bed Junction. Friendly

and ready to rock.

Looks like a person in

a cheap unicorn suit.

The best/worst NPC.

Zuke’s brother, called

by NPR to challenge BBJ

to rap battles.

FRIENDS & ENEMIES

071

REVIEW

Metronomikis composedof
incrediblytalentedhuman
beings.Despitethedrynessof
thefundamentals,theaction
neverhasa chancetogrow
stale,withnewideasthrown
inalmostconstantly,and
withoutwarning.

BEATROOT
Oneofmanythingsto
celebrateaboutthisgameis
thatit allowsfortwo-player
couchco-op.Yay!It doesn’t
alwaysdoa greatjobofkeeping
youbothon-screenif you
don’tstayclosetogether,but
it’swelcomenonetheless.Play
solo,andyouswitchbetween
charactersatwill(subjecttoa
briefcooldown),whichworks
brilliantly.Soloplaydoesn’t
eveninterferewiththesections
specificallydesignedtoexploit
thefactthattherearetwo
characters,anachievement
worthyofpraiseonitsown.
Thegamedoesn’ttakeitself
tooseriously,unsurprising
whenthebasicpremiseis ‘rock

fightsEDMforcontrolofa

placecalledVinylCity’.The

art,themusic,thescript,and

theacting(especiallyMayday)

arefullofjoyandenergy.It’s

a gamehappytojokearound

and,whilemostlyfailingto

mockrockandelectronica

tropesseemslikea missed

opportunity,thebossbattle

againstrobotboyband 1010 is

a delicioussliceofsatire.

Theparty’soversoonerthan

we’dlikeatfourtofivehours,

butthere’senoughtokeepyou

aroundbackstagefora while:

newdifficultiesandmodesfor

thebossfights,upgradesto

chase,andanincrediblydifficult

challengefromanoptionalfoe.

Partyon,dudes.

VERDICT

Right Your
sewer hideout
has a cool little
rhythm shooter
game called
Master Wolfe.

Below This is
a looker – the
character
design always
impresses.

Above left Boss battles are filled with incredible creativity, but demand skill.

A colourful sonic wave of

imagination and joy with possibly

the best soundtrack of any

videogame this year, No Straight

Roads is sure to pluck your

strings in the best possible

way. Luke Kemp

Whensomeoneis tooemotionaltospeakin a

musical,theysing.Here,yourockout.Whilethe

danceofavoidingattacksmatchedtothebeat

isn’tmuchmorecomplicatedthana one-two-step,the

visualdirectionandthesoundtrackarea doubleact

thatprovestobetheperfectheadliner.Youoweit to

yourselftogivethisonea spin.JessKinghorn

SECONDOPINIONSERIESEXPERT

THEFIRSTFIVE HOURS...

1 How dare those judges fail to recognise our musical talent! Time to

take our anger out on the city, like true heroes. 2 So we’re fighting...

a squeaky-voiced electronic idol? Sure, why not, so long as we can hit

her. 3 Now we’re fighting a nine-year-old kid?? Oh well, anything for

rock! 4 Our skill tree is starting to look tasty. 5 With the story beaten,

we have another go at the second, optional DK West rap battle.

1 2 3 4 5

19%Going back

toenjoya boss

fightwith new

musicor modes.

12%Being

gratefulfor the

super-generous,

flow-saving

checkpoint

system.

10%Tappingr

toattack,wishing

therewasalittle

moretoit.

4%Notcaring

thatyoucansee

wherethestory

is going next.

WHATYOUDOIN...NOSTRAIGHTROADS

35%

Grooving to the

soundtrack,

almost forgetting

you’re playing

a game.

20% Being

treated to a

surprise, and

breaking into

a goofy smile.

THE OPM BREAKDOWN

TROPHYCABINET

OO

OO

H,

SHI

NY!

OR

CK

RI

GH

TN

OW!

CS

OH

LO

O

F^

HA

RD

RO

CKS

BRONZE

You can find stickers

offering temporary

attack boosts in the

city hub. Collect your

first, and this is yours.

SILVER

Finish all boss fights

on Hard. To unlock it,

finish the story, then

speak to somebody

outside each venue.

GOLD

Unlock all skills for this.

You’ll need a lot of fans

(basically XP), so this is

one to work on earning

in the postgame.

H, H

One half of band Bunk

Bed Junction. Friendly

and ready to rock.

Looks like a person in

a cheap unicorn suit.

The best/worst NPC.

Zuke’s brother, called

by NPR to challenge BBJ

to rap battles.

FRIENDS & ENEMIES