Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break (REVIEW)

Rolling onto the PS4 platform like a pinball trying to hit it's target we find the latest entry in the 'Rock of Ages' series. This third entry into said series seems to be a make or break deal for Ace Team, and their joining developers/publishers. I think a lot is riding on this new entry. Perhaps even the future of the studio. On a personal note, and from personal experience I've quite enjoyed Ace Team games over the years. They are in a league of their own when it comes to the unique, and unusual. The 'Rock of Ages' series, in particular, has kept me entertained along with it's Monty Python-esque humor. How it uses boulder rolling shenanigans, and tower defense mechanics to create an experience unlike any other is commendable. I also enjoy greatly seeing what the developers can cook up in regards to their pseudo-historical take on storytelling. With 'Rock of Ages 3' the development team continues doing what they do best, in my opinion, but opt to add in an element of gameplay not previously seen before. This time around the developers not only want you engaging in the single player campaign mode, but also creating levels for the community to play on. It's something that could very well make or break the future for this niche franchise, and it's creators.

Going in, Rock of Ages 3 attempts to get the player properly adjusted to the nature of gameplay through a complimentary hands-on tutorial. They do this at startup having you, the player, partaking of both the boulder rolling experience, and track defense mechanics. When it comes to these two features you'll find that boulder rolling is how you defeat opponents, time, or goals in the game. You'll also find that the track defense options are how you stall opponents, or get stalled yourself. Tracks within the game are all a winding affair with an arcade-like roller coaster setup that are meant to make getting from start to finish a proper challenge regardless of who is controlling the boulder. Between start and finish are various obstacles and mechanisms that are there to steer your, or your opponents rolling boulder off course. Sometimes the opponents places these obstructions, and other times you will be placing said obstructions in the opposing player's path. All at a price of gold currency. Other times still it'll be purely about navigating a set obstacle course or simply meeting the end goal. Depending on the rules of the current game mode. Worthy of noting is the fact that there are different game modes within both the "Break" portion of the game, and the "Make" portion.

When it comes to the "Make" menu, or main  creator mode you'll gain access to a level creator/editor that implements all aspects of core gameplay. You'll find that you can adjust, add to, or change the course as you please. The course customization options include all game modes, and will require that you name the course, and create the course before saving it and uploading it for community play. When first entering the 'Make' menu you will be given a tutorial breakdown by a talking Napoleon puppet. This educational introduction discloses the description of menu functionality, and the options therein. Allowing you to test them as they are explained. When it comes to starting a new slate the editor will gift you the starting platform, and finishing castle (or skee boulder rings ....). All after you have picked the course theme, name, and game type. Themes range from Greek, to Roman, and even Alice in Wonderland among others. Along with that you'll find in the menus an assortment of obstacles, and decorations to add both visual appeal, and challenges for those who will be playing through it. Things like people, pottery, walls, trees, and traps. When everything is placed, and adjusted to your liking you can also test run your course. Working out any issues you might have from a design perspective. The options are plentiful enough, but done in an ease of access kind of way.

Returning as the staple experience for solo Rock of Agers is the campaign mode in the "Break" menu. In a similar fashion as before you'll be playing through mock historical/mythological skirmishes with introductory animations that involve various people of interest, and various modes of play. These modes of play include a solo obstacle course, a time challenge with leaderboards, a skee boulder game type, and war match against the historical/mythological opponent of the set. Each set requires a certain amount of earned stars to unlock, and those stars are earned for feats of prowess in each of the available game types within a given set. Some of them rewarding more stars than others for perfection. Initially progress is limited due to locked stages that require a certain amount of stars to open up, but once unlocked, and conquered you will be able to progress further along the Flat Earth  themed 3D map gaining access to boss fights, and mechanics unlockables. The latter including the various traps you can use as well as boulders.

When it comes to game modes some are more tug of war or head-to-head by design while others are more solo. The 'War' game modes, in particular, will pit you against the set's historical or mythological opponent as you both try to out prepare the playing field, and send a boulder to your enemy's castle gate. The goal in war is to ultimately break down the opponent's gate, and destroy the character/creature behind said gate while attempting to stall your opponent from doing the same. Each player has a tower defense phase in which they'll use gold currency that is farmed for to pay for, and place traps or obstacles that they have selected along with their boulder going into the skirmish. Gold can be farmed using a tool that is paid for, and placed in a similar fashion as the traps and obstacles. When it comes to the second phase of gameplay in war you'll find that workers will have to chisel out the boulder in a little UI animation before a starting/warning horn is sounded. This will let you know you can send your boulder along, and guide it in a first person point of view as you try to sneak in a hit on the opponent's castle gate.

One thing to note is that in any mode your boulder, and gate has a life bar. Once the boulder's life bar is depleted it will break the boulder, and cause your little workers to have to chisel out another one. The gate on the other hand has a life bar that takes in account how many times it can be struck by a boulder before it comes crashing down revealing your castle's guardian. Once your guardian is down it is GAME OVER. If you get the opponent's guardian first though you win, and are awarded accordingly. Similarly the obstacle mode presents a one-sided version of this challenge that is all about you getting the boulder to the opponent's gate. This, and challenge mode which is basically a timed version of obstacle are your base level experiences. Outside of that is the 'Skee Boulder' game mode which is all about racing against your opponent to an end course skee ball target. Along the way you can gain an edge by running into, and destroying target signs for points. The first person to enter a skee boulder target hole will end the match though that doesn't always mean a loss or a win. It depends on the total of target points gained along the way, and the bonus points for hitting the target.

Game modes aside you will also be facing larger than life bosses that require a strategy to defeat. These boss fights incorporate course elements, and will usually have you launching your boulder at target areas of the boss to defeat it. The bosses usually match the time period they are associated with.

The Verdict ...

Ace Team, and the others involved are definitely making a gamble here with 'Rock of Ages 3'. It is a gamble that will wholly depend on the amount of buyers and the community participation. While the main campaign does offer some solid solo play options it seems that this 'Rock of Ages' experience has been halved. Meaning that instead of making the "Make" portion of the game a light addition it's seemingly equally as focused upon as the 'Break' campaign. I, myself, liked the campaign and what it had to offer, but felt it was a little lacking in overall content. I feel it could have, and should have been much bigger in scale. Speaking of that the editor or creator in the 'Make' portion of the game is seemingly limited in content itself. You can do a lot with what you are given, but what you are given is limited in comparison to some level designers I've seen in other games of a similar nature. I realize that they were trying to keep things simple, but it makes you wish there was more to it. Considering the price, and what you get this isn't that bad of a deal though, but as I've said it is a gamble. It'll either make it or break it depending on the target audience's reception. Here at the Gaming Inferno OtakuDante approves, but I could be biased as a longtime fan of the series.