✩No Straight Roads Review✩

No Straight Roads

An action-adventure game with rhythm based combat that features the two protagonists: Mayday and Zuke, an indie-rock duo on the road to success. Scorned by the oppression and neglect that EDM has presented , the two band mates work together as the rock band known as Bunk-Bed Junction to restore power and freedom for rock in Vinyl City.

The gameplay features a third-person view along with a combat system tied into the music of the game. The timing of the obstacles moves to the beat while the player moves freely and must adjust their attacks accordingly. The game features a stellar soundtrack which is themed around the various bosses that the player faces. Each boss comes equipped with a stage leading up to their fight and those stages are themed around the boss' representative music style.

To get to these stages, you must navigate through Vinyl City and hijack the concerts the musicians put on for their fans. The world itself is colorful and based on aesthetics that surround the respective music genre that is popular in each district. The districts are rather linear and provide areas to further explore the impact that each artist has on the city as well as providing hints and nods towards the boss' unique personalities. Personalities just as unique as their music.

From neoclassical to dubstep, this game provides a variety of different EDM styles for the player to sink their teeth into while they face the task at hand. Not only that, the boss tracks feature rock versions of their music as the fight turns in the favor of Bunk-Bed Junction. While rock may be pushed aside in Vinyl City, that is certainly not the case for this game. Both guitar and drum solos of the music is played when the player inputs a certain action. This applies for both the approaching stages and the boss' stages. Hold the button for long enough and you get to enjoy these solos in their fullest. Attention and love towards music in general is felt, seen, and heard throughout this entire game, and that's not the only thing this game has to offer.

There is a lot of enjoyment to be found within other aspects of the game such as the character dialogue: which leans towards comedy most of the time yet is not afraid to move into more serious matters when the story calls for it. That and the amazing soundtrack that keeps you coming for more as different versions and remixes of boss fights are unlocked within the first clearing of a boss battle. Higher difficulties are also unlocked which provide a greater challenge and replayability.

However, the one issue that one could have with the game is that its rather short. Clocking in at about 6 hours for completion this game is more suited for replay value rather then a large story. Short games don't always equal a worse experience as there are many other games that clock in at around the same time yet provide a great story experience.

While the story doesn't last very long its clear that the ideas of music and expression are felt within every fiber of this game. From the music, to the gameplay, and the characters themselves, the passion for music is apparent throughout the whole experience. While this game was created by an indie studio- there is absolutely no doubt of this team's skills and the quality of this game. For their first game, Metronomik absolutely nails it when it comes to creating an enjoyable experience for both gamers and music-lovers alike.

8/10