Road Redemption: A Review
I have something of a strange history with Road Redemption.
Back in September 2013, a video game developer posted on /r/NewOrleans asking for local play testers for a “ramake” of Road Rash.
To me and Crystal, this felt like winning Willy Wonka’s golden ticket. Road Rash was (and is) one of our favorite video game series of all times. I’ve played every game in the series from the original in 1991 all the way to Jailbreak in 2000.
I’ve always been remiss that the series hasn’t had a proper sequel or successful spiritual successor. So Crystal and I cancelled our evening plans and made our way across the river to the apartment of someone we never met in a part of town we’ve never really travelled.
There, we found a modest apartment, pizza-strewn and spartan furnished, that was bustling with activity.
The developers (Dark Sea) had set up about half a dozen stations for tying the game. We were offered a soda, shown to our separate areas, and we started playing what was described as an early beta of Road Redemption.
And it was rough…
I’m an avid gamer but Road Redemption at that stage made me feel like my parents playing anything that’s not on a mobile phone.
“What am I doing?” “Where am I going?” “How do I hit that guy?” Why did I just die?”
To be honest, it was frustrating. At that stage the game was pretty and had flashes of Road Rash, but played like a confusing, unfair mess.
Still, the developers, looking over our shoulder, took meticulous notes and, after an hour or so of gameplay, thanked us for our time. Part of that thank you included a Steam key for the game, which I activated but didn’t do much else with.
Redeeming Road Redemption
The game went through a series of delays, including due to the 2016 flooding in Louisiana.
I stayed on top of it and even installed some of the early access releases, but never with any real success. The game seemed to be another dead end for he Road Rash fan I am.
But then, on October 4, 2017, more than four years after I play tested it, the game was finally released. However, I had no intention of installing it.
Not only was it the thick of haunted house season (we run a small haunted house and visit dozens more every year) but I felt I’d given the game every chance I could. I just wasn’t excited and I had a full Steam library I could dive into.
But then I saw Jim Sterling’s review of the game and, well, he loved it.
Surprised, I fired up Steam, re-downloaded the game and gave it a try myself and it was, in a word, good. In two words, very good.
Road Redemption played like an entirely new game. The gameplay was intuitive, the objectives were clear, the controls were adequate and, most importantly, it was fun.
I’m not sure what happened, but Road Redemption went from being a disappointment to being a game I can’t stop playing.
Understanding Road Redemption
To be clear, Road Redemption isn’t Road Rash. The best way to think of it this way. Road Redemption is to Road Rash what The Orville is to Star Trek. It’s a loving homage that tickles enough of the right notes to make you comfortable while still being its own IP.
While the basics of motorcycle-based combat will be familiar to fans of Road Rash, Road Redemption goes much deeper with a more involved combat system (one that includes guns and weapons that are best for certain enemies. It also brings varied mission types, such as assassinations, survival missions and so forth.
While this chips away at the simplicity of Road Rash, one of the great selling points of the series, it makes Road Redemption a different, more strategic, experience.
Road Redemption is also a roguelike, which means that death isn’t just inevitable, but necessary. It’s the only way to improve your characters as XP is the only currency that’s permanent. This was something that was unclear when I was beta testing but has been much better explained now.
The roguelike elements also help keep the game fun and varied. While the original Road Rash games were fun, they could certainly get monotonous after a time. Between the roguelike elements and the randomization, every play through of Road Redemption is different, which is good because you’re going to have to play the same levels a lot to make any progress.
But where Road Redemption really shines is simply how visceral it feels. The hits hurt. You feel every punch and kick. The combat is satisfying and you feel an immense satisfaction with every successful takedown.
It’s a game where victories are rewarding but defeats are just opportunities. After all, when you die it’s time to spend your XP on upgrades and try again. No real reason to get too down.
In short, the game is just fun. Though it’s deeper than Road Rash, it never goes so far as to feel like anything other than popcorn gaming. It’s a game that focuses on being fun and manages to do it well.
Some Niggles to Note
It’s worth noting that, while Road Redemption is vastly improved from its early beta days, it’s still far from a perfect game.
The physics engine in the game leaves a lot to be desired. When hitting an object it’s often a roll of the dice as to whether you’ll crash in an epic, flying mess or harmlessly bounce off. It’s fully possible to ram into a stationary object at full speed and just come to a harmless stop.
Second, the controls, while overall good, do have some issues, in particular with the nitro.
When using the controller, you double tap the accelerator to use nitro. While that seems straightforward, it’s easy to do the double tap on accident, such as when you’re letting off the gas in a curve or slowing down to bash an opponent over the head.
Plenty of times I’ve let off the accelerator to take a sharp turn only to nitro my way right off the side.
The game also has some of the unfairness problem that frustrated me during my play testing. Often times death comes suddenly and unavoidably as you can find yourself surrounded and beaten up very easily. Couple that with wonky physics and cheap crashes and it can often feel like you aren’t in total control of your fate.
Bu while these problems are annoying, none of them are dealbreakers. The game remains fun, I’ve never had any doubt about whether I’m going to try again and I’ve enjoyed watching my character get stronger and better with every iteration.
Final Thoughts
Road Redemption, to me, is a reminder of why you can’t judge a game during beta or early access. While it’s certainly been a long road (heh) for the game it’s been worth it.
While it’s not a perfect game by any stretch, it’s a game that’s fun enough to survive its warts. While it’s no masterpiece of modern gaming, it more the fulfills the main objective of video games: To entertain.
So, if you enjoyed Road Rash or think it might be the type of game, definitely give Road Redemption a try. It’s a fun game made with a lot of love.
