Recent reviews by Pixel Palace

KEEP ON SPINNING

Have you ever dreamed of taking a stretch limo, and doing circles until the tires fell off? I sure as hell didn’t but now that’s all I want to do and no thanks to freshman developer No Goblin and their first game, Roundabout. On the surface, Roundabout is kind of easy to explain but the nuances in the game play elevate it above your standard limousine spinning game.

It is 1977 and you take the wheel as silent limo driver, Georgio Manos. I never understood why she never speaks but it does make for some awkwardly funny moments between her and her passengers. Yes, Georgio is a female. A gorgeous one at that, but that’s neither here nor there. Skipping any kind of real introduction, the game starts right off with your driving lesson. I breezed right through the lesson, with a whopping 50% and not meeting any of the objectives. Still passed though. From then on out its nothing but semi-controlled chaos.

Spinning ( and jumping…yes, jumping ) through tight streets and hairpin turns is challenging and you tend to die a lot. And I mean a lot. But the low success rate does not hinder the fun of the game at all. In such an open world game that is driven by streak based scoring and challenges, like trying to bounce a soccer ball on the roof of the limo as many times as you can or staying clear of as many falling cars as possible, its hard to get mad a the constant dying.

You are a limo driver so it should be a no brainer that part of the game is chauffeuring a zany pack of characters around town. These riders are one of the best aspects of the game due to the hilarious live-action cut scenes, filled with actors I assume are No Goblin staff, friends, and family. The kids are my favorite. Not to mention the tender moments between Georgio and a certain female passenger. See, this game even has a love story! The scenes have a very Troma Entertainment feel to them ( given studio head Dan Teasdale’s involvement with Lloyd Kaufman, its no surprise ).

Roundabout is just a ridiculous game. Everything from the funky 70s music to the smooth spinning and fiery explosions. Its rare to see a game be so outlandish but work so well at the same time. I skipped over a lot of the other wacky things this game has to offer in this review but my suggestion is to plop down the $15 ( $12 during the launch week ) and get yourself a copy. Now.

Buy Roundabout

QUICK TIP – If you have a xbox or playstation controller, use it. The game is much easier. You will still probably suck, just a fraction less.

The Breakdown:

Story – 3/5
I only got to 12% but I could feel something developing.

Visuals – 4/5
Its not real life but its a video game through and through.

Gameplay – 4/5
Its fun. And isnt that what video games should be?

Sound – 5/5
The music alone deserves 5 stars. Also, between the pedestrian screams and sweet sound of crashing and exploding, it has top notch sound design

Entertainment – 5/5
I played for hours without any sense of time. Most of the time I was grinning from ear to ear.

Replay – 4/5
Unless you are some spinning badass, it will take a couple replays to complete the game. And I could see this becoming a party game. Easy to challenge your friends.

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