From the cutesy vibes of PaRappa the Rapper and Samba De Amigo to the weirdly wonderful Elite Beat Agents and Space Channel 5, the rhythm genre harbors some unique and memorable cult successes. Sadly, many have been drowned out by the deluge of Guitar Hero and Rock Band titles which rose to prominence beginning in the sixth console generation. It’s been quite a while since DDR dance pads and plastic guitar controllers were in their prime, but No Straight Roads, the debut title from Malaysian indie studio Metronomik, returns players to a time before any of that became popular. A delightful outing channeling the energies of titles like Jet Set Radio and Gitaroo Man, No Straight Roads is a stylistically-powerful audiovisual experience that deserves the attention of every gamer who learned to keep a beat on a Sega Dreamcast or PlayStation 2.
Rock Rebellion
Taking place on the neon-drenched streets of Vinyl City, No Straight Roads tells the story of the indie rock band Bunk Bed Junction, a two-piece act consisting of guitarist Mayday and percussionist Zuke, who seek to rebel against the tyrannical rule of NSR, a governing body of sorts who seek to maintain the corporate EDM status quo in place. A heartwarming tale of punk rock defiance woven around some genuinely likable characters and told with an adorable Saturday morning cartoon flair, it’s a new take on the David and Goliath premise that does a great job of investing players.
Special attention should be paid to the title’s protagonist duo. Aesthetically striking and dripping with humor and personality, I could seriously see these two helming their own made-for-TV movie special. Mayday is a pink-and-peach-tinged hothead whose fiery personality compliments the pensive and contemplative green-and-blue Zuke. The two play off of each other well, and their well-written witticisms and expertly-presented voice lines culminate in two sincerely endearing characters who will capture players’ hearts before the tutorial stage it through.
Beat 'Em Up To The Beat
It’s tough to break down the various gameplay elements of No Straight Roads and slot it into a definitive genre. While it more or less fits into the umbrella of rhythm gaming, it borrows heavily from action platformers like the aforementioned Jet Set Radio, and the hack-and-slash lite combat actually feels a bit reminiscent of Tim Schafer’s semi-forgotten Jack Black-em-up Brutal Legend—the parts of it that weren’t shoehorning in weird RTS elements, at least.
On the surface, NSR’s combat is about bashing enemies to the beat while simultaneously following along closely enough to dodge attacks when appropriate. However, there’s a lot more going on here, and, at times, the combat can seem a bit overwhelming. The player can either swap between Mayday and Zuke or enlist a friend for some couch co-op. Though the two essentially play the same, their roles can be diversified via unique, interchangeable passive and active abilities, and micromanaging the band’s gear and movesets will be vital to challenging some of the game’s wild and diverse bosses.
Dance Dance Revolution
As captivating as the leading duo is, No Straight Roads' lineup of bosses practically steals the show. Each representing a subgenre of EDM and boasting well-realized, refined designs, these NSR kingpins each control a district of Vinyl City and must be overthrown to lessen the organization’s grip on the town. Each fight feels totally distinct from the last, and each employs some really wild concepts; from battling a cosmology-obsessed house artist who can command the movements of planets with a twirl of his finger to a confrontation against a mermaid popstar parodying Hatsune Miku, these epic engagements are oozing with personality and creative elegance, and each can take over half an hour to complete. Though there isn’t any combat to speak of outside of these boss encounters, each fight can be re-experienced with different modes and musical genres, and it affords No Straight Roads a significant amount of replayability.
That's to say nothing of the soundtrack. Each boss features their own unique score, and every song in the game's discography is a bouncy bubblegum earworm that'll have players bobbing their heads to the beat. The quality of the music in a rhythm game is often make-or-break, and No Straight Roads' OST perfectly compliments the vibrant, high-fidelity visuals of the title. It's an assault on the senses in the best possible way.
When not hijacking EDM artists’ concerts, Mayday and Zuke can explore the liberated sections of Vinyl City, speak with residents, and explore the nooks and crannies of the environment to uncover little bits of lore, stickers that offer passive effects in boss fights, and packs of batteries which can be used to power the city’s dysfunctional machinery. This, in turn, helps the band to earn fans, and earning fans will allow the members of the band to upgrade their skills and unlock special moves.
Ready To Rock?
It’s not the sort of game that could be sold successfully in a thirty-second elevator pitch, but No Straight Roads is a nearly-flawless title that serves as an awesome homage to the rhythm games of yesteryear while simultaneously offering up new and inventive gameplay and narrative elements. Players who choose to breeze through it may find it to be a bit short, and repeating the same boss fights may grow to be a bit stale after a while, but No Straight Roads absolutely has it where it counts, and Metronomik’s first outing is undoubtedly one for the history books.
A Switch copy of No Straight Roads was provided to TheGamer for this review. No Straight Roads is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
No Straight Roads
Developed by Malaysian outfit Metronomik, No Straight Roads has you control either Zuke or Mayday, two members of a rock band determined to rid the world of a corrupt, EDM-focused music label.