You might remember Rock of Ages as a crazy game where you flattened history by smashing a boulder into various civilizations. Now the boulder is back, and ready to smash its way through more historical references, and this time you can even squish your friends. This is our Rock of Ages 2 review.
Much like its predecessor, the game comes in two parts. The first part is a tower defense game. Where you get to litter your opponent’s runway with all sorts of tricks and traps to damage their boulder as it rushes toward your castle. The second part involves you carefully meandering your own boulder through all the traps the enemy has set down in part one, before hurtling yourself at the enemy gates. Do enough damage to the gate and you’re free to roll in and squish your opponent, before dancing on their newly flattened body.
Each stage is beautifully created to fit with its historical theme. Some stages look like a scenic oil painting, while others look like ancient Greek pottery art. Every stage looks great and has the musical score to match. Players will definitely encounter the feeling of ‘I know this music, but I don’t know what it’s called.’
The sound effects are heavy and impactful, which gives your boulder a really weighty feel. Hearing your opponent’s defenses crumble after jumping on top of them is incredibly satisfying and also gives you more money for upgrades in the next round. The crumbling noises as your boulder gets chipped away at reveal how strong your boulder currently is. Near death, your boulder will chip and flake away until it does minimal damage to your opponents’ castle gates. This means that you have to risk going another round, all while your enemy is still attacking your own gates. Time is of the essence here, stall too long and you’ll give your enemy all the time in the world to smash you down.
The game also includes novel boss battles themed around the area and time period you’re visiting. For example in France, you will face off against The Thinker, having to bounce off his noggin every time he gets distracted. The boulders are specially themed around these fights and switch up the gameplay, meaning you’ll have to have a little extra control over your urge to hurtle toward anything that looks smashable.
The review was done by Silvernettle
