This may be a bit of an unpopular opinion, but I love video games that have cartoony stylized visuals. A lot of the most popular games these days tend to push how realistic their games can be with graphics that try to mimic real life. While I’m not trying to downplay all games with realistic graphics, I believe that most games that have cartoony styles tend to be more timeless and showcase an artsy side to how colorful their worlds and characters can be. This is especially the case with today’s review of a game simply titled No Straight Roads which encompasses cartoony visuals, colorful characters, and even spectacular music.
Performers Mayday and Zuke are part of an indie rock band known as Bunk Bed Junction. However, their form of performing music is rejected among NSR (No Straight Roads) especially by their leader Tatiana who believes the rock genre is officially dead and that EDM is the thriving genre that keeps things in balance. This sets Mayday on a furious rampage as she and Zuke fight amongst NSR’s most popular artists by hijacking their concerts and proving that rock is still just as relevant now as it was before. Can the two succeed while also coming over many different obstacles in their path? Well, will see about that.
Now I'll admit that at first, I felt like the story was going to be a simple government is evil and the underdogs try to take it down kind of story. It seems like that was the case at the beginning, and I won’t lie it kinda left me feeling like that was gonna be it and there would be nothing else that would make this story feel different from other evil government stories of its kind. That was until we got to the end of the game’s story and that’s when everything changed. The ending still plays out as expected but with a few twists that made the product feel more than what the beginning of the story suggested and worked out as a great conclusion which was very satisfying. Until we get there though, the game is not without its charm and likeability, especially from our two main leads. Mayday and Zuke are perfectly voiced and have tons of personalities. The foes they go up against also have different quirks to them that make them fun and interesting. You’ll even meet some friendly folks, some of which may even help you get closer to stopping NSR from their rule.
The gameplay has very simplistic controls but the way you execute them will depend on how good you are at timing your moves and attacking enemies. The game can be considered a rhythm game as all enemies and bosses will move to the beat of the respected music. This not only makes the game unique but also allows you to stop and think for a moment to see how you’ll be able to traverse a level without dying. Your attacks and abilities can be upgraded to deal more damage or even survive much longer when faced with your enemies. The game has the set pattern of you going to the district where your next boss is and getting through many obstacles with many enemies in your path until you reach the lair of the boss you are fighting. Each boss will attack differently, so don’t expect the same boss to use a similar method of attack to a previous boss. Along the way, you’ll also be able to participate in side challenges which are admittedly difficult but fun for hardcore gamers. The only thing that may turn some players off is how easy it is to beat the game. While I would like more of a challenge, I still had a lot of fun playing through the game even if I was craving more after beating it the first time through.
Now let's talk about the thing that is the reason for playing this game, the cartoony graphics and the outstanding music score. Starting with the graphics, they look so colorful, and both the characters and environments just pop with rich bright rainbow color schemes that are just amazing to look at. The creators of the game have stated they were inspired by other stylistic games and tv shows such as Jet Set Radio, Psychonauts, and even Steven Universe in order to create their own visual style. The inspiration pays off big time as characters are expressive and the environments have the vibe of a big and expansive city that is always crazy especially during the night. The bosses you encounter always offer their unique visual style based on their preference of music from out of this world look of DJ Subatomic Supernova to the classical yet vibrant look of the child prodigy Yinu. everything you see on screen is full of personality and all that passion and love does show in the final project.
Next, we have the music. They had so many composers for this game that I don’t think I could manage to name them all. Alas though, the music is outstanding whether it is coming from the bosses or the rock music of Bunk Bed Junction. I personally enjoy it that when dealing with a boss the music starts as a track that the boss would play, but then as you slowly begin to defeat the boss, the music slowly turns to rock to match the style of Mayday and Zuke’s Rockin attitude. The rest of the music when not dealing with bosses has that funky attitude that feels similar to games like Jet Set Radio which only adds to the lively tone of what the game is going for
While it may not pose as much of a challenge for hard-core gamers, No Straight Roads was still such a fun game that has a decent story, lovable characters, good gameplay, and graphics plus music that are far beyond awesome for words. It would still be my recommendation that you try this game out even if it was just for its visuals and music alone. It may not be perfect, but this game sets out to accomplish leaving an impression on the viewer/gamer and in my opinion, I believe they mostly succeeded.
(Final Grade: B)