I have to be honest right away: I didn’t know much about No Straight Roads until a month ago. Which is ironic, not only for the role I play on this site, but because those who know me usually compare me to a living encyclopedia on video games and their technologies. It is simply not a game that I have been able to deepen through the usual channels. In fact, the first approach took place in the most unusual (for me) way possible: music mixes on YouTube. You see, on the Google platform I don’t usually follow many content creators, especially Italians. They are not in my strings, and so far ok. What I mainly do is listen to music, in defiance of the FLACs. More specifically, I listen to music from video games, from vaporwave, funk or city pop artists. I find it not only a relaxing experience, but also able to bring me to know new products. This does not mean that I despise the rest, for heaven’s sake, but it simply does not fit my mood. Lo and behold, maybe it was the first impact with the production of Metronomik and Sold Out, but I didn’t expect such a fascinating soundtrack. Boss Battle Records, the record label that took care of the game’s soundtrack, knew this well too. After all, it’s still about marketing , you just have to hear it to believe it. In a few minutes I wanted to know more and more about the final product ( like here), since my initial impression was more than positive. Now, having had the opportunity to try the game first hand, it’s time to give a concrete judgment. Get ready, because one of your last summer stops on Nintendo Switch could be in Vinyl City.
LET’S ROCK’N’ROLL
No Straight Roads, despite what my premise might suggest, is first and foremost an action-adventure game. Moreover, it is the first made by a Malaysian studio, Metronomik, whose founders are none other than Wan Hazmer, lead game designer of Final Fantasy XV and Daim Dziauddin, his cousin, and concept artist of Street Fighter V. worked with some of the big names in the industry, the two decided to start from scratch, thus giving vent to all their ideas and the experience accumulated over the years. Not only that, their goal, as can be understood from the name of the software house, is to use music in ways never seen before. Not as a simple side dish, but as an integral part of everything.
In No Straight Roads we will be called to take on the role of Mayday and Zuke, the duo that united gives life to the independent rock band Bunk Bed Junction. The beginning of the game is as simple as it is effective, as our players are willing to make the leap in quality by getting into the graces of the NSR. The latter, in fact, is not only the most important record company in the world, but also the company that has been able to give more splendor (and electricity) to Vinyl City thanks to its internationally renowned stars. The credit, however, is all of EDM (Electronic Dance Music), a wide range of electronic musical genres that has been able to win the hearts of citizens, to the detriment of the classical genres. EDM reigns supreme throughout the city and there is no intention of altering the status quo of things. Indeed, the two protagonists will soon realize that their much loved rock is not so well liked by the company, which will decide following their performance to prevent it from spreading. As if that were not enough, the high use of EDM is often a source of continuous blackouts in the less affluent neighborhoods in favor of those assigned to the stars of the company, another reason to give life to a real rebellion against the evil society. Rebellion that will take the form of a real sabotage of the concerts at the hands of the protagonist duo. Restoring order, as well as rock music, will lead the two budding rockers to face the the high use of EDM is often a source of continuous blackouts in the less affluent neighborhoods in favor of those assigned to the stars of the company, another reason to give life to a real rebellion against the evil society. Rebellion that will take the form of a real sabotage of the concerts at the hands of the protagonist duo. Restoring order, as well as rock music, will lead the two budding rockers to face the the high use of EDM is often a source of continuous blackouts in the less affluent neighborhoods in favor of those assigned to the stars of the company, another reason to give life to a real rebellion against the evil society. Rebellion that will take the form of a real sabotage of the concerts at the hands of the protagonist duo. Restoring order, as well as rock music, will lead the two budding rockers to face thecrème de la crème of the NSR, in order to reclaim their neighborhoods and climb the ranks.
The faces behind the EDM
However, Mayday and Zuke will not have an easy time during their adventure in Vinyl City. The enemies they will face may seem trivial on the surface but they are actually real hard bones. The NSR, after all, is not made up of simpletons, but a real musical elite capable of covering various subgenres of EDM. In fact, behind their digital mask there is an exceptional musical team led by Falk Au Yeong, Andy Tunstall, James Landino and Pejman Roozbeh (aka Funk Fiction). If you follow the indie scene you may have already heard of them, as they curated the soundtracks for the fan game Sonic: After the Sequel and Spark the Electric Jester. Accompanying them are also exceptional guest stars, such as the Japanese rock band One Eye Closed, singer Nikki Simmons, guitarist Az Samad and producer RoboRob. Yes, the YouTube algorithm had hit my weaknesses, nothing was left to chance.
- DJ Subatomic Supernova: De facto, a selfish, intelligent and superior personality. Ready to crush those below him like insects. He is also a real talkative, we could call him a broken record!
- SAYU: Entity entirely digital and head of the Japanese district of Vinyl City. Sayu is always happy and sunny, ready to fight for peace and love. A recommendation: don’t say it’s not real!
- YINU: Child prodigy, at the age of nine she became a piano talent. Together with his mother he commands the botanical district of Vinyl City. Despite her age and innocence, she will be a valid opponent.
- 1010: The world’s most popular robotic boyband is ready to make all the girls of Vinyl City fall in love with their synchronized dance moves. It will be rewarding to shatter their faces with guitars in the face!
- EVE: Eccentric and suave, EVE is a more than dangerous opponent within the NSR. The surreal is part of her fighting style, and you’ll have to keep in mind how much you’ve learned (and more) to beat her.
- Tatiana: CEO of NSR, the one who dominates unchallenged on Vinyl City by imposing her musical tastes. Nobody knows much about her, but for what little he has known Mayday he can only hate her with all his heart.
But more precisely, how do you sabotage a concert? In the most banal way possible: by playing themin the face of anyone who decides to oppose. To the detriment of his pretty face, Mayday is a real firepower and anger ready to strike anyone who gets in his way with his faithful guitar. Mayday is the game’s de-facto brute force, capable of striking mercilessly and dealing the most damage. She is opposed by the more calm Zuke, who, thanks to his wands, can give life to attacks of less powerful but faster chain sequences. In No Straight Roads you can fight alone or in company (only in local mode), and just when you are alone you can alternate with the press of a button between the two protagonists, a useful solution to take advantage of different types of attacks, but also to allow your partner to rest and help him recover energy.
No Straight Roads is also a source of never ending memes thanks to its light-hearted story.
The combat system is simple and in some ways follows that of other exponents of the genre. It attacks, you can do a somersault to avoid the attacks but above all you can use the music to bring home the success of the fight. Each duel will ask you to pay close attention to the music of the game in order to synchronize with the movements of the opponents, learning their attack patterns. As if that weren’t enough, Mayday and Zuke will be able to transform the surrounding elements into healing or offensive objects, necessary when the situation gets tougher. There are also special or group attacks, which can be unlocked as the plot progresses. The two rockers will be able to expand their moveset by learning to use the techniques of their opponents.
To be protected.
From here comes the second part of No Straight Roads, or the exploration (and repair) of Vinyl City. Each district will be full of lights and neon, but not the whole city is in good shape. Exploring the city is not only a diversion before moving on to the next battle, but it is also a way to get to know the inhabitants of the area, collect batteries and repair the city by improving the consensus of public opinion. Mayday and Zuke, in fact, will start from a simple underground base in the city sewers, which you can expand by defeating the EDM and improving Vinyl City thanks to the power of your fans. In no time at all you will be able to upgrade your equipment by improving its resistance and capacity. Having a high fan consensus will also allow you to gain experience,
Shape over substance?
To conclude the main adventure it didn’t take me many hours, quite the contrary. No Straight Roads is a title with an average duration, in 6-7 hours (double to complete it) it is possible to have a general idea of what awaits you in Vinyl City, starting with its antagonists. I would be lying if I told you that I didn’t enjoy being in the company of Mayday, Zuke and their charismatic opponents. However, there is something I haven’t been able to get out of my mind all the time, and it’s the fact that No Straight Roads could have said so much more. Much more could have been done with the material available. The impression, in some ways, is that it was thought to create a game with a targeted objective, that is the public looking for simple experiences, relaxed (but still able to offer a good challenge) and able to compromise. I say this because I myself could easily be one of these, but given the list price of the game and what is offered, I don’t know if I could be completely satisfied.
It is a game that must be played for what it offers, in particular it is perfect for those looking for a light-hearted single-player (or multi-player) experience without too many frills. Because No Straight Roads already runs out of most of its ideas in a few hours, and where more could have been done, it has not. The developers, in an interview, said they were inspired by Sonic (who knows why …) as despite being a seemingly simple game it is able to give the best of itself by playing and replaying over and over again. And this is absolutely true, but the blue hedgehog saga has always tried to propose new ideas even at a basic level with the material at its disposal. In No Straight Roads, outside the bosses, we almost always find a level to be completed in order to reach the base of the aforementioned. These levels are populated by enemies who just stand still and attack to the beat of the music (think battles with Bowser in Super Mario Galaxy, for example). And there it is, they succeed in their objective given the level design of the game, but all the additional potential of the Bunk Bed Junctions are only diversions or facilitations.
Switch up!
No Straight Roads on Nintendo Switch can boast the presence of some extra content, mainly relegated to the quality of life of the players. In fact, there is an exclusive three-player mode, with which you can play the role of the Elliegator pet alligator and collect bonuses and items to be given to Mayday and Zuke. There is also the support of the touch screen for the portable mode, thanks to which players will be able to collect and transform the objects present into useful tools to use in battle. Also worth noting is the price difference between the physical and digital version, probably due to the usual production costs. For those interested, a limited edition is also available for purchase which includes a collector’s box, a copy of the game, a vinyl with the soundtrack,You can find it at the following link .
Already after the third boss, indicatively, everything was seen in playful terms, apart from a few small gems. And that’s a shame, because nowhere was a ban on experimenting imposed. There is so much that can be achieved with the concept chosen by Metronomik, so much that can be done with that game world. I do not doubt that, by replaying the adventure at higher difficulties and in company, many of the upgrades are actually useful, but the base must know how to meet the needs of the public. In practice, after the half you lose some bite and you just dodge the attacks and attack, with a few, very few, exceptions.
