ROLLA is an evil, fleshy take on Katamari Damacy
ROLLA, a game where you control a destructive mass of flesh, launches on September 30th. It shares Katamari Damacy's rolling core but adds explicit violence and combat against police and military forces.
ROLLA launches on September 30th, offering a violent and monstrous twist on the classic rolling formula of Katamari Damacy. In the game, you control a mobile mass of flesh that grows by destroying everything in its path across various city levels.
According to a preview by Rock Paper Shotgun, ROLLA shares pseudo arcade origins with Katamari but focuses on more explicitly violent objectives. These level-based challenges include destroying a set number of radio towers, killing a required amount of humans, and causing millions in property damage. The violence is also reciprocal, as forces within the game world will fight back.
Surviving the Onslaught
As you roll and destroy, your fleshy mass increases in size. However, police and military units will intervene, shooting and firing rockets to reduce your size back to nothing. Your survival depends on your rolling skills to avoid this counter-attack. The demo indicated a maximum size for the flesh mass, though the previewer noted they did not manage to demolish an entire city to test the full limits.
Temporary Powers and Controls
You can collect temporary bonuses during your destructive rampage. These include shields that repel or absorb bullets and the ability to shoot lightning. The Rock Paper Shotgun writer expressed a desire for more variety in these abilities to keep level runs feeling fresh, though not necessarily in a roguelike format.
The preview also questioned whether ROLLA could benefit from an alternate, more tactile control scheme akin to Katamari Damacy's. The writer speculated that such a change might create friction with the game's other design elements, stating they would need more time with the full release to form a definitive opinion. Despite these considerations, they described being charmed by the game's distinctive B-movie atmosphere.
Availability and Verdict
The game's demo is available to try on Steam ahead of the September 30th release. The core question for players, as framed by the publication, is whether this evil, fleshy, and monstrous interpretation of a rolling game is worth your money and time. The preview suggests it carves out its own niche by replacing Katamari's whimsical collection with a combat-focused destruction spree, where staying alive is part of the challenge.
