I bought ROLLERS OF THE REALM on sale for $2.99 because the artwork reminded me a little of fantasy artist James C. Christensen, and the idea of a “pinball role-playing game” intrigued me.
“Persevere through the hands of tyranny; use your brains, your reflexes, and your balls…” says the Playstation game overview. By “balls” they mean pinballs, which represent the various members of your party. You start out with the Rogue and eventually manage a group of up to ten, along with bonus balls for falcons and a dog.
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Created by Canadian indie developer Phantom Compass on a reported $700K budget and published by Atlus USA, this 2014 game is available on PS4, PS Vita and PC. It’s currently $9.99 on Steam, where it has a “very positive” rating.
ROLLERS OF THE REALM was a lot of fun. Some online reviewers knocked it for bad voice acting and lack of story depth. Well, no, it’s not Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings, but it’s cute and clever. I enjoyed the characters, from the sassy Rogue who says “yoink!” when she pickpockets villagers, to the drunken Knight trying to retain a shred of honor, to (my favorite) the Huntsman who declares he’s taking a “dirt nap” when his green leafy ball is lost.
I do indeed intend to “persevere” and continue this adventure. Check my YouTube channel for more ROLLERS OF THE REALM videos.
Rated “T” for teens, for fantasy violence and alcohol use.
~ J.L. Hilton
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