Sometimes I run the risk of being a 'person who has only played Sonic games', stereotypically pointing at almost any 3D platformer and saying 'that's Sonic'. But come on, Rollin' Rascal is definitely more than little inspired by 3D Sonic platformers. It's got high-speed running, enemy robots, homing attacks onto springs, grind rails, and a spin attack. But this is no re-skin. Rollin' Rascal is more like an alternative evolution. It's even one that'll sport online multiplayer in its full release.
As I find out playing the short Steam Next Fest demo, developers Gabriel Gonzalez and Curiomatic have dialed into the appeal of the classic 2D Sonic games from back on the Sega Genesis for the premise of this three-dimensional take – that it's all about momentum. Say what you will about Sonic's forays into the third dimension, but many of them haven't really considered physics in quite that same way. Here, in Rollin' Rascal, every dip and dive of a stage is crucial for reaching and maintaining high speeds.
Must travel quickly
As Rascal dashes through each level, you can turn into a ball at any point to, as you might expect, roll over the surface you're on. While no slouch on foot, this can often accelerate Rascal to much higher speeds, which can then come in useful when launching off ramps. From this position he can even boost himself further by squashing himself and then unleashing a burst of speed in one go.
It's a system that allows Rascal to use the environment to reach top speed without having to rely on things like a boost button, while still feeling just as quick as modern Sonic games (and don't get me wrong, I love a good boost). It's thanks in part to some well-designed levels that combine density of routes with plentiful winding pathways, and, so far, a notable lack of extended hallways to simply speed down without having to think about much else. Moving at high speed across twisting pathways under your own control means you really do feel the sense of speed, and need to constantly judges what's coming your way.
It also means it's easy to end up flinging yourself off those paths. Rascal's controls can be quite twitchy as he rockets between parts of a stage, and it takes me a little while to get used to. Even so, while I'm learning how to play, losing my way on a route often means ending up on another one. The demo level I play has pockets of really wide design in which I can chop and change the pathway I'm following to progress. It's something that only recent Sonic the Hedgehog games have begun to properly explore with the excellent level design in Sonic X Shadow Generations.
It all ends up giving the level design in Rollin' Rascal its own feel compared to Sonic , even if the building blocks are definitely influenced by the blue blur's adventures. There's a definite appeal to feeling more in control of how you're moving through the space moment to moment – even if there's a chance it'll go awry and you'll fling yourself off, say, a bridge, it's all the more rewarding when you do see and execute the moves required to ride the momentum and end up just where you planned.
While Rascal's moveset means he can pull off a lot of the same moves as Sonic, there are definite differences too that alter the cadence of making your way through a stage. Robots can't just be bopped but also ridden, essentially allowing for a few quick seconds where you control the machine – perhaps a car to boost through a tunnel, a gunner to mop up a mob of foes, or one with big arms to smash open a metal cage hiding a dash pad. So far, with only a tutorial and one full level under my runner's belt, there's plenty more to see. But currently this stands strong among some of my favorite speedy platformers alongside the likes of Sonic, but also excellent peers like Penny's Big Breakway and Spark the Electric Jester. Rollin' Rascal will be rolling onto PC and other platforms in the future.
I've also been playing some other new genre favorites, including Demon Tides: Super Mario Odyssey and Wind Waker collide in this expressive Steam Next Fest 3D platformer that's already an early GOTY contender for me
