Announced at E3 2019 (when the show was not virtual …), Roller Champions surprised a lot of people during the Ubisoft conference. It must be said that the title breaks quite frankly with the habits of the publisher, since it is both a free-to-play and a sports game, fictitious what is more. As a preamble to the closed beta which will run from February 17 to 1er March, we had access to the servers for two days. After winning and losing a few dozen matches, we’re ready to tell you more about this exclusively multiplayer title.
Fictitious and new sport obliges, impossible to start this first overview of Roller Champions with anything other than a small recap of the concept and the main rules! Borrowing from both roller derby and basketball, the games take place in three against three on elongated circular tracks. Transparent walls located in the center and on the edges delimit the field, while allowing the participants to gain momentum. A few drops on the track also help to gain speed, knowing that it is also possible to cling to a moving teammate to gain a boost or achieve a super-jump. Sufficiently rich to allow different tactics and sufficiently limited so that the grip is not an ordeal, the range of movements seems to have found a good balance. Note that a skatepark is available from the main menu for those with the cold who would like to train freely and without pressure. This place also acts as a social hub, up to six players can meet there in relaxation mode and small challenges with friends. But real matches can only take place in official stadiums, because the circular nature of the track is essential.
Indeed, the objective of each team is to score a maximum of points by sending a ball in a circular goal located high in a single point of the ground. This hoop can be approached from either side, knowing that players are free to turn on the track in any direction they want and to turn around at will. However, the goal is initially closed and it is imperative that a team complete a full turn and pass four virtual barriers for it to unlock. If a player succeeds in sending the ball through the hoop at this point, his team scores a point. But it can be tempting to stay in control longer, because completing two rounds scores three points, while shooting after three rounds grants five points, which is the final victory since this is the maximum score to be achieved. But be careful, the lap counter is reset as soon as the ball changes hands while the goal closes, which introduces a small dose of significant tactics in the games. Some players will try to maximize the potential score before shooting, while others will prefer to secure a point as soon as possible.
YOUR BALL?
The beautiful game is therefore to keep the ball as much as possible and to make short or long distance passes in order to feign our opponents. However, the team that doesn’t own the ball is far from helpless. Indeed, we are dealing with a contact sport, where it is allowed to give blows to the opponents, either to make them fall and temporarily handicap the opposing team, or to make them drop the ball and try to recover it. From one game to another, the spirit changes considerably depending on the players involved. We played some great games where the passes followed one another brilliantly, and others where the game prevailed, for a more messy result but which was not lacking in fun. In all cases, the sensations are good and we progress significantly as the games go. Speaking of progression, know that you will gain fans over the matches you play. The more you have, the more these admirers will fill the stands of the different stadiums. These are currently three in number and are located in the cities of Acapulco, Mexico City and Chichenitza. The first favors fluorescent colors as well as an outdoor and sunny atmosphere. The second is more urban and more nocturnal. As for the third, it was built at the foot of a Mayan pyramid. This variety is welcome but we hope all the same that the final version of the game will offer many more playing fields, just to limit the repetitiveness of the matches.
Fortunately, Roller Champions will be free-to-play and everyone will be able to try it for free and thus test their resistance to weariness. After all, it is a characteristic of sports games that they always offer similar games, the variety coming mainly from the composition and level of the teams. In addition, the number of fans that we amass allows you to unlock virtual currency, which can then be spent in a cosmetic store. In particular, it is possible to acquire new helmets, outfits, gloves and skates. A paid Premium pass will unlock exclusive rewards. In both cases, certain levels will give access to “lootballs”. The drop rates for these spherical lootboxes are currently set at 65% Common Items, 25% Rare Items, 7% Epic Items, and 3% Legendary Items.
