The tension comes in the risk-reward system. By doing one lap around the track and passing through coloured gates, you earn one point through a successful throw. If you complete two laps, you’ll have the chance to bag three points, while three laps will instantly end the game with a five-point victory if the opposing team doesn’t intercept your shot.<\/p>\n
It means matches can end in a flash if you aren’t co-ordinating properly. While in possession, you can jump, dodge and pass the ball between teammates to avoid being ‘denied’. The opposing team’s main offence is hurling themselves at other players, either to knock the ball from their hands or temporarily limit chances of passing to others. As you can freely manoeuvre around the track in both directions, you can also plan attacks and block shots with satisfying jump moves.<\/p>\n
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- Read more: Roller Champions closed beta – start times and how to sign up<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Roller Champions is skating meets basketball (Picture: Ubisoft) <\/span><\/p>\nIn the game’s closed beta (which ends on 1st March), matches are fast, fun, and surprisingly tense – especially as a five-point comeback is at either team’s disposal. The skating itself, while easy to pick-up, has flexibility too — with ‘pumping’ down slopes providing extra speed and braking to a standstill allowing quick switches of direction. Teammates can be used to propel yourself forwards too, making skating in unison both an effective tactic and a visually pleasing rush for a last burst towards the goal.<\/p>\n
The core foundation of Roller Champions is extremely fun and ripe for experimentation. The beta features a skatepark mode which acts as a free-roaming training area to practise skills, while there’s limited-time modes on rotation (there’s 2v2 at the moment, which does trim the thrills somewhat with less flying bodies to contend with). We’ll have to see how creative Ubisoft Montreal become with other modes when it fully launches, but there’s a compelling core here which, if expanded upon with enough variety, could be a refreshing companion to Rocket League<\/a>.<\/p>\n