It’s rare to encounter a game equally capable of coaxing smiles from middle-aged writers as it is from the four-year-old daughters of said writers, However, that’s exactly what Roarr! The Adventures of Rampage Rex manages to do. I encountered this charmingly minimalist game at PAX East, and am eagerly awaiting its full release so that I can play it at home with my daughter.
Roarr! The Adventures of Rampage Rex is all about old-school, kaiju movie inspired destruction. Players take the control of Rex, a massive Tyrannosaurus Rex, who needs to defend his territorial islands from an invading alien force. The alien goo takes many forms, and even has the ability to animate and control normally inanimate objects such as construction equipment. Rex’s islands are (or, at least, were) pretty heavily developed before the aliens arrived though, and since Rex is a gigantic dinosaur with a brain the size of a walnut, he’s not exactly graceful in his alien fighting techniques. In short, it isn’t just the aliens that are going to feel the brunt of Rex’s wrath, the whole island chain is about to get smashed flat!
The Streetview car stopped mapping shortly after taking this picture.
The game controls simply with a twin-stick controller. The left stick moves Rex, the right stick rotates the isometric camera. Controller buttons manage Rex’s various attacks and jump. Advanced combos can be added in to increase the destruction.
Rex takes a bite out of the alien menace!
Where the game really shines is in its local co-operative multiplayer. Up to four players can join in the fun, each controlling their own unique version of Rex. With multiple Rexes stomping around the map, the action really ramps up, and it’s just plain fun to watch the screen and see a bunch of gigantic T-Rexes beating up weird aliens. At PAX East I played the game with one of the developers, and I believe that a big silly grin was plastered on my face the whole time.
And this is how a T-Rex does an uppercut. With his jaw…
Independent developer Born Lucky Games has partnered with publisher Klabater to get the game released. Steam currently lists it as a Summer 2018 release. The final version of the game will include a tongue-in-cheek story mode, and unique moves and animations for each version of Rex. I’m looking forward to playing this with my daughter, who, in turn, is looking forward to playing it next to her very large stuffed T-Rex named “Chompus.” Just don’t ask how Chompus is going to reach the controller with his T-Rex arms.
Gamers interested in checking out Roarr! The Adventures of Rampage Rex should check out the game’s official Steam page, or official website.
