Rollcage PS1 Review

Rollcage is a futuristic style racing game that was developed by a crowd known as attention to detail and published by psygnosis for both the PlayStation and the Microsoft Windows PC in 1999 and this game focuses on not only just futuristic racing but it also has combat elements to it as well and one of the main unique selling points of this game was the use of its very robust physics engine. 

As the game for its time was considered to be among some of the most visually impressive racing games seen on the PlayStation but it had many great features and use of various aesthetics not only did it have fantastic looking environments that could change between day and night cycles and the graphics were superb looking for their time but it was the physics and the control systems that made full use of various aspects especially with the explosions as they were some of the most impressive elements within the game and even more so in most games that have been seen on the PlayStation during that time. 

The game would also all feature an original soundtrack from artists such as Fatboy Slim among other known artists. 

So the game had mass appeal back in the day and for many it was a very suitable alternative to the very popular Wipeout series as the whole PlayStation aesthetic especially during the early days of the system the one thing the PlayStation was really well known for and that done really well as was the fact is that It had a few whole futuristic vibe to the console and just to the whole element or that surrounded the console. 

And that element did manage to continue on well into the PlayStation's lifespan and even with this game being released. There would be a sequel but Rollcage Stage 2 which would release for the PlayStation and the Windows PC and would capitalize on the success of the original but would also tweak a lot of elements and improve upon many of the games aspects while also making the game faster overall in terms of sense of speed. 

But that doesn't take away anything from the use of the original game. 

It is a phenomenal game in its own right, I have had many subscribers actually reach out to me wanting me to do a video on this so I said it's about time that I get around to doing it and it is quite rightly so because even for myself personally going back to play this game I originally played this as part of a demo it was part of one of the UK monthly demo magazines and now you can only play as one track and I think you could only from what I remember you can only do one lap of the demo but still I remember being blown away by how visually impressive it was. 

The great use of dynamics the controls need the controls are very sensitive and they are quite fiddly if you're not really sure of what you're doing and if you're not used to racing games you probably will have a hard time getting into this but it's one of those games that you have to give a time, that's the whole key about Rollcage, it does as you're playing the original game when you do decide to opt in and play the full game it's one of those games that it does give you somewhat of an early entry point that is suitable for beginners to get used to the controls and the whole dynamic of the game. 

But it does gradually improve or increase in difficulty the further into the game you get and believe me this game does get difficult to further into it to play. 

But that doesn't take away from me because that's the fun element of it because you as you play through it you unlock more features and you unlock more tracks to race on as well and they range from anything like say on different planets such as Mars even to modern day kind of like our futuristic city style environments which is really really cool and not only do you have the use of weapons but what is really awesome about this Rollcage is that you're not set to any one particular path, you do have multiple hidden parts or secrets that you can find as you race to give you an advantage over your opponents. 

So it is a worthwhile title and at the time even though it did receive favorable reviews it might not be as high compared to some other racing games but many magazines even with the PC version as It was highly praised for the graphics and many people always stated that it is a perfect alternative to the Wipeout series if you're looking for more futuristic racers you won't go wrong with Rollcage as it definitely takes many elements seen in Wipeout the only difference is that you're racing on the ground rather than racing like with hovercrafts or on in the air. 

But one of the unique aspects of Rollcage was the design of the vehicles as they felt and looked more like a remote control car that you could literally flip over and it would still keep going that's what it felt like it had that twitchiness and that sense of speed that you would get from if you were playing like say with remote control car so that's what I think appealed to many people as they played it back in the day. 

And this game in a sequel would also prove as the inspiration for the more recent Grip combat racing and that would be seen on Modern consoles such as the PS4 and PS5 and even though the game uses modern visuals, it took all of its reference from these original Rollcage games and even that myself I have played it because I own it and I play it on my PS5 and it's a good game in its own right and it definitely is worth a try especially if you're a fan of the Rollcage series. 

Grip is another good game to try at also. But all in all it genuinely is a solid title it's a worthwhile racer for me it's definitely one of the best racers on the system. 

It has great graphics great functionality and there's lots of replay value being able to play on different difficulties and you can unlock different tiers of tracks and various elements the more you play and it's just very challenging but a very fun game all the same and I highly recommend if you do want to play futuristic racers or even if you are a fan of the Rollcage series definitely worth a revisit in my book and I would love to know your thoughts on Rollcage for the PlayStation if you have played it yourself and if so what do you think of it. 

Do you think this is a really good alternative to the Wipeout games also seen on the PlayStation? 

I'd love to hear whatever stories you have with this cool game so be sure to share it in the comments below and be sure to keep watching to see more content on other games similar to Rollcage, you can check out the blog where we will be diving into the iconic elements of these classic video games and as always keep those gaming memories alive...