Rock of Ages offers an unique challenge. The game is always running, so you’re constantly thinking both offensively and defensively. While rolling down a hill, you need to remember your route, making sure you don’t leave the same route open for your opponent. Meanwhile, you need to keep track of where your opponent is placing defenses, hoping to capitalize on any holes. There’s no time to slow down, forcing lots of on-your-toes thinking.
The interplay between defensive and offensive play create interesting gameplay situations. The number of available strategies is similar to an RTS game; you can choose to slowdown and build up your defenses in an attempt to outlast your opponent. Conversely, you can go for an all-out attack, ignoring your defenses and relying more on your twitch skill to guide the ball through your opponent’s defenses.
Most of your strategy depends on how many credits you have, which plays directly into how you choose to play. As you roll down the hill, you can crush soldiers, houses and other objects. Each flattened object earns credits, which you can then spend on defenses. If you don’t want to invest in structures, you can spend credits on ball upgrades, such as an iron band or fire. These act as buffers, ensuring you can have a little more velocity when you hit the gates.
Rock of Ages is different, but a lot of fun once you figure out all of the mechanics at play.