No Straight Roads

68%
Game Brain Score Based on 38 reviews
  • music
  • gameplay
  • graphics
No Straight Roads Game Cover
No Straight Roads respects your time, and is worthy of your collection.
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"No Straight Roads" is a single-player musical action-adventure game with a beautiful soundtrack. As indie rock band members Mayday & Zuke, players lead a musical revolution against the EDM empire, No Straight Roads, to save Vinyl City from corruption. The game features fast-paced combat with a musical twist, where players attack to the beat of the music, using each character's unique musical weapons and abilities.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

68%
Audience ScoreBased on 38 reviews
music15 positive mentions
gameplay4 negative mentions
  • Unique and vibrant art style that enhances the overall experience.
  • Fantastic soundtrack that complements the gameplay and is enjoyable to listen to.
  • Memorable boss encounters that showcase creativity and provide engaging challenges.
  • Shallow combat mechanics that fail to fully utilize rhythm elements.
  • Technical issues such as camera problems and performance glitches that hinder gameplay.
  • Repetitive level design and exploration that can feel mechanically unrewarding.
  • music22 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its vibrant and engaging soundtrack, which enhances the overall experience and complements the colorful art style and fun characters. While some reviews note issues with voice acting and audio synchronization, the soundtrack remains a standout feature, contributing to exhilarating combat and memorable boss encounters. Overall, the music is described as a key element that elevates the game's charm and energy.

    • “No Straight Roads succeeds in blending its unique art style and wonderful soundtrack with its gameplay mechanics.”
    • “No Straight Roads is a music-based boss rush basher with a fun cast and great soundtrack.”
    • “An energy infused concoction of style, action, and music that will give you one heck of a musical hangover.”
    • “While it does dazzle on occasion with its thumping soundtrack, it is also rife with cringe-worthy voice acting.”
    • “The world, characters, music, and overall idea of its gameplay are ripe for a groundbreaking beat 'em up game, but this, unfortunately, is just a so-so one.”
    • “No Straight Roads is a rockin’ good time with a friend, but beware of the many glitches, bad camera, and attacks not syncing up with the music.”
  • gameplay15 mentions

    The gameplay of "No Straight Roads" is characterized by a blend of charm and significant shortcomings. While the vibrant art style, engaging characters, and excellent soundtrack are praised, players report issues such as shallow combat mechanics, camera problems, and a repetitive structure that detracts from the overall experience. Despite its potential for a groundbreaking beat 'em up, the lack of polish and frustrating gameplay elements prevent it from fully realizing that promise.

    • “The nostalgic feeling is enough that I don’t mind the dated gameplay, at least not for the first playthrough.”
    • “[fun and bright art style, fast and fluid gameplay, incredibly loveable characters].”
    • “No Straight Roads succeeds in blending its unique art style and wonderful soundtrack with its gameplay mechanics.”
    • “It's just a shame the gameplay isn't as tight as it could be.”
    • “It’s got all the charm of a cult classic without the gameplay to back it up.”
    • “However, those same mechanics often face annoying issues that hinder the flow of combat.”
  • graphics5 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant and diverse art style, which complements the engaging narrative and gameplay mechanics. Players appreciate the striking visuals and memorable character designs, enhanced by solid voice acting and an outstanding soundtrack. Overall, the game's aesthetic elements contribute significantly to its charm and appeal.

    • “No Straight Roads succeeds in blending its unique art style and wonderful soundtrack with its gameplay mechanics.”
    • “Art and visuals are striking and memorable; the amazing soundtrack is something I want to buy ASAP, and the voice acting is fun (even though Mayday has some odd accent fluctuations).”
    • “Fun and bright art style, fast and fluid gameplay, incredibly lovable characters.”
  • story5 mentions

    The story of "No Straight Roads" is generally regarded as fun and engaging, featuring an interesting premise and meaningful messages, though it suffers from sub-par dialogue. While the narrative is complemented by vibrant visuals and a catchy soundtrack, some players find the overall experience diminished by mediocre combat and exploration elements.

    • “The music’s good and the story is fun, if silly.”
    • “No Straight Roads is an epic adventure that hits all the right notes with its design, story, and deep gameplay design.”
    • “[Colourful, energetic and creative visual design, bopping soundtrack, rhythmic combat is a ton of fun at its best, plenty to see and do in between main encounters, simple but effective story with great messages.]”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game's optimization is marred by performance issues, including problems with rhythm matching, handheld mode, and camera functionality, which contribute to a repetitive gameplay experience. While some elements like boss fights and the soundtrack are praised, the overall technical shortcomings detract from the enjoyment.

    • “Performance problems, camera issues, and repetitive gameplay are all factors that hold this one back from greatness.”
    • “Performance issues, annoying camera, repetitive gameplay.”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game's stability is frequently criticized due to persistent camera issues, buggy controls, and numerous glitches that can lead to unfair deaths, particularly in multiplayer scenarios. Players have reported that these problems can disrupt gameplay, especially during boss fights and platforming sections, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “Camera issues plague platforming and combat, especially with more than one player. Controls can also be buggy, causing unfair deaths with no checkpointing on the Switch version.”
    • “No Straight Roads is a rockin’ good time with a friend, but beware of the many glitches, bad camera, and attacks not syncing up with the music.”
    • “When it’s not making boss fights harder or breaking the controls, there are lots of glitches, and music and animations often don’t sync up.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development in the game shows potential through a variety of boss encounters and interesting character designs, although it occasionally falls short, with some battles being more enjoyable than others.

    • “The variety between boss encounters shows promise at times.”
    • “Great premise and interesting character designs.”
    • “Occasionally fun boss battles.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Reviewers highlight the game's phenomenal boss encounters and vibrant art direction as key factors contributing to its great replay value, complemented by an engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.

    • “The phenomenal boss encounters, combined with a slapping soundtrack and bright, vibrant art direction, contribute to the game's great replay value.”
    • “Each playthrough offers new challenges and experiences, making it hard to put down.”
    • “The variety of choices and paths available ensures that no two runs feel the same.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

68% average critic score

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