Thank you ATLUS for the review code.

So, one of the surprise sequels of 2017, Rock of Ages 2, is a great game. While the first game wasn't the most amazing indie game on the block it was top notch for what it was. Let's roll over history with Rock of Ages 2.

In Rock of Ages 2 you play as Atlas, and as you are holding Earth above your head, Zeus asks you to pose as he draws a picture. You accidentally drop the planet and you pick up a boulder in its place. Before Zeus realizes you dropped the world you jump down into the planet to try and hide from him. Along the way you have to fight against historical figures in the most obvious and straightforward way. You'll have to roll your boulder down various obstacles to crush your enemy's castle gates. Once you do you can squish your enemies flat with your boulder. Be warned they will have a chance to squish you with their own boulder as well. You have to be faster! You can earn gold by breaking the course and getting rid of enemy obstacles. The gold you earn can be used to place various obstacles to slow down your foe. Just like you, your opponent can put obstacles in their way to impede your boulders. You will have to learn how to dodge every type of trap to quickly beat the course.

The gameplay can best be described as a 3d version of the classic game Marble Madness. The problems the original had were improved. Aside from barrel bombs, defenses felt useless in the first game. Walls and other defenses are now a challenge to get through. You'll have to figure out how to best impede your opponent and you'll have to take risks to keep your time better than your foe.

Aside from the different opponents in the campaign mode you can revisit levels to earn extra stars in an obstacle course race mode. In this mode both you and your opponent share the same path on the course and you must make it to the end three times in first place to win. You'll be able to unlock gates with your stars to face various bosses such as the Thinker statue, a sphinx and more. The game has a time trial mode as well where you can race down the various courses without any obstacles in the way to compete on a global speed leaderboard. You do have a multiplayer mode as well but don't expect to find people to play this with randomly. You'll have to find friends that have the game if you want to experience anything against another person. You also have a local multiplayer option. This allows you to race other players down the same course or you can see who crushes who first under the boulder of their choice.

Artstyle, humor, graphics and gameplay all blend well and nothing really inhibited the enjoyment. Each stage had a pleasant soundtrack, the noises were satisfying as I smashed through the courses and each opponent was a challenge. Each and every cutscene was funny and cute and even respected the history it was from. Squishing Edvard Munch's famous "The Scream" painting was one of my favorite parts, even if I still question how it managed to command a boulder.

Morality problems are here and there in this game. Some of the cutscenes are a little violent but without blood it's mostly just slapstick. The cardboard cutout style foes don't have potty mouths or immoral tendencies so have fun destroying history. No cuss word is directly said though some mumbles could be taken for cussing. You have some censored nudity of Adam and Eve as well as famous statues that are depicted in the nude, censored of course. You also have living depictions of false gods.

This game definitely gets a near-perfect score on the indie game list for sure. This game is perfect for gamers of all skill levels and ages. Enjoy crushing the competition in Rock of Ages 2.