Road Redemption
By Paul Semel,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Violent motorcycle racer with frustrating, flawed controls.
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Road Redemption
Community Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
Fun arcade game for teens and up
What’s It About?
Like a lot of racing games, ROAD REDEMPTION doesn't have a story. Instead, you engage in a series of motorcycle races. Your only motivation is to win… and unlock better bikes and riders. This is accomplished by not only driving fast, but by taking out the competition in violent ways. For some reason, players can use guns, machetes, and other weapons to take out other riders -- that is, if they don't choose to kick their rivals off their bikes. In this race, coming in first is the point, but surviving can sometimes be just as important.
Is It Any Good?
While some parts of this racer are fun, the portions that are flawed seriously undermine this violent, arcade-style motorcycle street racing game. While the objective of every race in Road Redemption is to finish first, doing so doesn't just mean having the fastest bike and best steering skills. It also means taking out the competition by any means necessary. Which is why, when not taking a tight turn or avoiding an oncoming car, you spend your time on the track shooting, smacking, and literally kicking the competition with bats, machetes, guns, and other weapons.
Now, as a racing game, it's okay; it needs lots of visual polish, but it has some good ideas. For instance, secret pathways aren't just shortcuts. They require you to navigate far more hazardous roads to cut past the competition. But the combat and the controls are a massive problem. Not only are the controls a bit touchy, they also don't make sense. While the buttons on the left side of the controller pad are used to attack to the left, attacking to the right requires you to use the top buttons instead of the right ones. Using the right buttons prompts your rider to try to kick at the nearest competitor, which can sometimes leave you open to a counterattack from an opponent. Coupled with uninspired visuals, terrible music, and not a lot of variety to the gameplay, you'll quickly understand why playing Road Redemption will probably cause road rage.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in video games. Is the impact of the violence in Road Redemption affected by the fact that you're killing humans to succeed in a race? Would the gameplay be just as intense if you didn't actually kill your opponents?
Do you think Road Redemption changed how you feel about driving safely in traffic? Is that because of what happens to riders that are launched off their bikes, or how racers behave towards each other, or does the road just seem chaotic?
Game Details
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Tripwire Interactive
- Release date: November 16, 2018
- Genre: Racing
- Topics: Adventures
- ESRB rating: M for Intense Violence, Blood and Gore
- Last updated: June 30, 2022
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