Image: MLMEDIA

As an avid inline skater myself, I have been starving for a new take on the pastime to really sink my teeth into ever since the likes of Jet Set Radio and Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, so you can imagine my reaction when I first saw a new one pop up a few months ago, from the developer of Rooftops & Alleys, no less. I've been following the development from the shadows ever since, waiting and waiting until I could finally get my hands on it, and today is that day.

Rollout Inline is a semi-realistic inline skating game akin to Skate, built for controllers and designed to use both sticks to their full potential. Skate and roll to your heart's content with the left stick; make jumps with the right. Use both sticks to make grinds, with each stick being mapped to each foot, allowing for some pretty cool skill expression, along with tricks that utilise this mechanic to really give you full control over your skater.

The plethora of tricks and manoeuvres you can do is all supported by physics-based movement and even (optional) balancing controls and difficulty settings if you really feel like elevating your skating game to the next level.

These core mechanics are phenomenal; it feels smooth and intuitive to coast around, but also challenging enough to make me want to learn how to execute tricks (or, more importantly, land them), giving the game an enticing appeal right out of the box. I think having these fundamentals down already, especially during early access, is great and gives me a lot of hope for the future of this project.

It isn't just free roam, either; you can take on optional challenges that increase your map level and increase in difficulty as you progress through batches of them. These challenges also unlock new clothing for your skater, letting you customise to your heart's content; the same goes for your skates, which are fully customisable from the get-go with no unlocks needed. So go wild with it!

The maps and environments, while small and low in number (it is early access, after all), are decent, and all beckon you to skate on every surface they offer. They also look very appealing, and the overall graphical style is enjoyable to look at while running perfectly on Steam Machine, making for even smoother skating.

In early access, there are three maps available for you to let loose on, each one being distinct and unique in design and challenges that you will face, with features ranging from massive gaps to vertical ramps and pools, meaning there is a lot to explore, practice on and get to grips with. Each map is also highly satisfying to skate around, with its own flow and vibe that sets it apart from the others.

Rollout Inline seems to be the game for fans of skating and blading, bridging the gap in gaming that has been there for quite some time between games like Skate and Jet Set Radio, and as a fan of all things to do with the sport, I'm happy to see this game finally hit the market.