Road to Ballhalla Review

Having seen the name of this game, I know what you’re thinking - and sadly no, this is not some epic Nordic Viking adventure game. But fear not, because there is good news; Road to Ballhalla is still a treat. And while it doesn’t quite live up to the level of excitement that its intriguing name suggests, it proves to be an enjoyable arcade-style experience that treads the line nicely between simplicity and ingenuity.

On the surface at least, Road to Ballhalla appears to be a basic marble madness clone with a futuristic overlay. But of course, looks can be deceiving. This isn’t simply another marble game, but rather, it builds on this standard formula and laces it with rhythm-based gameplay, some puzzle elements, plenty of intense action, and spices things up with a plethora of different concepts. It even throws in some amusing quips for good measure - which not only inject a strong dose of character, but help to fill the void for any lack of a narrative or storyline.

Particularly as I delved further and further into the psychedelic trip that developer Torched Hill throws you into, I was surprised by a steady and consistent amount of unique features and novel mechanics throughout. Just when I felt as if the experience was in danger of growing a bit stale, the game threw another curve ball my way, and provided just enough motivation to press onward and play around with the next stage.

The campaign isn’t particularly long - powering through the game will probably run you anywhere from three to five hours. Factor in the collectables however, primarily in the form of square “tokens” - and completionists will find a rather lengthier and more difficult experience. Orange orbs will be your primary currency, and they are strategically scattered about each stage. These collectables coax you into exploring more ground, as well as hitting some trickier areas of the stage, which helps to further flesh out the experience and also adds a degree of difficulty. The orbs, along with the amount of deaths you accumulate each stage, will factor into your overall performance for the level, allowing you to earn anywhere from one to eight of the square tokens upon completion. In addition, a designated amount of these will often be needed to advance to certain areas within the overworld, though the game never seems to require an absurd tally in order to hit those spots, so the need to replay stages is kept at a minimum. Adding further substance to Ballhalla’s campaign is the ability to customize your ball’s appearance, and you can even change the look of the cool neon trail your ball leaves in its path. It’s a subtle, but nonetheless effective touch.

Honing in further on the gameplay itself - your goal is, on the one hand, quite simple; you will be required to roll your way from point A to point B, move on to the next stage, rinse and repeat. Some stages stress rhythmic elements, while others rev up the complexity and require you to think ahead in order to reach the end unscathed. Generally speaking though, standing between you and your goal is usually an ever-changing array of obstacles, traps, and diversions. There are witty messages scattered about, which are paradoxically amusing and frustrating, and often seek to distract and sometimes taunt you. These comments typically act as a sort of mini-tutorial though, as they usually provide a brief blurb that at least hints at the means in which to complete the level. Though, at the end of the day, your own skills, reaction time, and cunning will be your greatest ally in Ballhalla. And it is difficult to consistently play well, since the rules always seem to change as you progress.

Just when you think you’ve honed your skills to the point where you can maneuver through the laser beams scattered about with relative ease, you’ll be taken aback by a new gimmick that will force you to play with a skewed camera angle, or be thrown into a thin and perilous pathway with no walls, or perhaps you’ll need to avoid teleporters that drop you off the stage.

Adding to this mix are - red squares and orbs that dwindle your health when touched and flash on and off to the rhythm of the music, hidden pathways, switches to gain access to certain areas, lethal blue squares, heat seeking lasers, and giant red balls of death. Ballhalla throws quite a vast array of elements at you, which prove to be a bit jarring at times, though it also makes for a more interesting and more challenging experience. The game very much succeeds in keeping you on your toes, which is difficult to pull off for a title that utilizes a relatively basic template at its core.

This isn’t to say that this game is pure intensity however. In fact, despite its difficulty, which escalates steeply as you progress, there is something of a relaxed vibe throughout that manages to provide relief from the trials and tribulations thrown at you. The soothing and well-composed soundtrack has a lot to do with the paradoxically chill nature of this otherwise harsh experience. There are few titles that I have honestly felt as if I could enjoy listening to the soundtrack on its own, but Ballhalla has certainly joined that exclusive list. The game consists of some soothing techno-esque synth melodies and beats, as well as some atmospheric ambient tunes, which not only add to the enjoyment, but are in fact intertwined somewhat with the gameplay itself. This is where the rhythmic aspects of Ballhalla come into play, as often you’ll find things moving around and switching on and off to the beat, almost resembling some sort of deadly rave.

In addition to the rhythmic and action based stages, there are also some that emphasize puzzle elements. You may, for instance, be required to unlock a series of passages in a particular order, nail the timing of flashing obstacles, or even memorize a particular hidden path that has been laid out for you in advance. These elements, while often creatively executed, felt a bit more lacking when it came to enjoyment and occasionally slow the pace down a bit. From a pure gameplay standpoint, I found that Ballhalla excelled more during the action and rhythm oriented stages in which the puzzle aspects are either toned down or absent. Of course, this is largely a matter of personal preference.

If you are seeking a more fast-paced and intense experience, rush mode stresses speed and cunning even further as you must scramble your way to the goal within a short timeframe in order to score anywhere from one to three stars. It’s nothing revolutionary, but helps to add a bit of replay value and even more diversity to the gameplay.

With regards to the controls, they don’t always feel as tight as they probably should, which can be occasionally problematic for a game that relies on precision and speed. However, aside from those occasional moments when you might find yourself overshooting a turn or a gap and colliding with death in the process, they prove solid and consistent enough to get the job done. It was also a smart move to include the option to move your ball with both the keyboard arrows, as well as “a,s,w,d.”

One neat little bonus that is at least worth trying once or twice is the level editor. Those looking to add replay value to a rather brief game (and prefer not to backtrack and retrieve all the collectables), will find a heavy helping here. While the interface isn’t the most intuitive and looks intimidating at first glance, the developers have done a nice job in helping to lay out the process at least in a basic function. Once you’ve played around with it for awhile and experimented with its functionality, it actually becomes relatively straightforward. If you don’t quite have the patience, you can chose to simply snag other user-made level creations - though at the time of this review, there only exists four extra “demo” stages created by the developers themselves and a select few by users. Of course, whether or not the user-created stages will in fact drastically increase is up in the air, but it’s at least nice to know the potential for this expanded content exists, however limited in may currently be.

The game is as kind on the eyes as it is on the ears. The aesthetics are both vivid and colorful, and manage to be appealing despite the simplistic nature of the objects and environments. If you were to meld a retro 80’s arcade look with futuristic neon lighting, you’d essentially have the essence of Road to Ballhalla’s visual style. Just as the music is subtly pleasing to the ears, the graphics serve that function for the eyes.

Road to Ballhalla proves a fun little arcade-style throwback that offers a palette of unique concepts and a very slick presentation to boot. It comes with its occasional moments of frustration often brought on by steep spikes in difficulty and bringing a near constant flow of brand new elements from stage to stage. It also proves to be a bit slim on content. But Torched Hill has produced an enjoyable and well-crafted game overall that can be recommended to both old-school and modern audiences.