Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder™ Review Summary

While it improves on its predecessor with fun engaging gameplay that's great with friends, frequent launch failures, serious multiplayer issues, and unchallenging boss battles hold it back.

Great with friends: Players consistently highlight the game's enjoyable experience when playing with friends, whether online or locally. The presence of multiplayer modes, including 2v2 matches, enhances the fun and engagement.

Better than predecessor: Reviewers note significant improvements over the first game, including smoother gameplay, more content, and enhanced features. The game is considered cooler, more fun, and more polished than the original.

Fun and engaging gameplay: The gameplay is widely described as fun, engaging, and addictive, offering a good balance of challenge and enjoyment. The whimsical and humorous tone adds to the overall appeal.

Improved graphics and visuals: Many reviews praise the improved graphics compared to the first game, noting more detail and a more polished appearance. The overall visual style is described as gorgeous and top quality.

Humorous and amusing: The game's absurd historical humor and comedic cutscenes are frequently mentioned as highlights. Players find the humor with exaggerated historical and mythological figures both funny and charming.

Game fails to launch: Multiple players report the game cannot start, with issues like the window closing immediately, compatibility problems, and required workarounds. Some users mention it only runs with the internet disconnected or after disabling security features on certain Intel CPUs.

Multiplayer has serious issues: Joining friends often leads to black screens, bugs, and crashes, with the boulder stuck or unable to progress. Multiplayer matches are hard to find, the online community is small, and there are disconnects.

Boss battles lack challenge: Many reviews state the boss fights are too easy, repetitive, and poorly designed, lacking climactic difficulty. A few mention a tough final boss, but overall the bosses are seen as underwhelming.

Difficulty balance is poor: Reviews mention inconsistent difficulty, with some parts overly hard (like the Garden of Eden level) and others too easy, making the game feel unfair or boring. The AI often seems to have unfair advantages.

Bugs and technical issues: The game has several bugs, including crashes during levels, black screens in co-op, and AI getting stuck in defenses. Some issues have been known for a while but remain unfixed, frustrating players.

Roll boulders to destroy structures: A core gameplay mechanic involves rolling giant boulders to destroy enemy structures, gates, and defenses. Players can also build their own defenses, creating a strategic layer to the destructive action.

Hybrid tower defense racing: The game uniquely combines tower defense strategy with racing and platforming elements. This hybrid approach is often noted as a distinctive and engaging feature.

Local co-op supported: The game supports local co-op, including split-screen and cooperative play options. This feature allows friends or family to play together on the same system, adding to the game's social appeal.

Online multiplayer available: Many reviewers highlight the game's online multiplayer component, which allows playing with friends and other players over the internet. The availability of online play is a significant feature that enhances replayability.

Multiple game modes: Players have access to various modes, including campaign, multiplayer, and competitive options. The variety in game modes (like 1v1 and 2v2) caters to different play styles and preferences.

Frequent crashes to desktop: Multiple reviewers report frequent crashes, often to desktop or with a black screen, sometimes within minutes of launching, which prevents normal play.

Black screen on launch: Several users encounter a black screen when launching the game, often accompanied by a crash, which is a common startup issue.

Game fails to launch: Several users cannot launch the game at all due to compatibility issues or immediate crashes after opening, making it unplayable.

Intel CPU crash workarounds: Users with Intel CPUs, especially the latest ones, encounter crashes on startup that require disabling security features or setting environment variables like OPENSSL_ia32cap.

Works well on low-end hardware: Positive feedback indicates the game runs well on weak laptops and low-end PCs, even at high settings on some systems.

Strong recommendation overall: Many reviewers strongly recommend the game, describing it as a hidden gem or cultural event that should not be missed. This sentiment is echoed across multiple clusters.

Great with friends: A significant number of players emphasize that the game is best enjoyed with friends, whether in competitive or co-op modes. Some suggest buying copies for friends or playing in split-screen co-op.

Unconventional and absurd gameplay: Reviewers highlight the game's unique, surreal humor and physics-driven chaos, recommending it for those seeking an unconventional experience. The absurdity is a major draw for many players.

Mixed recommendations based on interest: Recommendations vary depending on player preferences: some suggest it for those who enjoy funny stories and casual gaming, others for tower-defense enthusiasts, and still others for those who find the trailers interesting.

Wait for sale discount: Several reviewers advise waiting for a sale before purchasing, recommending discounts of at least 60% or buying only when on sale. This is often due to the game's short campaign or content volume.

Community fair range: $5.00 - $15.00.

Game completion: 14.0h.

Story completion: 5.0h.

Rock of Ages 2 delivers immediate fun, especially in multiplayer, but the single-player campaign becomes repetitive after about 5 hours, leading to a notable drop in enjoyment.

Reported time to anchor: 5h.

Friction: lack of tutorial in co-op; slow unlocking of new defenses; difficult to find online matches.

Unlock drivers: unlocking new boulders and defenses; playing with friends; multiplayer modes.

Social Physics Mayhem Player: Casual, chaotic, often playing with friends in local split-screen or online co-op/versus modes. Motivation: Shared laughter and spectacle from unpredictable physics interactions. Stance: buy.

Ranked Climbing Competitor: Strategic, methodical, focuses on trap placement and boulder timing in online matches. Motivation: Achieving high rank and mastery of competitive mechanics. Stance: sale.

Solo Campaign Dedicated: Methodical, exploring levels and overcoming enemy placements with trial and error. Motivation: Completing the story campaign and achieving all single-player achievements. Stance: sale.

Steam Deck: User reviews consistently report that the game runs perfectly on Linux via Proton, with no need for tweaks or workarounds. One isolated mention of missing controller support is not corroborated by other Linux users, suggesting the game is fully playable on Steam Deck out of the box.

Linux and Proton: The game runs flawlessly on Linux via Proton, with no reported issues, crashes, or required workarounds.

Sequel improves on original: Multiple reviews highlight that this game is a sequel to the first Rock of Ages and improves upon it in nearly every aspect, including graphics, physics, and content. It inherits the best traits from the original and adds more, making it a better overall experience.

Monty Python-inspired humor: The game's humor and visual style are frequently compared to Monty Python's Flying Circus, particularly the Terry Gilliam-style cutscenes. The parody of historical art, religion, and culture is a central appeal, though some may find it offensive or miss the references.

Short campaign length: The story mode is consistently described as short, taking about 4-5 hours to complete. This brevity is noted as a potential downside, especially relative to the full price, though some reviewers find it acceptable.

Engine and technical specs: The game is built with Unreal Engine 4, which contributes to its decent optimization and medium PC requirements. It runs on Linux via Proton but has no native Linux version.

Outdated multiplayer activity: Being an almost decade-old game, the multiplayer is largely inactive, with few or no players online. While the online mode technically works, it's hard to find matches, and achievements are heavily multiplayer-focused, making them difficult to obtain without boosting.