Game Review: Rallyallyally

By Al

Players: 1-8 (Local)
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC

It's not often we review multiplayer games here at A-to-J, but today we're going to be taking a look at the interestingly titled Rallyallyally. It's out now on the Nintendo Switch and PC, and we're going to be reviewing the Switch version today. This is a small indie release that promises intense eight-player couch co-op, and that was more than enough to get me interested in picking it up. Seeing as there's no need for further intro, we're going to dive right in.

Rallyallyally doesn't have a story, but it does have a wide array of cars for players to choose from. These vary smaller sports cars, high-end racing cars, trucks, buses, tractors, and just about everything in-between. There does seem to be much of difference in playing a smaller car versus a bigger car, but there may be slight variations in speed and control that went unnoticed by myself. Suffice it to say that the game provides no stats at all for the cars, so I'm willing to accept that their differences are purely aesthetic. While there is no story to be had here, Rallyallyally does have a rather odd premise. Every track in Rallyallyally is different, because they're all laid out by the players themselves. Each race puts you in a starting position, places a rolled up road in one of the exits, and it's then up to the players to take the road and roll it to the next checkpoint. The in-game "laps" are just runs to each of the checkpoints, and there three checkpoints must be hit in each match. Players are ranked by how fast they got to the next checkpoint, with first obviously going to the person who had control of the road upon arrival, and the player with the highest placement points by end is the winner. That's it, that's the game.

Okay I lied, there's a bit more to it than that. Speed bonuses seem to be given to any player not in control of the road, and said control can switch several times in a single race. Actually, that's where much of the action occurs, so expect the track to change hands near constantly. There are also Mario Kart-style weapons to be found, with me and my friends noting there to be at least three. There's an oil slick that makes cars that hit it lose control, there's a punching glove that acts as a way to attack other cars, and then there's a boost that gives a quick boost of speed. I'm not sure if there are more power-ups than these, but I played through a few dozen games and only noticed those three. Things also can get very hectic and very fast in a race, and it can be easy to find yourself left behind from the current screen. If you ever fall off screen, you'll be boosted back into the main game. This gives the game a type of rubberbanding effect, but not one that I found to be detrimental to the gameplay. After all, the fun is in the chaos, not in trying to have a clean race. Okay, even though I faked everyone out a bit earlier, that really does cover just about everything as far as gameplay goes.

I actually was a bit at a loss as to how I was going to review this game when I started writing this, as there really isn't a lot of content to discuss. Sure there are several cars, but they're not very different from each other, and I still don't know how one is supposed to customize them without having to hit the random button and hoping for the best. Then there's the tracks themselves, or should I say "track itself". While it is true that no two races are ever the same, what is the same is the area where you'll be racing. There is only one actual track in the game, and though it does have a lot of visual variety if you go off the beaten path, it still is the only one available. I played so many races hoping in vain that more tracks or cars would unlock, but nothing ever did. This has to be my biggest issue with the game, you literally can see everything it has to offer in just a few minutes of playing. I'm not sure if this game's limited scope was intentional or not, but it does make it a bit hard to justify its current $8.99 price tag.

Simple or not, I have to admit that I had quite a bit of fun with Rallyallyally. Playing against computer opponents was actually a bit iffy, but actual IRL multiplayer is where it's at. I have yet to try out a full eight-player match, but the several four-player ones I played through were a blast. Admittedly the problem circles back to the novelty wearing off after a while, but it's not a bad addition to one's game night rotation. While I don't think I can give this one a full recommendation, it might be worth picking up if you're looking for something to place in-between bouts of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It isn't a bad game, and would actually be a great if it offered more in the way of content. Pick it up when it's on sale, and you'll be fine.

Check Out Rallyallyally on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/rallyallyally-switch/

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Story: N/A
Gameplay: C
Graphics: B-
Music/Sound: B-
Value: C

Overall: C+

Pros:
+ A fun eight-player party game that has a rather unique concept.
+ Can be a lot of fun when playing with friends locally.
+ The graphics are rather cute, even if they're a bit limited.
+ A neat addition to a game night's rotation.

Cons:
- There's hardly any content here, as the game is just the same big track over and over again.
- Though it can be fun in local multiplayer, the novelty quickly wears off after a handful of races.
- While there are several cars to choose from, the promised customization options seem unavailable, and the cars are all essentially just reskins of each other.
- Playing against computer-controlled opponents can get boring after a while since the game has no progression.
- Considering the overall lack of content, $8.99 feels a bit too high of a price for this one.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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#Rallyallyally