Tape to Tape | Early Access PC Review
Roguelite, which I think is a terrible genre description, has grown in popularity over the last several years. It makes sense the genre is having success because when done right, a roguelite feels fresh with each run and has high replay value. So it is surprising that sports, with their high level of replayability, have not been used more frequently for the basis of a roguelite. Well, developer Excellent Rectangle might have figured out the formula necessary to create a great sports roguelite with their new game Tape To Tape. Currently in early access, Tape To Tape is an excellent blend of arcade-style sports with roguelite elements that make every run feel fresh.
Not Your Typical Sports Story
Like most modern sports games, Tape To Tape has a campaign. And just like those games, the story does not matter. But instead of creating a story that is supposed to feel realistic and just keeps us from playing the game, Tape To Tape does not take itself seriously at all.
Angus McShaggy has given up his life of being a golfer. Now, he is on a quest to take away the hockey trophy from the golfers and restore hockey, while defeating the different hockey teams in his way. Confused? Yeah, me too. But did I care? Not at all, because after the opening cutscene, it is almost exclusively gameplay. Some text dialog that you will have to read through, which can be funny. But Excellent Rectangle focused on exactly what makes a good roguelite and sports game: the gameplay.
Feeling Fresh
If you are not familiar with roguelites, every gameplay loop, referred to as a run, starts at the beginning (shocking) and you progress through until you die (again, shocking). But, instead of restarting where you died, now you have to go back to the beginning. With roguelites though, the farther you progress during your run, the more XP, or currency, you get to upgrade and increase your chances to go further. If done well, a roguelite will make every run feel fresh and I believe that Tape To Tape makes each run feel unique.
In Tape To Tape, every run starts by selecting one out of three superstars and an ability for Angus McShaggy, which are all randomly generated. It starts with a select number of superstars and abilities that could possibly generate. The more runs you complete, and progress, the more rubber (currency) you acquire to buy more superstars or abilities or upgrade Angus McShaggy’s stats. As well as selecting a superstar and ability, three randomly generated benchwarmers are chosen for you, and you get the choice of an artefact, which gives you some advantage. For example, one artefact makes the game clock countdown twice as fast when you are ahead. Not only do these factors affect your run, but there are also different ways to gain stats or abilities during the gameplay loop.
The map follows a diverging to converging pathway. Each path converges into a two- or three-period game, which if you win, can give you a new artefact or ability to use on any player. After that game, you get a diverging path to choose between either resting at a campfire or a mysterious event in a cabin. Resting at a campfire gives you the option to either increase the overall stats by three or a specific stat (like speed) by eight for the entire team.
The mysterious event is risky because you can either just get an advantage, or it can be a mix of bad and good. Angus McShaggy may have passes that cannot be intercepted and springs the teammate forward when passed to. Or your goalie catches every goal he saves, but does not have a stick and leaves him vulnerable on the stick side. These diverging paths help make the run feel fresh because each run will not be the same, as you will get different abilities or stats throughout.
Arcade Hockey Is Back!
It has been sad to see that arcade sports games just do not have the market they once had, like NBA Jam and NFL Blitz. But Tape To Tape proves that arcade sports can still produce a lot of fun. Compared to simulation sports games, the controls are very simple. You can move, pass, shoot, and body check. There is the ability to poke check, but there is no dedicated button, which I wish there was.
Although the controls are simple, there is surprisingly a lot of depth to the gameplay. Holding the pass button will change from a straight pass to a lob. Passing also requires more accuracy than a typical arcade game. The puck somewhat bounces in a direction you would expect when it hits a wall, and pucks deflect off sticks, creating more opportunities for goals. You also cannot just skate around and expect to just shoot easily. If you skate near a defender, you likely will get checked and either knocked off the puck or off balance. For an arcade-style sports game, the depth is very impressive.
Fart Around and Find Out
Now, what makes this more than just a well-done arcade game are the abilities and the opponents. There is a wide range of abilities from the practical to the absurd. The dash ability was one of my favorites, as you got a boost of speed that can spring you past defenders to create a scoring chance. Then there were abilities like the disco ball, where once activated, everyone in the vicinity starts dancing. Or the ability to fart and everyone near you will get pushed away. Some of the abilities were available from the start, but others you had to unlock by defeating the different teams on your journey to restore hockey.
The great thing about Tape To Tape is that each opponent feels different because each team has some special ability you have to strategize against. The Zebras are a team of refs that cheat because the actual referee throws the puck to them on faceoffs, knocks your players down, and will disallow your first goal. The Knights have four knights who are strong and knock you off the puck easily along with the prince that has a charged shot that takes five seconds, but cannot be stopped by the goalie once fully charged. On paper, these might sound a bit frustrating and unfair, but it is part of the charm of the game and creates some hilarious gameplay.
The only gripe I have is that there was a big difficulty spike in the middle of Act 2 with The Princesses. Initially, they were fun to play against because they fart and throw sticks. But it felt like they were able to use those abilities more frequently than me and the rest of the teams I played. I was only able to beat them a couple of times, but when I did, I was able to make it to the final boss each time in Act 3. It could have been my playstyle, but it felt like either The Princesses needed to be nerfed a little, played later in the run, or the teams that followed needed to be more difficult.
Back Again I See
As I have mentioned, sports and roguelites are popular for their replayability. Not only does each run feel fresh in Tape To Tape, but there are also difficulty options to choose from. Also, after completing the game, the superstar you used will populate the final image with Angus getting the trophy and the other superstars are blank. Each time you win with a new superstar, they will populate as well, which is a cool incentive to beat the game with each superstar and finish the image.
In its current form, Tape To Tape’s replayability is mostly based on the campaign, which for me would be enough to go back and play. There is the option to play a local co-op and a play now mode, but with the game being in early access, the developers have more plans for the game. They have been receptive to feedback on their discord, and have plans to add fighting in the game and might add in an online mode.
Tape to Tape Final Verdict
Currently in early access, Tape To Tape is already an excellent arcade-style roguelite hockey game. It is a humorous and surprisingly in-depth arcade hockey game, with a developer who seems determined to make it even better while in early access. With plenty of ways to feel fresh, Excellent Rectangle has created the blueprint for what a roguelite sports game should be. I just hope that they, or another developer, can replicate this for the other major sports.
To hear me talk more about Tape to Tape, be sure to listen to the June 7, 2023 episode of the Gaming Outsider Podcast.
This review is based on an Early Access PC copy provided by Vicarious PR for coverage purposes. As of the time of this writing, it is exclusive to this platform.
