No Straight Roads: Encore Edition

Vinyl City runs on music, money, and the iron grip of an EDM corporation that decides rock has no place in its future. No Straight Roads: Encore Edition casts players as Mayday and Zuke, the members of scrappy indie duo Bunk Bed Junction, as they turn a failed audition into a citywide rebellion. Its colorful, exaggerated world has the energy of a Saturday-morning cartoon filtered through concert lights, but the story carries a pointed edge about corporate control, artistic identity, and who gets to define “good” music. Every district is built around a larger-than-life musical idol, from glamorous pop stars to virtuoso pianists and DJs who weaponize the beat.

Combat blends third-person brawling with rhythm awareness rather than demanding strict rhythm-game inputs. Mayday fights with a guitar and favors aggressive attacks, while Zuke uses drumsticks for faster, more defensive play; both can dodge, parry, jump, and turn certain incoming projectiles into useful objects or attacks. Boss encounters are the main attraction, asking players to read musical patterns, react to changing arenas, and adapt as songs shift through multiple phases. The campaign supports local co-op, letting two players divide the heroes’ complementary roles, while solo players can swap between them. Collectibles, upgrades, equipment presets, and side activities encourage revisiting Vinyl City between headline battles.

What makes it memorable is how completely its levels follow their music: attacks, environments, animations, and boss personalities all move with the soundtrack without becoming mechanically rigid. The Encore Edition adds remixes, a revised opening sequence, holiday-themed Christmas content, visual and audio refinements, better co-op camera behavior, and a huge gallery of collectible fan art. Its combat can feel looser than the precision systems in Hi-Fi Rush, but its boss concepts, eclectic genres, and expressive character animation give it a personality all its own. Players who enjoy stylish action games, animated storytelling, and music-driven boss fights will find a lively, approachable adventure here, especially with a friend on the couch.