Sometimes, the simplest ideas make the best games. Emulating the backyard sport of table tennis gave the world Pong. Solving a jigsaw puzzle may well have suggested the mechanics of Tetris. Now, the innocent joy of using a giant moon-faced boulder to smash through the grand treasures of the Renaissance is also becoming a game. It's titled Rock of Ages, and you can check out its latest trailer right here on Game Rant.

If Rock of Ages has an obvious point of comparison, it would have to be to Namco's Katamari Damacy games. Unlike Katamari, Rock of Ages appears principly concerned with destruction, though traversal elements (the rock sprouts wings and a halo) and boss fights (look out for that dragon!) also make appearances in the game's trailer.

When asked to classify Rock of Ages on the game's forums, developer Carlos Bordeu replied, "I don't know... marble game meets tower defense?" Sounds intriging, as long as the tower defense elements don't get in the way of smashing everything in sight. Take a look at the new trailer for Rock of Ages:

It's impossible to watch the trailer and not be struck by the game's unique art style and sense of humor, which are both clearly influenced by Terry Gilliam's work on Monty Python's Flying Circus. Like another current game featuing a giant ball, namely The Ball, Rock of Ages is powered by the Unreal Engine 3. Unlike The Ball, Rock of Ages appears to be full of flat paper-doll characters and huge elephants. It's unique aesthetic should help the game stand out from the crowd when it's released on the PlayStation Network in Spring of 2011.

Rock of Ages, which will be published by Atlus, is developed by the Santiago, Chile based Ace Team. Developer of the bizarre but fascinating first person fight-em-up Zeno Clash, Ace Team has certainly shifted gears for Rock of Ages. Based on these two games, Ace Team seems to prioritize creativity, which will hopefully serve them well in the long run.

If I have a concern about Rock of Ages, it's that the game's control could be difficult to fine tune. Large portions of the game appear to take place on elevated tracks, and if players are constantly falling off the sides, the experiece could prove more frustrating than fun. That said, the underlying concepts certainly sound engaging, and the "crushing things with a giant boulder" genre is not exactly oversaturated.

What are your first impressions of Rock of Ages? Were you a fan of Zeno Clash?

Rock of Ages is currently expected to release for the PlayStation Network in the Spring of 2011.

Source: PlayStation Blog