Writing to the Game Section on Rock This Town is not the easiest thing to do. It is quite difficult to find something thematically suitable, and at the same time not worn to the holes by legions of game reviewers. But since we have a whole section dedicated to cars, it’s worth chasing these very cars for a bit.
Arcade racing is one of the most damned genres. In my opinion, they finally died out along with RTS, especially on personal computers. In general, such programs are questionable if they are not a continuation of the legendary series.: as something not worthy of attention. The concept is too primitive, in fact it’s always the same game, like Tetris or Arkanoid. Imagine buying Tetris at a Steam sale and then enjoying it on cool evenings. Introduced? Forget about that feeling! This game is really fun to play.
The first tracks are simple and sunny, then both weather conditions and terrain will change.
Linear race
The game refers to Outrun and Topgear 2 with Sega Genesis (we have a Megadrive, or even TWO MEGADRIVES). Conceptually, it’s like Doom or Wolfenshtein 3D for shooters: many familiar and useless features simply don’t exist in this game. You can’t change the camera’s viewing angle, you can’t turn around and drive back, and you can’t turn off the highway. Most of all, it doesn’t even resemble a slot machine, but a toy with rail cars. And although all of the above sounds like something very boring, in fact it is not. There’s plenty of fun, and it’s in the little things.
Speed and no frustration
This is probably the first soothing race in my life. A very simple game in every sense. Each race takes from one and a half to three minutes, and it is almost impossible not to come at least third. However, to be the first to arrive, you need to try. What do these efforts look like? Well, don’t crash into the poles on the turns and use the nitro in time to break through. It is symbolic that acceleration is set to a space bar by default.
As soon as you take the fourth position, the real confrontation will begin. But one way or another, you will surely come at least third, and this counts as a victory. What’s the point of trying to achieve a better value? More points are given for the first places, and everything is given for points: new cars, new tracks, new upgrades. Also, some unique cars and upgrades can only be obtained by taking gold in a series of races.
It’s almost impossible to get into a desperate situation where you can no longer catch up with your rivals and all that remains is to restart the race, close the game and delete it once and for all, and, like a real adult, wallow in the depths of sadness and depression. It’s a very friendly game.
The choice of trails is great. There are about a hundred of them, and although at first they look like the same person, their faces are different. This is expressed in a variety of turns, some literally twisted into a spiral. The terrain, which is not displayed on the map, is also important. Turning and turning after a steep climb are very different things.
All kinds of “coins” are generously scattered on the tracks. You need to collect them for the best final score, for which everything in the campaign opens. There are also scattered nitros and, suddenly, gasoline, which can run out at the most inopportune moment and, in my memory, this is the only case when it was still possible to lose. Gasoline is worth picking up anyway. His number adds up at the finish line and adds more points.
The car collection has about 40 gradually opening archetypes. Yes, there’s a cartoon here too. A maslcar, BMW, Toyota Mark 2 and a miniature cable car with a ladder on the roof can and will converge in one race, which may well be the fastest of all in terms of characteristics. Flames from the exhaust pipes of such cars look especially funny, although this is too ridiculous for my taste. Actually, the characteristics give some variety, but not fundamentally. For example, the Westbound oil truck runs out of fuel significantly earlier and it is better not to skip it on the tracks. You can easily complete the entire game on any machine you like. And no, hot rod is not here. However, there is a roadster named Gentleman!
Scoring points after arrival. Everything counts!
All cars move and feel exactly the way they should in a game like this. Nice, somewhat cartoonish. There is no damage pattern. In the event of a collision, the car can do a funny somersault or simply fly away from the object. You won’t be able to screw up your opponents at all. When touched, both cars will bounce slightly off each other. It can and should even be used when overtaking!
Style is more important than technique!
This game proves it as much as it can. Simple and bright models perfectly convey the sensations of early 3D through the prism of nostalgia, which gives it all a high resolution.
The best thing was the feeling of speed! If in the two-dimensional forerunners it was supposed to create flashing road lines and objects on the roadsides, but only caused misunderstanding and, possibly, epilepsy, here in honest three-dimensionality it works! It is you who are rushing, and consciousness itself will imagine the wind in your hair. There is a convertible in the DLC for this purpose.
But the weather effects didn’t work out here at all. The milky rain from the GTA reissue sends fervent greetings.
Everything is ambiguous with the sound. It’s suitable, but not great. I am not a big fan of the roar of engines, so for me the local effect sounds acceptable.
It’s the same with music. It’s suitable, but it doesn’t have its own artistic value. Some melodic moves are reminiscent of Soviet pop music and opening Sailor Moon. All this gives an atmosphere of some old-fashioned relaxation.
Mobile Roots
Simple cartoon graphics, addictiveness, and short gaming sessions. It is quite predictable that with such gameplay, the game has mobile roots. The Android version (and certainly on iOS) is called Horizon Chase and is exactly the same game, with minor differences: slightly different tracks and campaigns. Touchscreen controls are somewhat less convenient, for my taste.
In general, there is an obvious problem with this distribution model. The games are almost identical, but the Android version is free and there aren’t too many ads in it. In that case, why buy a full-fledged PC game? The answer to this tricky question for me was to give it away for free on the Epic Games Store, and for anyone who wasn’t infected with plushkinism by EGS, I recommend waiting for Christmas discounts there or on Steam.
The driver's comments in the clouds are a reference to console and arcade forefathers
The Great Senna or how to show sincerity in DLC
It is worth mentioning a couple of DLCs (DownLoadable Content, downloadable add-on). The first, Summer Vibes, is notable only for its bold reference to Outrun: you will be given a red convertible and a new short campaign. There seems to be even more of a warm spirit of carelessness in her, but whether that alone is worth the purchase is debatable. Usually, such add-ons always have low ratings for the reason: “nothing new!”. In my opinion, this is not always a disadvantage, but it’s definitely just my opinion.
But it’s worth mentioning about Senna Forever, because this supplement tells about Formula 1 racer Ayrton Senna da Silva, the national sporting and humanistic hero of Brazil. I find it very touching and heartfelt when developers suddenly and appropriately show their human side.
From the gameplay side, this update is very interesting. Now it’s Formula 1, such iconic and infrequent car racing games, especially in good arcades.
For everyone!
This game is suitable for almost everyone: you, your children, your parents. Hard-core gamers and people who have never played video games in their lives. Unless you’re a prude and don’t like it when everything is “too simple and primitive.” In that case, you can play while no one is watching. We won’t tell anyone.
This game, like a little sweet for tea, will appeal to everyone. Personally, I recommend playing it in those empty minutes when you still don’t know what to do and need to relieve your mind of worries. Here, you can literally leave your worries, close it in 15 minutes and live a full life again, rebooting slightly.
Pros, cons, pitfalls
Pros:
+ Modest system requirements that will allow you to play on most necrocomputers.
+ Multiplayer, with split screen, up to four players on one computer! A party, this and that.
+ The perfect balance between simplicity and challenge.
+ The spirit of old-school arcade racing in all its glory!
Cons:
– The cartoon style of graphics can alienate many people even from dating.
– The soundtrack is easy to listen to, after a total of a couple of hours of playing.
– You won’t be able to hang out playing the game: a session of more than 30 minutes feels uncomfortable.
– The almost identical free mobile version makes PC purchases questionable for many.
Pitfalls:
Don’t even try to complete the game in a couple of evenings. It is not designed for purposeful passage like this. Instead, it is better to run it from time to time for 10-15 minutes. And if you purchase a licensed version on EGS or Steam, I strongly recommend installing it on your work computer. A couple of races will perfectly relieve the viscous work stress.
