Out Now on PC, Mac, Mobile, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 3 & 4 (version tested) – 1-4 players (up to 8 players online) – Developed & published by Targem Games
BlazeRush is a futuristic top down racer, with loads of weapons and loads of unlockable vehicles. Think Micro Machines mixed with Wipeout, and you’ll be somewhere on the money. Combining those 90’s styles into something a little more modern and certainly a little different to what we see nowadays from racing games. There are 3 main race modes, standard, which is a race to the finish, whoever gets there first wins. Elimination, where you and the other racers are pursued by a huge roller, and if that doesn’t get you, the other competitors will. In this mode, it’s the player who has survived the longest, the most times, running away with the win. And the other race mode is where the player has to maintain 1st place for as long as possible until the timer/point counter reaches a certain target. These three modes make up the majority of race types throughout the game.
The gameplay is fairly simple on the surface. Point the left stick in the direction you want to go, and you’ll go that way. Surprisingly simple, yet also effective, and with the right driver/vehicle, makes for some smooth and fluid racing. You’re assisted by an array of weapons, from machine guns to mines, tesla canons to balls of goo that slow the opponent down. And if you’re not keeping up with the leaders, you’ll be able to get speed boosts as well, at least allowing you chance to catch up, if the game doesn’t rubber band you to the main pack itself.
One of the biggest frustrations of the game, and oddly, one of the more appealing aspects, is just how chaotic the whole thing is. You can be first the entire way round each lap, and all it takes is one of the enemy weapons to send you spinning off the track. This works both ways of course, as hitting the leader with a well placed shot can change the outcome from a loss to a win, however, when you yourself are on the end of a barrage, especially when nearing the end of a race, it does have you questioning why you even bother.
At its core, BlazeRush’s main appeal is its multiplayer. The frantic action and the constant leapfrogging in positions are all great ingredients for a fun time with friends and/or family. BlazeRush is a fun time, and it’s enhanced considerably when playing against others When it comes down to it, it’s infinitely more fun to annoy your friends than it is getting one over on a CPU. There’s also online multiplayer allowing 8 players at once, though it wasn’t too popular at the time of writing, but hopefully this new DLC will give the game a much needed surge in users. The Star Track DLC gives players access to another huge tournament, as well as a few new drivers and vehicles, giving the game even more variety. Star Track features 30 new missions, several new vehicles and new weapons, plus a new boss. This takes the overall amount of content to near Mario Kart 8 Deluxe proportions, with lots of drivers and lots of tournaments, and lots more chaos. If you’re hankering for a fixed perspective racer, then this may just well scratch that itch. And at a budget price, – approximately £15 for both the game and DLC – you’ll definitely get your moneys worth.
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