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Mad Max: Roaring Through the Wasteland with Grit and Fury

Title: Mad Max
Type of Game: Action, Open World, Adventure, Driving
Developer: Avalanche Studios
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Released: September 1, 2015
Platforms Available: PC Game, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Linux Game, Mac Game
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 4
Maturity: Mature 17+
Reading Time: 7 minutes

Mad Max – Surviving in a Savage World

Crazy times call for crazy acts from crazy heroes. And none of them are as messed up as Mad Max. In a post-apocalyptic world where violence is king and only gas, water, and scrap metal to build cars are worth anything, he’s one of the few who has managed to survive and fend for himself. Although he has lost his wife and child, he has not become a cold-blooded beast. However, Max Rockatansky doesn’t go far for a shot or a bullet, so trying his luck hasn’t paid off for many people.

Appeal of The Game

The Mad Max video game is based on the movie that came out around the same time. Still, in addition to fans of the original trilogy, it will be enjoyed by fans of the original trilogy and gamers who are just getting to know Mad Max. If you have a penchant for utopian worlds, action-packed car chases and once played Vigilante 8 or the legendary Destruction Derby from the FlatOut series, you don’t need to know the source material; you’ll have fun anyway. In fact, Mad Max is a pretty interesting open-world game. So start your engines, and let’s head out into the desert and into destiny.

Story and Characters

The story, however, is as trite as the movie Max’s adventure of the same name. Most of the action takes place early on, and after playing for a while, it moves forward like a snail in the desert to a more substantial finale. The plot is also as simple in content as a car chase.
In addition, Max has an elaborate character as the hero of a thirty-second commercial. Unfortunately, he’s nowhere near the charisma of Mel Gibson. Sometimes, you get the feeling that Max survived the game not because of his violent skills and cunning but because he bored his enemies to death. As a protagonist, he’s just weak. The supporting characters, especially your mechanic, are much better. But it may be because they haven’t appeared in the game for very long. However, all the end-of-the-world destroyed and tormented survivors really do look like a hellish version of our world and in the style of post-apocalyptic movies.

Gameplay Mechanics

In terms of gameplay, Mad Max seamlessly integrates both on-foot exploration and vehicular combat, offering players a dynamic range of experiences. The combat system, while robust, could be more polished, allowing for various tactics from precise punches to well-timed dodges. Interestingly, the game draws inspiration from real-world automotive engineering and post-apocalyptic survival lore:

Mad Max’s Magnum Opus, the player’s customizable vehicle, is a homage to classic muscle cars and modern off-road beasts. The developers meticulously researched real-world automotive designs to ensure authenticity in vehicle mechanics and aesthetics. This attention to detail enhances gameplay and immerses players in a post-apocalyptic vehicle’s gritty realism.

Car Chases and Open-World Exploration

Car chases are a chapter in themselves. They are not just exciting, they are heart-pounding, adrenaline-pumping experiences that will keep you on the edge of your seat. You’ll be firing at rival groups, looking for weak spots on cars like tires or petrol tanks, and even flying body parts and sparks. You’ll be running over fleeing enemies and harpooning them into buildings. The action in cars is simply unparalleled. Just wait until the warriors from the enemy gang are jumping on your car and you’ll be trying to shake them off. Of course, you’ll need petrol to go on a rampage behind the wheel, and there’s never a shortage of it. Luckily, you can carry a spare canister in the Magnus Opus. This will not only serve to refuel, but you can also pick it up, set it on fire and throw it at the entrance of an enemy fortress to get inside. The desert is indeed vast. There’s always somewhere to go and always something to do. Enemy bases and camps are filled not only with enemies just begging to be punched between the eyes, but also with valuable scrap. With it, you can upgrade your machine so that you can crawl through every nook and cranny and every crumbled hut. The game itself will tell you how much scrap and other items are still there, so you don’t have to run in circles. Searching every nook and cranny is worth it, because every part counts. Players who like to complete games 100% of the time will enjoy Mad Max.

Visuals and World Design

The plains, valleys, dunes and sandy towns are handled with such attention to detail that you can’t help but be captivated. A player might even say that ten different shades of sand would be nothing breathtaking but the opposite is true, the game is really beautiful. Occasionally an object will pop up on the horizon, but otherwise the textures are sharp and visibility is decent. Whether you follow the storyline or choose to complete side missions, you definitely won’t finish the game in one day. It will take you 20 to 30 hours, which is fine. Unfortunately, the side missions are very repetitive. While the main quests change, the optional ones are always driving somewhere, destroying something or bringing something back and so on.

Max Conclusion

Mad Max is a game full of contradictions, but positives prevail. The gameplay is based on frantic driving, exploring a beautifully crafted post-apocalyptic world, and upgrading your steel-wheeled beast on a quest for revenge. If you enjoy games that take their place in open or post-apocalyptic worlds, you’ll enjoy this one, too.

Subreddit and Where to Buy Mad Max

Steam (PC, Mac, Linux): Available for $19.99. You can purchase it directly from Steam.

PlayStation Store (PS4): The game is priced at $19.99. You can find it on the PlayStation Store.

Xbox Store : Available for $19.99. Check it out on the Xbox Store.

Subreddit: Join the discussion on the Mad Max Subreddit.

The Forest: Good Survival Game That Will Test Your Limits

Survival Horror

Petko

The Forest Feature Snapshot — The Forest

Title: The Forest
Type of Game: Survival, Horror, Open World
Developer: Endnight Games
Publisher: Endnight Games
Released: April 30, 2018
Platforms Available: PC Game, PlayStation 4
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 4
Maturity: Mature 17+
Reading Time: 9 minutes

Into the Forest

In my following review, we’ll look at an excellent survival game from Endnight Games called The Forest, which arrived in 2018 for PC and consoles. Since the survival genre is rather crowded with many smaller or bigger ventures, it is necessary for every more ambitious title to come up with something innovative and technically superior for such a project to bite a more significant number of potential players. You can find out whether The Forest has a chance to succeed in the following text.

Initial Setup and Plot

From the very beginning, as usual, everything is wrong. You’re traveling with your son Timmy in a plane, but it involuntarily ends its flight by crashing on a deserted island. As you recover a little from the accident, you are horrified to discover that your son is gone. And it is at this point that your struggle to survive and save your child begins. Yes, this is not a very well-thought-out plot, but don’t despair; this is just an introduction to an adventure that you won’t be playing. You will be living it and, of course, trying to survive overall. After all, the island is more open than it might seem. The forest is dense and teeming with life, both friendly and hostile. The beaches stretch for miles, offering a serene contrast to the dangers lurking in the woods. After leaving the plane wreckage, you must, of course, start exploring the area you are thrown into. You can begin to admire the beauty of the forest or the vast beaches. Right at the beginning, after you’ve acquired an axe that will serve you for many different activities, it’s a good idea to look around for an ideal place to set up camp. As it happens, nothing comes for free, so it is necessary to start collecting production materials, which you will find both around you in nature and in the scattered luggage that fell out of the plane’s wreckage. Anyway, once you’ve settled in a bit, it’s time to start thinking about your son’s fate, and it’s necessary to go look for him. That much could be said in a nutshell about the setting of the game’s plot.

Gameplay Mechanics and Challenges

The game’s mechanics and controls are relatively simple, making it easy for players to jump in and start surviving. Although there is an easy difficulty in the game where you are free to play Robinson, what kind of survival would it be if you weren’t in some danger. Just by setting it to Normal, carefree “camping” becomes a rather dangerous affair, as you suddenly find that there really is life at every turn. Already during the first construction of the building, I was pretty scared when something I really didn’t expect appeared around the campfire, where my friend and I were standing in the co-op after dark. Although judging by the ubiquitous totems with human skulls scattered about, one might have guessed that there might be someone who “likes people.” You immediately realize that the disfigured undead you encounter on your travels will likely be your fellow travelers, and you can only guess who’s next. Yes, these are cannibals in many forms, and personally, I’d say one is scarier than the other. The sense of unease is further heightened initially by the fact that you only have a found axe to wield. It’s wielded rather clumsily, and what seems like a brilliant tool when chopping down trees quickly loses its value when it comes to combat.

Even if you don’t succeed in the first one, all days are not over. Although, of course, permanent death is present in the game. However, this is not applied on first contact with the man-eaters, as in this case, you are “only” thrown into a rather disgusting cave from which you must, of course, get out as stealthily as possible. Well, you don’t necessarily have to; you can also try to visit the lower levels of the cave, but I would definitely not recommend that at first. All it took was one scarecrow jumping out of the darkness, which surprised me in a dark corner, and you were done – “You are dead…” So the better option is to find an exit and get to work making tools weapons and building a camp where you can feel at least a little bit safe. These activities are done in classic style – get the materials, combine them appropriately, and the item is made. Crafting gives you a perfect overview of what can be built from the items, so there’s nothing left to do but decide on the correct item at the right moment. Building dwellings and other constructions is done through the diary, which also contains a lot of helpful information that you will definitely use. Such as the fact that fire attracts all sorts of unwanted visitors…

Emotional Impact and Progression

Having played a few survival games, I can safely say that The Forest is definitely one of those games that can evoke a range of emotions. Mostly negative ones, though. As my Co-op partner, who almost got…al (as he later said) during his first encounter with the “locals” of the island, could tell you. I am curious to know how the writers did it. Still, once dusk began to fall on the island, we always just became uncomfortable and, despite the decreasing sight distance in the twilight, tried more and more often to penetrate the darkness and see if any eyes were watching us from behind the nearest tree. It’s also interesting to see how, over time, you get hardened. Even with the better equipment you usually produce during the day, you start to feel safer and eventually seek out rewarding encounters on your own. A possible complication is the fact that enemies can react to your “confidence,” so you can almost always count on more of them coming to see you next time so that they have a better chance of not ending up like the ones who came to feast on you earlier.

On the other hand, this is a nice feature that keeps the player from getting comfortable for long at the top of the game’s food chain pyramid. You must constantly try to improve and make more dangerous weapons and more effective equipment and armor. This dynamic gameplay ensures that The Forest offers a high replay value and long-term engagement, making it a worthwhile investment for survival game enthusiasts.

Enemy Intelligence and Combat

As for the cannibals themselves, you can’t deny them a fair amount of intelligence, which they don’t hesitate to use in combat. So you can count on them to test your patience and skills a little or to provoke you and plan an encirclement, which are moments you don’t want to experience too often. Even if you’re already adequately experienced and have good equipment, you never know if you’re going to hit the mark and if all your progress through the game will go to waste. It’s also interesting to see that even when multiple enemies are after you at once, they’re not necessarily members of the same tribe, so you can also run into conflicts where you have two naked enemies between you while another tries to outrun you and prevent you from retreating from the fight. Speaking of fights, those are definitely no walk to church on Sunday. In fact, the combat system is quite clunky and then lacks any indication of the direction of the shot when firearms are used. As in Kingdom Come Deliverance, it takes a bit of practice and the requisite luck. Later on, various bombs and incendiary bottles come into play, which are immediately more cheerful.

Leaving The Forrest

Despite the reasonably extensive information your journal provides, there are plenty of things you’ll have to figure out for yourself as you play. So, you’ll probably be a little hesitant about what to build first and what to invest your precious materials in. Still, it’s nothing that you’ll have any serious problems with after a few dozen minutes played. Last but not least, the game also includes a multiplayer component, where you can dive straight into survival in four. There is probably no point in adding that the gameplay takes on another level in this mode, so we can only hope that you find a suitable server or, like me, friends who also own the game and can happily start playing together. Technically, the game, despite its relatively small size (around 5 GB), is very well managed, and the illusion of a spooky atmosphere is completed by both video and audio. Of course, few titles can do without a few bugs these days, but there aren’t that many of them. Here and there, you will encounter problems with the textures you go through. Still, fortunately, the authors have avoided bugs that would hinder the gameplay. So, if you’re in the mood to fear for your bare life once again, definitely give The Forest a chance. It’ll reward you more than enough.

Reddit and Where to Buy The Forest

Steam (PC Game) VR Supported: Available for $19.99. You can purchase it directly from Steam.

PlayStation Store (PS4): The game is priced at $19.99. You can find it on the PlayStation Store.

Official Page: Visit the official The Forest page for more information.

Subreddit: Join the discussion on the The Forest Subreddit.

Goat Simulator: Over the Edge of Absurdity

Animal Simulator

Petko

Goat Simulator Feature Picture — Goat Simulator

Title: Goat Simulator
Developer: Coffee Stain Studios
Publisher: Coffee Stain Publishing
Released: April 1, 2014
Platforms Available: PC Game, Mac Game, Linux Game, iOS, Android, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 4
Maturity: Teen
Type of Game: Sandbox, Simulation
Reading Time: 7 minutes

Over Expectations

If your secret dream was to become a goat, you don’t have to dream anymore. With this game, you can turn into one and even embark on the demolition of a smaller city! Right off the bat, I have to say that Goat Simulator is downright absurd, which has its pros and cons. But it is definitely one of the strangest titles on the market. But let’s put ourselves in the hooves of a bad goat. Sometimes I just have to complain. Reviewing some games is quite difficult. In general, everyone has different tastes, and what I find great may well bore others. On the other hand, the generally accepted game doesn’t impress me. Then there are online games that are hard to review because they are constantly evolving and giving them a definitive grade is basically impossible.

Moreover, games can’t be compared to each other – how do you compare Modern Combat and Flappy Bird? And then there’s another category – games that don’t make sense. And how do you review those, please?

What’s the Point?

What is the meaning of life? A question that can’t be answered. What’s the point of this game? It’s hard to say… But yes, let’s say it’s to entertain you for a while. That’s the purpose of many games. A lot of developers try to go about it in a sophisticated way. Goat Simulator doesn’t bother with any gameplay at all. In fact, the game was created as a complete joke. It was just in-house humor where the developers wanted to try out working with a new engine and physics.

Viral Sensation

However, a video of this gameplay joke made its way to YouTube, where it instantly became a hit. Literally, crowds of people demanded that this be made into a real game. Even some journalists joined the call. And so it really happened that Goat Simulator was released for PC and later for consoles. For what a silly and contentless game it is, we can take the generally average 50-60% online rating as a strong exaggeration. Even though there was a standalone game release, the title didn’t get away from having to be labeled as a mere joke. And quite possibly, that was the intention.

Goat Antics

Furthermore, you can also get this joke on iOS or Android, which will only cost you a few euros. But let’s talk about what it’s actually about. You play as a goat… Wow, that’s some seriously groundbreaking computer science, right? Anyway. You’re just a goat in a small town, and you’re trashing everything in the area. Running into people, crashing into cars, climbing on rooftops, or pulling things on your long tongue. And that’s what it’s all about – you’re just a goat and do ridiculous things. It doesn’t even have to be a bad thing. Games might as well be stupid once in a while. As long as we have fun with them. And you’re gonna have some fun here. The tasks you’re trying to complete will keep you playing for a while. It’s not always easy. You must fly 50 meters high, become a goat queen, or stay in the air for 5-10 seconds. These tasks will keep you going for a while. The game can take up a good hour or two, maybe even three. You’ll find it’s possible to derail a train, destroy the local Goathenge, or blow up a petrol station. There are quite a lot of different locations concentrated in a small area. But then what?

Technical Shortcomings

That the game doesn’t make sense? That it doesn’t last very long, because after a while you won’t be able to do anything new? Let’s get past that now. Another frustrating aspect of the game is, of course, its processing. And that’s a disaster. You’ll be stuck on something all the time. Active elements (like the catapult) won’t work properly, and the controls for the goat itself are also atrocious. Hitting a ladder, for example, is quite a difficult task. Not to mention that the goat itself has trouble walking and trips over basically everything. You can throw it off, balance yourself with a button, and watch it crash to the ground. And that’s what the game is all about. You have fun with the stupidity of this game and how the goat falls from heights, how it crashes into cars, how it chases workers. You’re having fun just running around doing stupid things. I’m still trying to understand it now, long after playing it, but I can’t. The writers just approached it in the style of, “What the hack, we don’t give a shit.” And it’s a shame it’s not even a parody because it basically parodies nothing.

End of Goat

You do quests for a while, play with other characters for a while (a penguin, a spider-goat, or maybe a giraffe), and then it just wears off and you can’t let the game go. You won’t have anything to do in it anymore. Plus, it’s hard to control and doesn’t work very well. You might laugh at the absurdities that this goat can do, but after half an hour or an hour you’ll get over it and start thinking that you’ve probably spent a few euros on absolute nonsense. The whole thing is simply so absurd that it is impossible to evaluate it normally. It’s a bad game and the developers know it, which is why they advise you to spend the money on bricks or a real goat. In hindsight, I’m beginning to wonder if the authors aren’t actually mocking the people who buy this game. But today, 10 years after release, if there is a discount, of which there are relatively many during the year I see no reason to go for this (at least for me) roughly 6-hour goat adventure. Why 6 hours in such a silly thing, you say? I get it… I have a grandfatherly answer – a simple platinum trophy. The game’s replay value is limited, as the novelty wears off quickly and there’s not much to do once you’ve completed the tasks. Play something else.

Where to Buy Goat Simulator

Steam (PC, Mac, Linux): Available for $9.99. You can purchase it directly from Steam.

Xbox Store (Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S): Available for $9.99. Check it out on the Xbox Store.

PlayStation Store : The game is priced at $9.99. You can find it on the PlayStation Store.

Nintendo eShop (Switch): Available for $29.99. Purchase it from the Nintendo eShop.

App Store (iOS): Available for $6.99. Download it from the App Store.

Google Play (Android): Available for $4.99. Download it from Google Play.

Official Page: Visit the official Goat Simulator page for more information.

Subreddit: Join the discussion on the Goat Simulator Subreddit.

Hobo: Tough Life – Surviving the Streets of Praslav

Homeless Simulator

Petko

Hobo Tough Life Feature Picture — Hobo :Tough Life

Title: Hobo: Tough Life
Developer: Perun Creative
Publisher: Perun Creative
Released: April 12, 2021
Maturity: Mature 17+
Platforms Available: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 5
Article Reading Time: 9 minutes

Introduction to Hobo: Tough Life

The life of a homeless person is something none of us would want to experience in real life. But it’s a fascinating idea in a game that combines survival and RPG elements. This theme came to the attention of a developer from the Czech Republic, who then teamed up with others to form indie studio Perun Creative. The small project, originally planned only for mobile devices, became a full-fledged game for PC and later for consoles, whose development was greatly helped by players after a long time spent in early access.

The Harsh Reality of Homelessness

The game makes it clear from the start that life as a homeless person is hard. You find yourself in the city of Praslav, waking up in a pit amongst the garbage and remembering nothing except that you are homeless. You meet the first character, Majsner, who, after a conversation, directs you on. The quest log will get progressively fuller as almost every new character you meet will have a job for you to do. These side quests will be key to earning the trust of the characters, which will then reward you with a vote when you elect the king of the beggars. Thus, earning the title of King of Beggars will be the “main” mission. You’ll have a hard time gaining the trust of the other homeless and becoming their king when you die on the third or fourth day. Although death is not the end of your game, you must consider a five percent reduction in the maximum value of all stats (health, morale, energy, etc.). This is after each death. It doesn’t have to be permanent, but it will cost you something. In addition, you’ll lose all the equipment in your inventory, but you can also repurchase it from Majsner.

Survival Mechanics

Death is almost like a big need. You can try to delay it, but you can’t avoid it. And you can only delay it if you pay attention to your stats and care for your character. Vitality, energy, food, morale, heat, drought, alcohol, poisoning, disease, great need, and smell. You’ll have to manage all of these, i.e., sleep, eat, keep a positive spirit, keep warm, try not to get too wet, not to get cold, not to let you know what’s in your pants, and not to smell. Overall, the authors have tried to be realistic about all the necessities, although it could sometimes be more balanced and manageable. This is felt most when it comes to your first defecation. You’ll be able to use the public toilets or the charity, but you’ll have to pay for both. In the charity, you’ll be able to indulge in a shower and have your clothes washed (all for a fee) in addition to the big necessities. If you’re considering performing a need in a public place, you can do that, too. But you must have a specific perk (courage), and you can only fulfill your needs in particular places. The idea that many truly homeless people would instead let it go to their pants doesn’t seem very realistic to me. That’s why I don’t consider this condition to be realistic and good. It’s more of a conflict between a combination of realistic and RPG elements.

RPG Elements

RPG elements are also well represented in the game. Together, you will be able to learn up to twenty-two perks (e.g., thief, electronics, intuition, masochist, drinker, junkie, etc.), which will add various bonuses to your game so that you can, for example, rob apartments, repair various electronic machines, increase specific stats and resistances, and so on. In addition, you will improve your conversation skills, begging, shopping, thieving, production, and locks. You will increase their level yourself through the given activities, or you can also get the help of characters with a sufficient level of confidence that can teach you. They will also hone you to expert and mastery levels.

Daily Life and Challenges

The previous words also suggest what you will do most of the time – running from one container to another or from one passerby to another. In the containers, you will find (almost) everything you will need. Food scraps, junk, various pieces of furniture, but also smelly dirt, and dangerous “shrapnel.” They will increase the smell or damage your clothes if you touch them. You can even destroy your clothes in this way and then get injured by the shrapnel. Passersby don’t really give you anything and make you feel that you’re just an annoying homeless person. Well, sometimes you do, and you can scrounge up a few pennies. You can also try to rob them or sell them something. But often, all you’ll hear is, “I don’t have time,” “ugly,” “get lost,” and so on. And wait until you start to smell properly. Then no one will talk to you or let you into the shops. Gradually, however, it will improve, and you’ll start conversations more often. Some people will still be arrogant and judgmental (for example, begging to get drugs), but there will be friendly people who will sympathize with you.

Crafting and Shelter Building

Equally important will be production. This includes food and drink, and you’ll be able to make some goodies out of food waste and a roll, as well as some wild drinks out of leftover alcohol. Some things can be made from almost nothing. You’ll need a production table in the hideout for the more complicated ones. While offering various bonuses while you sleep, the city benches will only last for a while. Winter is coming, and anyone who doesn’t get on one will freeze to death. There are a total of four locations in the game that allow you to build a shelter. In the beginning, it will look like it will fall on your head every now and then, but gradually, you will be able to build a complete palace that will not lack a toilet or shower. Growing your hideout will also gradually provide you with various valuable bonuses of your choice. Among the services, there is the employment office, which will arrange a part-time job for you, so you can earn some extra money and get some materials by cleaning the streets. If you are clean and smelly, you can also use the shops. You can buy everything you need, from food to drugs, medicines, clothes, and even a dog. Not to eat but as a companion. It will take a lot of work to find your way around. Although the city is big, you can easily get lost, and the map could be more helpful.

Combat and Challenges

To make the actual struggle to survive the winter on the street not easy, the authors have added fights to the game. And these are the worst parts of the game. Fights can happen in several cases. The biggest problem, however, is the so-called Wounders. If you don’t give them what they want from you, they will beat you up. There is no escape. I found this out by trying it once. I ran to an elevated riverbank from which I decided to jump. Sure enough, I lost about half my life, but the bump ran to the edge, and I was teleported up to him for a conversation. Well, at least he beat me up faster, if nothing else, because I had fewer lives.

Technical Aspects

Now for the technical side of the game. It’s not the best thing about Hobo: Tough Life. Visually, the game is weak, but you can turn a blind eye to that. Or even two when you see the rain crossing over the bridge and some other solid objects. Fortunately, it’s just a visual thing; it doesn’t affect the stats. More importantly, the gameplay is smooth and bug-free. The occasionally depressing atmosphere is nicely complemented by the melancholic music. Home fans will also be pleased to know that the whole game is in the Czech language, including the dubbing. It’s just a few spoken phrases and not complete sentences, but even that is appreciated in such a small studio. For others, of course, there is still the option of English.

Conclusion

The idea of playing as a homeless man in Hobo: Tough Life is an excellent refresher for the genre, and I won’t forget it any time soon. It was a strange and quite sad first feeling after I came out of the pit, and there was no zombie apocalypse around me or a world destroyed after a nuclear war. Everything was alive and functioning as normal, just not for the homeless. The game does a good job of conveying feelings of depression to you, thanks to the difficulty, but sometimes it’s unnecessarily frustrating. However, it tries to compensate for this with entertaining characters and dialogue. The game can last you for dozens of hours and can also be enjoyed in co-op with up to three other players.

Where to Buy and Talk Hobo: Tough Life

Steam (PC): Available for $24.99. You can purchase it directly from Steam.

Xbox Store (Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S): Available for $24.99. Check it out on the Xbox Store.

PlayStation Store (PS4, PS5): The game is priced at $24.99. You can find it on the PlayStation Store.

Nintendo Shop (Switch): Hobo: Tough Life is not available on the Nintendo Shop.

Official Page: Visit the official Hobo: Tough Life page for more information.

Subreddit: Join the discussion on the Hobo: Tough Life Subreddit.

Grid Legends: Racing Beyond the Finish Line

Arcade Racing

Petko

Grid Legends Feature Picture — Grid Legends

Title: GRID Legends
Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: February 25, 2022
Platforms Available: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC Game
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 5
Level of Maturity: Everyone
Reading Time: 11 minutes

Breaking the Mold

The formula that racing is all about circling the track and the narrative is all about the numbers is something that Grid Legends arcade racing is trying to change. A story-driven campaign proves that racing around a circuit doesn’t have to be about the most precise corner entry angle or the most enticing fleet of cars. In thirty-six races, you’ll drive the cars of the underdog Seneca stable and take the wheel as the mysterious driver with serial number 22 in a classic tale of supposed “losers” who ultimately prevail despite adversity.

A Riveting Story Unfolds

My initial expectations for the story were modest, but I was pleasantly surprised by the depth and intrigue it added to the game. The narrative unfolds between races, guided by engaging featurettes that give your racing efforts a meaningful context beyond mere competition. The scenes are dominated by your arch-rival, the formidable Nate McKane of the Ravenwest Motorsport stable. His cunning and arrogance make him a worthy adversary in your quest for the championship.

The game brilliantly translates the relationships established in the cutscenes to the racing track. Every time you pass Nate’s vehicle, your disdain for the villainous ace of the Ravenwest Motorsport stable becomes palpable. You’ll find it hard to forgive a vicious knock or a push into the tire barrier. And when the five-time champ emerges from the wreckage in last place, it’s a moment that truly warms the cockles of your heart. Suppose you think of the story as a TV series from behind the scenes of motorsport and forgive the pathetic dialogue and horribly stereotyped characters (the clown, the villain, the hero). In that case, it’s really entertaining and even hides some twists and turns and some tugging at the emotions.

Immersion and Frustration

What I do fault the filmmakers a bit for, however, is that the script has no respect for your placement in the championship race. Everyone treats you like some amateur who’s happy to race off the start line without dying an engine. Yet even on the hardest difficulty, I won the vast majority of races by a huge margin. The immersion in the story is fundamentally broken when your stablemate brags about how swift she is and, most importantly, to get out of her way and not get in her way too much when she overtakes you. But she can only say this to the maximum of your rear spoiler because you’re giving her (and everyone else) an incredible amount of misery in every race. The atmosphere of motorsport is nicely rounded out by the communication of the announcers and the stable engineer. It’s great to play races where the only sound isn’t the roar of the engines. But there’s one crucial thing missing from the complete experience: Making the information valuable. The main mechanic is telling you the obvious information, like which position you’re in or that someone just passed you. If you go off the track and the radio says, “Looks like you’ve gone off the track!” you just want to pull into the pits and help your stablemate set new communication rules. How much better would it be to tell them that someone is catching up with you from the right, that a chicane is coming, or some general trivia about the car to add to the atmosphere…

Post-Campaign Pursuits

After the main campaign and the documentary about the success of the Seneca stable, the story then continues, albeit not as strongly, in career mode. There, you lead your own team to your dream trophy, and finally, it’s time to spend the money you’ve saved so far. Traditionally, this money can be used to buy not only cars but also upgrades, perks for co-drivers, and skills for the stable mechanic. You can then have, for example, cheaper car repairs, more experience, and similar benefits. However, to be able to upgrade cars, you need to drive them for a certain number of kilometers. And I don’t find this design element very intuitive because, logically, you will unlock and buy better and newer cars as you win more races and earn more money. With those, you must drive dozens of kilometers again to buy better brakes or a more powerful engine. For example, it would make more sense if each upgrade level was unlocked within the same performance class. Limiting it to each individual car smacks of a grind.

Arcade Thrills

Grid Legends is a pure arcade game that in no way attempts to faithfully simulate the driving of racing machines as its 2019 predecessor did – which unfortunately means the challenge isn’t much of one. Even on the highest difficulty with all assists at zero, most of the challenge is decided on the first lap and ends with you triumphantly crossing the finish line in the lead. The differences in machine handling start and end with weight. Yes, you can tell if you’re sitting in a couple hundred-pound formula or a multi-ton truck, but cars in the same class handle very similarly. Whether you’re in a rear-wheel-drive Lotus or a four-wheel-drive Audi A4 Quattro doesn’t matter. It also doesn’t matter if the road is dry or you can’t see a meter ahead in a downpour. The cars hold the road like nails, and it takes an almost purposeful effort to lose control.

When driving, let go of all the lessons you might have been taught in virtual driving school, such as Gran Turismo. In Grid Legends, corners are selected by controlled drift as in any proper arcade. With your foot struggling to push the accelerator through the floor of the car, you rush towards the corner, stomp on the brake just before the entry, jerk the steering wheel to send the car into a skid, and by lightly fiddling with the throttle and spinning the steering wheel into a counter-rotation, you beautifully skid through even the dirtiest turn. And it doesn’t matter if you’re doing it in a Volkswagen Beetle or a Ford Mustang. That’s what an arcade is supposed to be about, and Grid Legends does it brilliantly – letting the player do wild stunts at speeds and in situations where the driver would actually end up like Ayrton Senna in San Marino. If you manage to get off the track, you have at least three opportunities to turn back the clock in each race. While this simplification can be turned off in the settings, I’d like to see it in every racing game from now on. It would take away those annoying moments when you get clocked on the last lap or the car in front of you unexpectedly loses control and shoots you down at 300km/h. The flashback mechanism allows you to simply delete these mistakes.

Underwhelming Next-Gen Features

I was expecting to see what kind of tweaks the DualSense controller races would bring to the PlayStation 5, and unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed. Vibration and adaptive triggers are unnoticeable, and you must be extra focused to notice them. When racing, surely any lover of these gadgets would like to feel as much feedback as possible, to have the controller wrestle with you and make the person in question feel like they have to tame wild animals when driving a 500-horsepower car. This was handled excellently in, for example, the next-gen update of Dirt 5, where the controller vibrated so much that you were in danger of running out of teeth. In Grid Legends, however, it just comes across as a sleeping kitten.

Modes and Variety

There was already a nemesis system in the previous Grid racing title from 2019, which returns in the latest game. This means that if you drive like the average BMW owner, you’ll antagonize the other participants in the race. This infuriated driver then puts caution behind him, and his main goal is to sand as much paint off your car as possible. They will actively prevent you from overtaking, crash into you, and otherwise make your life miserable. As I wrote above, however, if you’re a more experienced racer, the red-eyed enemies won’t give you a hard time. The vast majority of your time on the track is spent alone at the front of the race, so you may not care about any rivals. But Grid Legends isn’t just about chasing your nemesis around the track. There are several game modes on offer. I had the most fun with Elimination mode, where the race isn’t limited to laps, but the last two drivers drop out every few dozen seconds. It can set up thrilling situations where things get tough, you’re seconds away from being eliminated, and at the last moment, you’re flying into a corner at top speed just to overtake and squeeze your opponent out of the game for a moment.

Aside from the obligatory drifting and point A to point B racing, a fresh addition is the Electro mode. There, you get a boost by driving through gates in your electro cars, which is handy to have on hand when your opponent happens to get away, and you can’t overtake them. Multiclass mode is also interesting, where American muscle cars and sports trucks, for example, face off in a single race. The pretentiously titled “Race Creator” is a bit of a laugh, but don’t expect any sophisticated track editor: you simply choose where, for how many laps, in what weather, and with what cars. Nothing more. And what really hurts is the need for more single-screen multiplayer.

Visuals and Presentation

At first glance, it’s clear that Grid Legends is an intergenerational title. The car models look pretty cool, but the same can’t be said for the sterile environments that lack detail. The built-up circuits are still watchable, but any vegetation looks downright repulsive. The visibly bouncing shadows are also unforgivable. The tracks are also sterile. Forget about any advanced effects, dynamic weather, or changes in time of day. The only exception is the night, where (as with its 2019 predecessor) it’s quite a spectacle. Neon lights, lamps, fireworks, and anything else you can think of are there for the taking. Unfortunately, you can only talk about the night events on the track, which is a shame.

There could have been much more of them in the other circuits. The effects of weather conditions and time change could have brought about much-needed variety and even pushed the relatively ugly environment a bit higher.

Conclusion of Grid Legends

Grid Legends doesn’t rewrite the story of arcade racing, but it does make a brilliant effort to prove that racing games can have an engaging storyline. The campaign is compelling, the character dynamics are well-translated onto the track, and the game offers a fun, accessible racing experience. However, its arcade nature and lack of challenge for seasoned racers might limit its appeal. The visuals are hit-or-miss, and the next-gen features feel could be more impressive. Despite these shortcomings, Grid Legends remains a noteworthy entry in the racing genre, worth exploring for its unique narrative approach and engaging gameplay.

Where to Buy GRID Legends

Steam (PC): Available for $5.99. You can purchase it directly from Steam.

Xbox Store (Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S): Available for $59.99. Check it out on the Xbox Store.

PlayStation Store (PS4, PS5): The game costs $59.99. You can find it on the PlayStation Store.

Or find Grid Legends on Amazon

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