Racing video game graphics like in Forza Motorsport or Gran Turismo are becoming more photorealistic with every new console generation. If you're an old-school gamer like me, I'm sure sometimes you also miss the sweet arcade era when times were a billion times simpler, or at least that's how it felt when we were kids. While there's nothing wrong with graphical evolution, sometimes you need a game to scratch that nostalgic itch of days gone by. Well, until May 11, you'll find one such opportunity on Epic Games Store.
Horizon Chase Turbo is the little racer that could and did. It was developed by Aquiris Game Studio, known for mobile titles like Looney Tunes World of Mayhem and Wonderbox: The Adventure Maker from Apple Arcade.
This cute racer is an absolute blast from the '80s and '90s past. From the first minute I started playing it, I got flashbacks from my younger days when I was amazed by the NES and SEGA titles like OutRun or Top Gear.
Graphically it doesn't look 100% like the old games did "back in the day," but the art style is right where it needs to be. The bright colors are a take-it-or-leave-it thing, but they fit the overall aesthetics.
Visually speaking, it's the perfect blend of retro vibes and current-era screen resolutions, so you don't get a bunch of pixels stretched horribly across your new Full-HD or 4K TV or monitor. Your image stays crisp as it should, especially regarding shadows or post-processing effects like drafting lines, speed bursts, etc.
The visuals alone aren't enough to teleport you in the past, so this is where the music or soundtrack kicks in. The OST was composed by industry legend Barry Leitch, who also made music for classics like Lotus Turbo Challange, Top Gear (SNES), and Rush.
As a massive fan of the retro-inspired Synthwave genre, I can tell you that playing Horizon Chase Turbo with headphones is an excellent experience. The music is so good that you might search the playlist on YouTube to listen to it in your spare time.
Moving on to the gameplay, Horizon Chase Turbo brings a lot to the table. It features 33 unlockable cars with 12 upgrades and over 48 cities to visit, spanning 111 tracks. If you play it long enough, the scenery will become repetitive, which goes with the territory.
It's not necessarily a bad thing. The devs didn't intend for people to play 5-6 hour-long sessions. It's not The Last of Us, where the story is so gripping you can't put the controller down until you finish it.
It takes little time to get used to the controls or feel of the game, but it's a challenging trip, too. All you have to know is that the more you play, the more you'll get the hang of it and perform better, just like in Descenders, which is currently free on PS Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium, along with GRID Legends.
Overall, this retro-inspired racer is a fun little time waster that you can enjoy in short bursts, for free, until May 11.
Codrin just loves American classics, from the 1940s and ‘50s, all the way to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s. In his perfect world, we'll still see Hudsons and Road Runners roaming the streets for years to come (even in EV form, if that's what it takes to keep the aesthetic alive). Full profile
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