Platforms PC (Steam)
Developer Targem Games Publisher Targem Games
Genre Racing
Honestly, I was never into racing games; the prospect of constantly driving in the same circuits only with different cars still doesn’t appeal to me. That said, the moment I laid my eyes on BlazeRush, something in me screamed “check it out!” And so I did. To my surprise, getting rid of health bars, leveling-up, or even brakes (!) in a racing title – all while preserving an explosive and overall fun atmosphere – is a recipe for a successful game. Here’s why…
BlazeRush offers players three types of cars: the standard vehicles, the flying ones, and the “heavier” rides outfitted with tracks. Flying cars offer an amazing acceleration, although they are more vulnerable to projectiles when compared to the standard ones; on the other side, heavier rides offer an amazing grip, although hitting a skid results in a harder recovering and their acceleration is considerably slower. As you might expect, the standard vehicles are somewhere in-between. In total, BlazeRush includes 16 vehicles, each offering you variations of speed, maneuverability, and resistance.
BlazeRush includes three types of modes. There‘s the usual Race with multiple laps, a Survival mode in which the objective is to avoid going off the track or getting crushed by a giant bulldozer-like vehicle from behind for as much as possible, and a King of the Hill mode. My favorite type has to be Survival, simply because of how hectic things can get – especially if you’re playing with friends.
Besides the above-mentioned standalone races in single-player competing against bots, BlazeRush also features an up-to-eight multiplayer mode with the same gameplay-types and maps. As you might expect, playing against your friends or even strangers is a lot better than the usual bots. I sometimes encountered some connection issues or some lagging matches, but – for the most part – the online component is a smooth process.
Finishing each race offers you a number of points and cups, depending on your performances. Winning cups unlocks more races, and getting more points means unlocking more vehicles. Each race comes with its own set of side-objectives, such as blowing off the track three opponents or earning a specific amount of points. Although all of BlazeRush‘s maps feature the same layout, a slight variation in their themes – i.e. arctic, lava, jungle, a scrapyard, and even an alien-like planet – is a nice touch.
To even the odds, the lead racer always drops booster-crates behind him/her which give other players an advantage (i.e. make them drive faster), while also visually-upgrading their rides with different types of rocket-boosters. In this regard, BlazeRush can be compared with Mario Kart, and the variation of weapons (which I’ll get to in a bit) with the infamous blue shell; it’s not over ’til it’s over.
In addition to the aforementioned booster-crates, players can also pick up crates which outfit their rides with weapons like machine-guns, saw-blades, rockets, or even slimy balls which slow-down other rides. These weapons don’t annihilate your competition, but each projectile destabilizes their rides, with the possibility of throwing them off the circuit. The great part in all this is said players don’t instantly loose; they are instead teleported right back on track, only severely-behind the competition.
On the flip-side, the game’s camera can sometimes get annoying, as it does not always concentrate on you. This is because BlazeRush also includes a four-player “couch” mode, so it tries to keep all four racers on the same screen. Because of this, I would sometimes not see ahead and accidentally jump off the track, thus losing the race. Another technical problem relates to the game’s artificial intelligence. My enemies would often either waste their projectiles or don’t use them at all, even though I would be standing right in front of them.
For its price, I would definitely recommend purchasing BlazeRush, especially if you plan on racing it alongside three other friends. Sure, the camera might get finicky from time to time and playing against bots isn’t as fun as playing against real-life opponents, but everything else – from the hectic King of the Hill battles to the heart-pumping Survival races – is a blast to experience, especially if you’re competing against some mates.
The Good
- Decent Variety of Vehicles and Maps
- Survival Mode is a Blast
- Blowing Your Friends Off the Track Never Gets Old
The Bad
- Camera
- Enemy A.I.
- A Few Connection Issues
