Game Reviews

Blitz Racer

Star onStar onStar onStar onStar off
|
| Blitz Racer
Get
Blitz Racer
|
| Blitz Racer

Other than classic puzzle game EDGE, it's hard to think of many contemporary isometric 3D games that don't also adopt a retro styling, either in terms of graphics or gameplay. Or both.

So right away Blitz Racer stands out. It's hard to put your finger on what's so unusual about it at first, but after a few laps (and there will be a few) you begin to piece together the depth of personality squirreled away behind such a minimalist and apparently simplistic game.

Isometric? You-sometric

Whether Blitz Racer is actually 3D - you know, with all the polygons and models and stuff - or whether it's opted for the pseudo third dimension of yesteryear is hard to say.

And it probably doesn't matter in the end, as the game plays very smoothly and naturally, which is what's ultimately important.

The objective is as simple as the style. Complete as many circuits as you can, and gradually unlock six different race tracks as you gather up achievements.

Again, these are very simple, with a star being awarded for each lap, and new levels requiring an increasing number of stars in the bank.

Six tracks might not sound like a lot, but these aren't levels that you'll blaze through in minutes. Blitz Racer is a tough game - almost too tough at times.

But that does make you appreciate the wins a little more. You only get one life per game, so crash and it’s back to the start.

Fortunately it takes but a second to get moving again, so there are also shades of the infinite runner just beneath the surface of this quirky racing game.

All about the angles

The controls of Blitz Racer are both its saviour, and its curse. A tap on the left or right of the screen sends your wedge-shaped vehicle turning in that direction at a 90-degree angle.

So navigating the course is tricky, often demanding very fast and precise left-right, or right-left combinations of taps to align you with narrow gaps or sudden obstacles.

Conveyor belts are also dotted around the tracks, giving you a boost of speed as you ride along them. Not only does this speed up the subsequent turns, but it adds a slice of drifting physics to the action if you attempt to turn while leaving the conveyor. The car slides with the momentum, which is very difficult to recover from given the digital controls.

This isn't a complaint, of course, since the angular movements match the styling of the game perfectly, and are where its real challenge comes from.

While frustrating at times, Blitz Racer is unique and sleek enough to carry its annoyances on very broad shoulders, and it's hard not to love this new approach to arcade racing. The excellent dubstep soundtrack doesn't hurt, either.

Blitz Racer

Although it takes you to the limits of frustration, Blitz Racer also delivers the arcade racing goods with admirable style and uniqueness, making it a great choice for anyone with two thumbs and five minutes to kill.
Score
Spanner Spencer
Spanner Spencer
Yes. Spanner's his real name, and he's already heard that joke you just thought of. Although Spanner's not very good, he's quite fast, and that seems to be enough to keep him in a regular supply of free games and away from the depressing world of real work.