AbstractArt has developed a new game called Music Racer, that has just made its way to consoles. A neon explosion that is billed as a rhythm racing game. But not all is what it seems.
In the game you race down a three-lane neon road, weaving between lanes to pick up “beats”, and possibly dodging obstacles depending on the type of game you are playing. The idea is to make it to the finish line and collect as many beats as you can along the way. The more beats you collect, the better your score, and the more stars you earn. Beats are then used to purchase new tracks and cars.
The problem is that new tracks and cars have little effect on the game outside of visuals. Also collecting the beats do not change gameplay. You are hurdled down the track at a set speed depending on the song you pick. There is only one game mode in which you can “die”, so even obstacles are not much of a problem. You can start a race, set down your controller and just listen to the music as your car picks up enough beats to earn you at least 1 star.
This game boasts a really good soundtrack, even if it is limited. Even when you unlock new tracks, you are left with the same songs. The graphics are fairly simple, but do stand out. This is mostly because of the color palette. The roads you drive on are a bright neon on a black background. The route pulses with the music, making the game a serious issue for anyone with photosensitivity issues. Even if you are not prone to these types of issues, this game is difficult to play. The constantly flashing lights may give you headaches even after short periods of game play. I was able to get part way through my 3rd race before I started to notice. This happened every time I played the game over a period of several days.
Music Racer is available now on most platforms. It is advertised as a racing, rhythm, action, arcade game. The only category that it actually falls into is arcade. The game is fun to play for a short period but becomes monotonous after a while. The lack of a leaderboard makes replay of little value since there is no record of your previous runs. If you are looking for a game with a good soundtrack to play for short intervals once in a while, this might be something to check out.
