Horizon Chase Turbo review
When it comes to racing games, I am in no way an expert. I’m not really big into racing and have basically no interest in cars whatsoever. (Seriously, none.) Given the choice, I definitely favor arcade action racing titles to realistic racing simulations. So I’m unlikely to get into a racing game if it A) isn’t Mario Kart, or B) isn’t focused on something other than racing, kinda like Burnout 3: Takedown.
With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s discuss Horizon Chase Turbo, because this game owns!
Horizon Chase Turbo is old-school arcade-style racer with a super slick low-poly aesthetic. The gameplay is fast and furious, focusing at least as much on overtaking rival cars as it does finishing a race with the best time. It feels very similar to Outrun, or maybe Top Gear, and is just plain sick.
First of all, Horizon Chase Turbo features a World Tour mode and a has a myriad of cars to unlock, but does the smartest thing possible, something I’ve never seen a racing game do. It actually starts you off with two extremely cool-looking sports cars! No need to grind for days just to get a vehicle that doesn’t look like the boring sedan you drove in high school. You’ve got a slick ride from the start, and your options only grow from there.
Then there’s the fact that racing feels very fast, but it’s actually very easy to drive; the gameplay feels extremely accessible. It helps that controls are intuitive and uncomplicated. Even if you just hold down the gas button constantly the whole time, you’ll probably have a good time weaving in and out of lanes around your competitors.
As I played through more and more of the courses, gleefully putting the pedal to the metal for the entirety of each race, I came to realize that the game is quite forgiving—or perhaps even offering some major steering assistance—when it comes to sharp and/or sudden turns. It’s like the game keeps you in your lane as much as possible. Perhaps racing sim purists would scoff at such a notion, preferring to have their driving skill tested with ruthless precision. But I freaking love how easy it is to get into this game and credit these usability measures for making races so damn fun.
Moment to moment, Horizon Chase Turbo is really about the joy of catching up to—and overtaking—rival drivers. Surely there is some clever rubber banding in place to keep some portion of the pack around you, because that’s heart of the game. Your path is generally guided by your lane on the track, so it’s pretty clear when there’s an opening and which channel (again, which lane) to use to take it. It’s simple stuff, but wildly fun.
Speaking of fun in simplicity, this game’s clean, low-poly visual style is simply gorgeous! All the cars look appropriately cool, of course, even the sillier inclusions. Stage backgrounds features both recognizable landmarks and chunky polygon objects which look a little more detailed than Virtua Racing, but a little less detailed than Ridge Racer. It’s an exceptional good aesthetic for elements that whip past you at high speed.
Much like the visuals, the soundtrack is also perfect for this style of game. After just a few quick races, I found myself humming along to the games groovy techno beats. Apparently the soundtrack was done by Barry Leitch, a Scottish composer who had previously worked on Top Gear and Rush 2.
All in all, Horizon Chase Turbo is excellent. If you’re looking for an instantly accessible arcade racing game to scratch that high-octane itch, this one’s for you. It’s honestly the racing game I have always wanted, but just didn’t know it.