Pacer - R8 Games racing game preview

Arrived a few years ago on Steam in early access, Formula Fusion was a futuristic racing game made by R8 Games, a development team that includes figures who previously worked in Psygnosis for the creation of Wipeout. However, it was a title plagued by some important problems, with the developers who, however, expressed a strong desire to solve them. From this will he was born Graze, a substantial upgrade of Formula Fusion to be released in September also on consoles and free for all owners of the previous version. As said several times also by the senior producer of the game, R8 Games has worked to improve the overall experience, going to reconstruct and refine relevant elements such as physics and handling. Vehicle handling and customization have also enjoyed refinements, thanks to their greater impact on overall handling and player feedback. We have recently been able to try the work and so let's analyze it in more detail.

Speed ​​and adrenaline

Having been repeatedly described as a sort of spiritual sequel to Wipeout, also given some of the developers involved in its creation, Pacer certainly focuses on high speed characteristic of futuristic arcade racing games. In the higher classes, in particular, a truly adrenaline-pumping speed is reached which, as much as the possibility of running into errors and clashes increases, makes the gaming experience even more exciting. The feeling of the vehicle, modifiable and customizable inside the garage, is good in its arcade essence and helps to make the user feel the adrenaline of racing.

The tracks we tried were also great for this purpose. Perhaps there are some sections that could have been clearer, but in general the slopes are well done for now, as well as various in settings and style. Each of them includes turbos that speed up the vehicle, as well as useful elements to enhance one's defense or attack. In full arcade style, they are also present in Pacer weaponry useful to hinder their opponents. Managing the vehicle inside the garage is possible change his equipment to your liking, with two slots available for the offensive part (or defensive if you choose to equip a protective shield). For this reason, in addition to collecting elements of the scenario useful to recharge your skills, it is essential to get those that recharge the shield, without which you will then lose the main health at each clash or offensive of the rivals.

The game modes in Pacer

In addition to the standard stroke and the one that requires the absence of any weapon, Pacer features various other interesting modes. Among these we find, for example, “speed lap”, in which the vehicle that, at the end of a predetermined number of laps, has obtained the shortest time in one of them wins. In “Elimination” there is instead a timer at which the player in the last position is eliminated from the race. “Endurance”, on the other hand, focuses entirely on endurance, due to the vitality that begins to drop automatically at the start of the second lap.

These are modalities that obviously focus a lot on speed and skill of the player in dominating the track over the opponents, but at the same time it is important to pay attention to one's vitality and to obtain recharge for one's shield, as in the case of the Endurance mode. In the latter it is indeed necessary to do as many kilometers as possible, but you must also keep an eye on your resistance, which is particularly difficult especially in the most advanced difficulties.

Finally, there is also the campaign, in which players are asked to overcome various competitions in preset modes, to finally reach a set of classic races one after the other in which it is necessary to obtain the best final score. Through the campaign it is possible to unlock new circuits (which can also be purchased through the in-game currency) and many alternative versions of them. Each track has in fact a mirrored version, one to be covered in reverse and one set at night.

From a technical point of view, the title seems to be of good quality, as well as graphics, settings, lights and effects. The only defect found so far is the feedback given by shots and weapons, which do not seem to return to the player the satisfaction of damage inflicted on the opponent. The soundtrack for now has not convinced us very much, however there are still tracks that are able to feed the player's adrenaline. There are obviously still many aspects to be evaluated, including certainly the online mode which will support up to 10 players. All that remains is to wait for the official release of the title, expected on September 17 on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.