A new review for the new year, and obviously not one of the previously mentioned games. But rest assured they are still coming. This time round it’s the juiced up version of Gear Club Unlimited 2, the Ultimate edition for the PS5. Originally a Nintendo Switch exclusive back in 2019, they re-released this updated version with all the previous DLC and add-ons that had dropped for it.
On the surface this game is identical to the switch game. The same map, cars, events and cartoon character dialogue that gives the game a bit of a story. With the added bonus of decent load times, as the Switch’s can drag for a few minutes on the inital load, on the flip side though the graphics have been amped up cross the board. The cars look more polished and shinier. The smaller details of dirt flecks and sparks on collision are richer and more noticeable. The in game world in races seem bigger. I think that comes from better draw distances, more foliage and the open roads being seemingly wider. Where it looks best though is in the visually improved car garages and the performance workshop. This is where the hardware really shows its power boost over the switch. However for even last gen game on PS4 it’s still not all round up to scratch, still looking outdated on the scenery as you whizz round the races. One thing it does particularly badly is the lighting especially out of a tunnel , it’s so bright as you exit it you feel as if your car is being birthed by God themselves it’s so blinding. And I’m not one to moan too much about frame rates as more often than not it doesn’t really affect gameplay that much for me, but in gear club it can be choppy as fuck. Randomly stuttering in a corner or shadows appearing whimsically like the sun is playing peek-a-boo for shits and giggles.
The A.I on opponents does feel improved as well, but again not in every aspect, if your car’s performance level is lower than the top three it can pose a more engaging race. But once you’ve upgraded your car enough you just shit on everything. The main opponents in the A,B,C,D ranked races which also locks the cars you can buy by rank difficulty within the races are sporadic to say the least. With the same car, one race you’ll leave them hundreds of yards behind then the next you’ll struggle to catch up, even if you car is better. They run like a scalextric with random boosts dotted around and only for them. They are also not affected by the dirt and snow like you which obviously slows you down if you go off track. The main gammy part for me though is the car turning, your car is just so rigid in turns it’s mad. Not to mention the odd aggression of the other drivers, who will just ram you into oblivion if you are on the racing line.
However it’s not all doom and gloom, the game itself is pretty fun. With every track being different, with different surfaces to tackle, and a variety of different modes; laps, sprints, last man standing and time trials. The driving itself isn’t too bad either with decent handling and responsiveness that comes along with a good racing line to follow if you need it, and with good assists options you can opt to turn off or up. I’d recommend turning off steering and brake assist leaving the lowest option for anti-skid on because of how upgrading works too much power will make you kick out on certain tracks. The highlight of the game for me, being the workshop, which you can customise your own garage like a working race team. You buy different upgrade stations, so performance for engine, tyre workshop for brakes and tyre’s obviously. Rally station to make you car rally worthy, so on and so forth. There is one big but though, each upgrade is expensive as is the actual part upgrades, I mean some paint’s will cost you $48,000. You don’t start winning big money until the C3 championships. So upgrading can be a ball ache. Even with the optional events dotted around, as you have to spend to upgrade older cars you were using. It takes a while but it does even out . In game there are over 50 fully licensed cars. Which isn’t a lot for certain racing games but the selection is good, with the like’s of; BMW,Mercedes,Porsche,Pagani,Bugatti etc. You will never not have a nice looking super car at your disposal. With a modest amount of customisation available to you, you get make your cars more to your design, unless it’s a special livery in which case you can’t do shit.
The game comes with online multiplayer, clubs which give you timed events to participate in and get specific rewards usually decals for your car so nothing major. The two big DLCs that come with it are the Porsche series which works a little differently and you are given a car to use, and at the end of the championship it gets auto-upgraded dependant on where you finish, with the final one being the grand prize of a Porsche 911 type 930. You also have the endurance tracks that adds the Le mans course and another upgrade station to make your cars track racers instead and through that you can win the Ford GT40. This is more like a simulation then the rest of the game. Think Gran Turismo light as you have tyre wear and fuel consumption.
The only other in game option you get is off-road racing which to me should be a separate part of the game with it’s own dealerships and cars, as at the moment it works by paying to have a Separate rally upgrade list and spec for the some car you are already using. It just doesn’t make sense to me, when you could be running rally championships with the ability to mess with your cars set up which to me would be a fun extra.
Overall I’d certify this game a very strong 6/10, Suitably Tasty.
For me this polished version is the ground level that can be built upon for the future entries of the series. Increase the amount of car’s available, add an arcade type option so you can set up your own races. Improve the smaller parts of the game engine, frame rate, lighting and add to the performance shop make that a real sim like game in it’s own right, as building up your own team and getting the right upgrades would be welcomed addition to the racing genre. As it stands, it’s a fun racer that’s easy to pick up and put down at a whim, with slight balancing issues with opponents and how much upgrades cost. Fix that and add to the replay value along with more customisation options especially in the rim/body department and honestly this could easily turn into a great racing franchise.
Sony PS5 30th November 2021
TastyRetroGaming 