RISE: Race The Future has arrived as a port on the Nintendo Switch from developer VD-Dev after launching previously in 2018 for PC. The release onto the Switch is a pleasant surprise after all other plans for ports to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, and iOS platforms were canceled following the passing away of the studio’s co-founder. Although RISE: Race The Future lacks any sort of multiplayer mode, it is one of the best racing titles available for the Switch at an outstanding price.
RISE: Race for Future takes place in the near future and offers a series of rally-style races with cars that can rip around a track on a variety of surfaces. For example, upon approaching water that would sink any real-life vehicle today, RISE's vehicles instantly and seamlessly shift their tires to the side like the Delorean time machine in a scene straight out of Back to the Future Part II. The sudden switch in surface type from solid ground to water forces a shift in how one handles their vehicle, which takes some getting used too, but eventually becomes second nature and is a great feature of the tracks.
Each vehicle comes with the ability to boost to top speeds. RISE presents a unique take on the mechanic by offering players their choice of how those boosts are recharged, allowing for a more tailored experience depending on playstyle. First, the boost meter can replenish automatically over time once a vehicle reaches and maintains a speed of at least 125 km/hour, encouraging consistency in speed. Second, the boost meter can instead recharge while a player is successfully drifting, and this game has more than enough opportunity to do so. Finally, the simplest option is to have a pre-set number of boosts that recharge automatically at the start of each lap. The boost mechanic is a well-made inclusion, as certain maps favor the use of one over the other and reward players who adapt to each situation.
Steering and handling take a bit of getting used to as well, even when not on water as mentioned earlier. There is a good amount of oversteering, but the effects of this can be alleviated by choosing a vehicle with a different handling option, learning a course so as to pre-empt sharp turns, and practicing the drift mechanics. Some maps felt like complete disasters upon a first race, but on subsequent attempts, everything comes together through familiarity and practice, as should be the case with most games.
The visuals are another unexpected surprise. All too often we see screenshots or trailers on the Nintendo eShop that are not representative of the game, as seen in the recent controversy with Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, which used screenshots from the PlayStation 4 version of the game to mask the deficiencies on the Switch. RISE, meanwhile, looks as beautiful as its trailers and boasts smooth gameplay throughout without hiccups or noticeable framerate reduction.
The modes of play are varied and offer quite a bit of replay value. There are Challenges, Championship, and Time Attack modes. Championship and Challenges use the same 64 tracks, but in different ways that feel distinct. Championship pits you against other AI racers in 8 separate sets of races with 8 tracks each, requiring a minimum number of points to advance from one to the next and the overall goal of placing as high as you can.
Challenges, meanwhile, offer a sort of achievement system that feels fantastic, because while the Nintendo Switch lacks a trophy or achievement system like the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, the challenge requirements provide a sort of replacement for this game. Completing challenges is not only an enjoyable way to get to know the tracks and perform specific actions one might otherwise not attempt, but it is also the primary way of unlocking all of the vehicles.
Enjoy Multiplayer? Too Bad!
RISE: Race The Future clearly does a great number of things well, but the total lack of multiplayer, either local or online, may be enough to drive some consumers away. This is subjective to each person, and some may not mind at all, but it is an odd exclusion in today’s gaming market.
Worse still is that this is not the initial release of the game. Given that almost a year has passed between the release on Steam and the port to the Switch, one would expect quality of life improvements to made based on consumer feedback, or the addition of features that are missing from the PC version. Recently, God Eater 3 was released for the Switch as a port from the PC, PS4, and Xbox One version. That port should be the gold standard for including all DLC since its original release and new additions that give fans a reason to purchase the game a second time.
If the lack of multiplayer is a non-issue, then this is an outstanding game. However, if multiplayer is something you enjoy for the long-term replay value of a game, this game might not be for you.
Another small critique is the lack of vehicle customization options. This refers to the attributes of the vehicle like power, grip, stability, and steering, which are pre-set and locked to each vehicle. This concern is alleviated only in that one eventually unlocks a broad range of vehicles with different attributes, but the point stands that one cannot modify as one might like.
With that in mind, cosmetic customization of vehicle color and stickers are all present and allow for each vehicle to feel unique. The criticism lies more with the inability to tweak the four attributes listed above.
Hop Into The Driver's Seat
Before deciding this game is a good fit for you, first consider a harsh truth about the Nintendo Switch and racing games in general. RISE: Race The Future feels like a great game in part because of the lackluster alternatives available on the system. This requires us to remove games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled along with other games where players have weaponized go-carts from the mix, as those are a category of their own.
Games like Gear.Club Unlimited and its sequel looked promising leading up to release, but have been polarizing and shallow in what they offer, and on top of that, demand a premium price. RISE: Race The Future is a quality title that despite lacking multiplayer is an absolute blast to play, and is priced far lower than it should be. At under $20 (depending on where you reside), this game makes a welcome addition to any gaming library.
4 Out Of 5 Stars
A code for RISE: Race The Future was provided to TheGamer for this review. RISE: Race The Future is available now for PC and Nintendo Switch.