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HORIZON CHASE 2 (PS5)
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Publisher: Epic Games.
Developer: Aquiris. Released: May 2024. Genre: Racing. Other versions: PS4; XSX; XONE; SWI; PC. Posted 7th November 2024. By Tom Clare © 2024 |
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Horizon Chase Turbo belied its mobile roots to produce one of the great arcade racing experiences of the eighth generation. Taking cues from Super Nintendo classic Top Gear, the game captured the satisfying immediacy of darting through hordes of competitors at blistering speeds, whilst adding a host of performance upgrades afforded by modern hardware. Superlative four-player split-screen gameplay running at full speed and with complete fields of competitors proved the realisation of an experience many had been waiting a quarter of a century to enjoy: traditional multiplayer with no compromises to the performance. It’s a shame that, now we can finally expect excellent split-screen experiences, there’s far less demand for it. Still, for those who appreciate social play, HTC was a wonderful retro throwback, and a fantastic ‘party’ racer.
PS5 fans would be made to wait as Horizon Chase 2 landed first on mobile platforms in the summer of 2022, before seeing a Switch release prioritised for consoles. Eventually, it would arrive on the PlayStation Store in May 2024. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Aquiris opted not to reinvent the wheel, carrying over many of the original’s qualities in addition to a noticeable visual upgrade. In short, if you loved the first game, you’ll find plenty to enjoy in the sequel.
All the speedy thrills of the original, and some remarkably beautiful courses to boot
The World Tour returns as once again the player competes in a sequence of single races, as well as occasional time trials. Starting at the rear of a 20-car field, you’re tasked with blasting to the front, normally within three laps, whilst also aiming to capture all the tokens found around the courses. A dozen cars may not seem all that many, but the range is a comprehensive one, with hatchbacks, saloons, SUVs, sports cars and exotics representing a broad spectrum of distinct characteristics. The World Tour visits six locations (seven if you count an awesome, otherworldly finale I won’t spoil) that include Japan, USA and Brazil. There are more than 70 courses in all, and whilst this comes in a little lower than the 100+ of the original, individually, they sport considerably more features. The majority take place on traditional circuit loops, though there are a small handful of hectic point-to-point races to keep things interesting.
Horizon Chase 2’s biggest advancement is in the blossoming of its gorgeous, retro-inspired graphics. Whilst managing to retain the essence and character of an early-nineties racer, Aquiris have gone to town on the scenery, granting every course a beautiful and extensive range of distinguishing features. There’s more of a sense of layering and depth to the facades, and you’ll need to race through some courses several times to spot all the neat details.
Horizon Chase 2’s biggest advancement is in the blossoming of its gorgeous, retro-inspired graphics. Whilst managing to retain the essence and character of an early-nineties racer, Aquiris have gone to town on the scenery, granting every course a beautiful and extensive range of distinguishing features. There’s more of a sense of layering and depth to the facades, and you’ll need to race through some courses several times to spot all the neat details.
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In addition, many tracks evolve over the course of a race, both visually and in the challenges they present. In Death Valley, expect dust storms to limit your field of view, whilst Sapporo subjects players to blizzards that have a bearing on the stability and the handling of your car. One of the best instances is Bangkok, which makes an art form of a simple day/night cycle. Crossing a bridge into the heart of the city, the third lap sees the busy skyline newly dominated by lights. It’s an awesome, arresting sight, even without mentioning the market stalls, statues and hot air balloons the course rolls out to compliment it.
The racing is gloriously fluid, the multiplayer still magnificent fun (bonus points for again allowing players to play through the World Tour together), the handling spot-on. However, Horizon Chase 2 feels somehow slightly less involved than its predecessor, and it’s something that took me a little while to put my finger on. Perhaps a legacy of its origins on mobile devices, almost all of HC2’s courses can be driven without the assistance of the brakes, and in most cases, without the need to slow down at all. The game creates difficulty through the use of narrower roads and repeated switchbacks, as well as horizon-obscuring crests, but this may explain why the layouts are a little less memorable to play than they are to look at.
The racing is gloriously fluid, the multiplayer still magnificent fun (bonus points for again allowing players to play through the World Tour together), the handling spot-on. However, Horizon Chase 2 feels somehow slightly less involved than its predecessor, and it’s something that took me a little while to put my finger on. Perhaps a legacy of its origins on mobile devices, almost all of HC2’s courses can be driven without the assistance of the brakes, and in most cases, without the need to slow down at all. The game creates difficulty through the use of narrower roads and repeated switchbacks, as well as horizon-obscuring crests, but this may explain why the layouts are a little less memorable to play than they are to look at.
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However, it’s a small drop-off in the scheme of things: HC2 is a huge amount of fun to play. Whilst the massive, 109-race final tournament is missing this time around, fans will be pleased to note there’s still a vast swathe of four-race tournaments to compete in. These perfectly fit the bill for multiplayer and are ideal for quick, Mario Kart-style blasts with friends. Legendary racing game composer Barry Leitch returns with another adrenaline-charged soundtrack, featuring some souped-up versions of tunes that appeared in the original game and some cacophonous new efforts that provide an exciting accompaniment to the racing.
In what is perhaps a grudging nod to modern trends, Aquiris included an XP/levelling system for the cars. Whilst on the surface, racking up a few races and bolstering your vehicle’s performance sounds a nice way to encourage piloting different vehicles, in reality, it ends up having the opposite effect and feels somewhat token. The fundamental issue is you progress through the World Tour at a faster rate than cars are being upgraded, meaning those that don’t get used, soon become uncompetitive. The alternative is to waste cumulatively dozens of races you’ve likely already finished, in effect, for no other purpose than adding to their XP count. Another problem relates to at least two buggy trophies that, relating to simple statistics and upgrades, shouldn’t be broken this long after the game’s release. Neither of these issues is a deal breaker, but they ensure it feels less flawless than its predecessor.
In what is perhaps a grudging nod to modern trends, Aquiris included an XP/levelling system for the cars. Whilst on the surface, racking up a few races and bolstering your vehicle’s performance sounds a nice way to encourage piloting different vehicles, in reality, it ends up having the opposite effect and feels somewhat token. The fundamental issue is you progress through the World Tour at a faster rate than cars are being upgraded, meaning those that don’t get used, soon become uncompetitive. The alternative is to waste cumulatively dozens of races you’ve likely already finished, in effect, for no other purpose than adding to their XP count. Another problem relates to at least two buggy trophies that, relating to simple statistics and upgrades, shouldn’t be broken this long after the game’s release. Neither of these issues is a deal breaker, but they ensure it feels less flawless than its predecessor.
Keep your eyes on the road: there's so much detail, but you'll barely have time to appreciate it at the speeds HC2 reaches!
Ultimately, Horizon Chase 2 is a successful sequel to a world-beating arcade racer throwback. A fun challenge on your own and brilliant with friends, the game may not have evolved a great deal, but what it lacks in originality it more than makes up for in quality. A wealth of wonderful-looking courses, another strong soundtrack and a generous selection of events means Aquiris’s effort once again represents outstanding value for money.
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VERDICT
"More of the same, in a good way. Horizon Chase 2's superb visuals, blisteringly speedy gameplay and first-class multiplayer make it an easy recommendation." OVERALL: 8/10 |
OTHER RETRO RACER REVIVAL GAMES REVIEWED
Horizon Chase Turbo (2018, PlayStation 4)
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80's Overdrive (2020, PC)
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