BlazeRush (PlayStation 4) Review

Sure, it's not the first of its kind, but there's always room for reiteration, right? BlazeRush definitely packs a punch, although it may not be a knockout. The gameplay is sure to bring some level of enjoyment, but it's just an unfortunately small game with an even smaller player base.

The basic ideas here are familiar ones. Win the race. Use cool weapons and boost pickups to succeed in this task. Get better. Targem was either incredibly aware and knew when to stop adding, or the scope of its intended product was fairly basic. Either way, the straightforward nature of the mechanics and gameplay, although lacking in flare, is incredibly easy to pick up and play. Everything melds together with such ease that players of any skill level will find themselves capable of pulling off most of everything the game throws at them, once races are up and running.

This is the moment when BlazeRush shows its true colours. Halfway through a race with a missile homing in, smashing the boost is the only feasible option for evasion. Avoid crashing and losing position or be flung from the track and placed last, screaming obscenities all the while. The hooks have sunk in. BlazeRush has grasped its prey.

The unfortunate truth about the high potential of this game is that this excitement will, likely, only be found in single-player. Once mechanics are figured out, it is natural to want to switch to multiplayer game modes for play online with friends or in matchmaking. This is where the obvious fun would be had - where the game would shine brightest. Sadly, the player base is such that there is slim to no chance of getting into a race populated by actual players. Occasionally, stumbling into a game with one or two opponents is a rare find. It seems there are simply not enough users to get a solid multiplayer game running. This is not a fair point against BlazeRush itself, but it certainly limits the depth of the experience. Local multiplayer is, of course, an option, but, realistically, most will only get a handful of play sessions out of it.

Aside from the previously mentioned issues, BlazeRush offers a sound play experience, on par with mostly anything in the genre. Expect time trials, speed runs of single laps, and maximised damage runs. They are most certainly here. Cycling racetracks, and the randomly occurring weapons pick-ups within them, offers enough variation to keep this racer moving along. Again, it's simply a shame that the good is mixed in with the bad, not having anyone to play with.