It's been a while since I played a kart racer that wasn't like Mario Kart... although I guess this is leaning towards more pure-racing type of stuff cause of the aesthetics? Idk, anyway, glad that the one I got onto during this marathon of mine, and even, 100%ed was a fun time.
I guess cause everyone's an adult age now, they added in some strangely sexual elements to the mix instead of keeping it strictly to romantic stuff. Not a problem per se, just funny to see Keira really, really wants Jak's tool now. On the note of writing note, this story is so strange, but not like Jak 2 where it was just a hodgepodge of different ideas being thrown in, but more like they really wanted to focus on the story still, and even upped the humor a bit (probably the funniest the series has been thus far, ngl), but then RIGHT at the last quarter it just sorta ends... basically any thread the story was lingering on in a hasten pace. Rayne, Krew's daughter, was told the news about his death, got all (weirdly yet also somewhat understandingly) got mad at Jak and the rest of the crew for keeping it a secret from her... and then the next cutscene they act like it's all good. It's very weird but nothing too bad, honestly I'd say it's the best written story of the series thus far cause it at least tells its tale well and good and not like, be sorta lackluster or have so many things going on at once.
As for gameplay, it's VERY fun and addictive. While it took some getting used to, timing drifts, jumps, turbos, and all that fun stuff provides a consistent amount of dopamine, and a majority of it was just a blast to get done. Granted I heard coming in that it suffers from difficulty spikes, but honestly I'd say that more so applies to the last cup, Yellow Cup, having some... truthfully bad course designs being used. I'll fully admit to abusing save states there just cause I'm a stubborn POS and wanted to be done with them already. BUT, that's just the exception, as long as you upgrade accordingly (my advice? Just stick with the first two class vehicle unlocks, maybe the fourth one, from each cup and swap between them when the mission calls for it) and do stuff like brake-drifting and letting go of the accelerate when necessary, you'll be fine. My other issue is the fact that a majority of what you'll be playing are basically the same locales, with some different layouts. Sure, there's stuff to keep it from feeling totally the same, but a little more variety would've been nice.
I haven't really said anything about the previous game's OSTs just cause I thought they were good and fit their respective games well (though I thought Jak 2's was on the middling side), but this game's OST I actually feel compelled to find and transfer onto Apple Music just cause it's THAT good. You can tell the team listened to a bunch of different metal and heavy rock stuff like QOTSA considering those are not only used, and not only are there tracks that sound exactly like those types of bands, but cause Billy Howerdel from A Perfect Circle and Dean Menta who helped out with Faith No More for a bit were also involved with composition. Easily my favorite of the games' sound.
I figured I'd enjoy it a bit since Naughty Dog made Crash Team Racing years prior to this, and while I've yet to play it or the remake I do know how acclaimed that is for the (kart) racing fans, but I didn't expect to enjoy it this much. Makes me wish this also got a grand remake like CTR got, though Sony would probably have a pretty tight leash for it...
I guess cause everyone's an adult age now, they added in some strangely sexual elements to the mix instead of keeping it strictly to romantic stuff. Not a problem per se, just funny to see Keira really, really wants Jak's tool now. On the note of writing note, this story is so strange, but not like Jak 2 where it was just a hodgepodge of different ideas being thrown in, but more like they really wanted to focus on the story still, and even upped the humor a bit (probably the funniest the series has been thus far, ngl), but then RIGHT at the last quarter it just sorta ends... basically any thread the story was lingering on in a hasten pace. Rayne, Krew's daughter, was told the news about his death, got all (weirdly yet also somewhat understandingly) got mad at Jak and the rest of the crew for keeping it a secret from her... and then the next cutscene they act like it's all good. It's very weird but nothing too bad, honestly I'd say it's the best written story of the series thus far cause it at least tells its tale well and good and not like, be sorta lackluster or have so many things going on at once.
As for gameplay, it's VERY fun and addictive. While it took some getting used to, timing drifts, jumps, turbos, and all that fun stuff provides a consistent amount of dopamine, and a majority of it was just a blast to get done. Granted I heard coming in that it suffers from difficulty spikes, but honestly I'd say that more so applies to the last cup, Yellow Cup, having some... truthfully bad course designs being used. I'll fully admit to abusing save states there just cause I'm a stubborn POS and wanted to be done with them already. BUT, that's just the exception, as long as you upgrade accordingly (my advice? Just stick with the first two class vehicle unlocks, maybe the fourth one, from each cup and swap between them when the mission calls for it) and do stuff like brake-drifting and letting go of the accelerate when necessary, you'll be fine. My other issue is the fact that a majority of what you'll be playing are basically the same locales, with some different layouts. Sure, there's stuff to keep it from feeling totally the same, but a little more variety would've been nice.
I haven't really said anything about the previous game's OSTs just cause I thought they were good and fit their respective games well (though I thought Jak 2's was on the middling side), but this game's OST I actually feel compelled to find and transfer onto Apple Music just cause it's THAT good. You can tell the team listened to a bunch of different metal and heavy rock stuff like QOTSA considering those are not only used, and not only are there tracks that sound exactly like those types of bands, but cause Billy Howerdel from A Perfect Circle and Dean Menta who helped out with Faith No More for a bit were also involved with composition. Easily my favorite of the games' sound.
I figured I'd enjoy it a bit since Naughty Dog made Crash Team Racing years prior to this, and while I've yet to play it or the remake I do know how acclaimed that is for the (kart) racing fans, but I didn't expect to enjoy it this much. Makes me wish this also got a grand remake like CTR got, though Sony would probably have a pretty tight leash for it...