Warp Drive is a game that is leaving Apple Arcade soon. It wasn’t on my radar before and I didn’t expect much. But the game is very fun actually.
It’s your typical racer like WipEout and F-zero but its tournament mode is structured like the Kart Racing genre. There are 6 cups and you can play up to 150cc. It also has other modes like online, challenges, survival and custom race. I focused exclusively on the tournaments by getting gold in 100 and 150cc. I would have liked trying the other modes too but there isn’t enough time left.
The controls feel great, especially if you focus on purchasing parts that focus on improving handling stats. You also collect crystals in the field and these can be used to either gain speed, shoot rockets at opponents ahead of you or leave bombs for the ones behind you. So you don’t get random items, you’re free to decide what to use as long as you have a crystal. It feels great to be given this freedom. I’m not sure if there are other racing games that do this too.
However, the game has enough flaws unfortunately. It’s pretty buggy. I’ve experienced bugs where you stop controlling your vehicle in the middle of a race for a while, the graphics become pixelated, the rockets you shoot don’t hit your opponents or way later and more such weird instances. Also the game has a shop that you can only access after every race and the 3 items shown to you are random. You can’t access the store whenever you feel like it. The game also uses rarity with the upgrade parts that don’t always make sense. You can purchase legendary parts but you’re better off with a common part depending on your play style. And lastly, you level up and I have no idea what it does. I’m level 8 apparently and I’m never told what I get out of it. You get XP (and cash) after each race btw.
The biggest issue is obviously the bugs. It doesn’t happen with every single race but often enough. The gameplay can feel really great when it’s at its best. So it’s a shame when this has to get in the way. The soundtrack is even heavily inspired by Jet Set Radio games!
I’d say the game is worth giving a try. It might even have some good content depending on the other modes. Just keep the flaws in mind.
It’s your typical racer like WipEout and F-zero but its tournament mode is structured like the Kart Racing genre. There are 6 cups and you can play up to 150cc. It also has other modes like online, challenges, survival and custom race. I focused exclusively on the tournaments by getting gold in 100 and 150cc. I would have liked trying the other modes too but there isn’t enough time left.
The controls feel great, especially if you focus on purchasing parts that focus on improving handling stats. You also collect crystals in the field and these can be used to either gain speed, shoot rockets at opponents ahead of you or leave bombs for the ones behind you. So you don’t get random items, you’re free to decide what to use as long as you have a crystal. It feels great to be given this freedom. I’m not sure if there are other racing games that do this too.
However, the game has enough flaws unfortunately. It’s pretty buggy. I’ve experienced bugs where you stop controlling your vehicle in the middle of a race for a while, the graphics become pixelated, the rockets you shoot don’t hit your opponents or way later and more such weird instances. Also the game has a shop that you can only access after every race and the 3 items shown to you are random. You can’t access the store whenever you feel like it. The game also uses rarity with the upgrade parts that don’t always make sense. You can purchase legendary parts but you’re better off with a common part depending on your play style. And lastly, you level up and I have no idea what it does. I’m level 8 apparently and I’m never told what I get out of it. You get XP (and cash) after each race btw.
The biggest issue is obviously the bugs. It doesn’t happen with every single race but often enough. The gameplay can feel really great when it’s at its best. So it’s a shame when this has to get in the way. The soundtrack is even heavily inspired by Jet Set Radio games!
I’d say the game is worth giving a try. It might even have some good content depending on the other modes. Just keep the flaws in mind.