Official Score
Overall - 10%
10%
Synthwave FURY looks and sounds the part, but everything else misses the mark. The broken physics make this title unplayable, and any sort of course correction on each track is simply a lost cause.
The 80s are back (did they ever really go?) with the release of Virtual Edition’s neon-soaked racer Synthwave FURY. Does its fusion of synthwave, retrowave and vaporwave evoke those sweet neo-retro feels, or is this title more outdated than the Betamax?
Synthwave FURY Review
Stepping into cars with such extravagant names as “Interceptor” and “Phoenix,” Synthwave FURY lets players hit the track in a world that can best be described as radical. Don’t expect pastel colors or ultra-realistic vibes here; rather, tracks like “Fuji Sunset,” “Simulation,” “Rainbow Galactic,” and “Neon Coast” await.
However, while it looks the part (and has the music to match), Synthwave FURY unfortunately cannot get the job done.
When it comes to a racing game, players likely expect fast turns, stiff competition, and mechanics that will make people feel like one with the wheel. However, this title manages to miss the assignment.
No matter what track one changes, most of the game has little variation in each of the tracks. Hoping for a hairpin curve or anything to serve as a marker? Nope, no dice here. Even straightforward titles like Outrun and Super Hang-On managed to add more variety when they launched decades ago.
The same goes with Synthwave FURY’s competition. A number of cars are on each of the tracks, but they simply drive in a lackadaisical fashion and serve as roadblocks rather than serious threats.
However, bump into any one of these Sunday drivers and players will see how truly broken Synthwave FURY’s physics really are. No matter how straight one is driving, the slightest turn will cause players to drift more than a slipstream in a storm. It’s borderline unplayable, and those that do manage to hold their own will end up careening into a wall.
That leads to another problem. Those that hit any sort of surface will cause some distortion that is both intentional and unintentional. The intentional one leads to a grain filter like a bad VHS tape, but the unintentional one leads to graphical errors that simply should not be there. Due to the state of the title, one will see these two effects far more than they would ever want to.
Players are given a bit of a reprieve with its weaponry, but even that is a bit of a joke. We were only able to fire in a straight line, and it often felt like we were using spitballs to cause damage. While there are power-ups that can be gathered around each track, it got to the point where we never even bothered using it.
Synthwave FURY looks and sounds the part, but everything else misses the mark. The broken physics make this title unplayable, and any sort of course correction on each track is simply a lost cause.
