REVIEW | Formula Retro Racing – World Tour

Formula Retro Racing – World Tour Review | A racing game with a classic arcade style comes Formula Retro Racing- World Tour developed and published by Repixel8 and co-developed by CGA Studios. Formula Retro Racing- World Tour has 3 modes – split screen player vs player on the same console, eliminator mode in which you win by avoiding elimination by staying above 10^th place as the opposition gets faster and therefore more difficult each lap, and arcade mode in which you unlock new tracks by winning races within the time limits. These finished races will grant points which unlock tracks in a corresponding fashion. Will this game come 1^st at the chequered flag? Or will Formula Retro Racing- World Tour be stone-dead last? Let’s fire up our cars and find out.

What we Liked!

• Eliminator Mode | There is an eliminator mode which actually plays differently from other eliminator modes in rival games wherein instead of the last place being eliminated after a set time, the difficulty gets increased after that time. You get eliminated if you remain outside the top ten. I felt this was a well-thought-out way of doing the game mode as it creates a bigger challenge for the player instead of the old tired format. I actually enjoyed this mode as you reach an ultimate ceiling of where your abilities lie instead of surviving all the eliminations and winning the race by half the track which frequently happens on the other variations of this game mode. Maybe as an improvement on this, the competition is scaled to the car’s ability so you don’t end up overran by better vehicles?

• Arcade Mode | Another game mode which gets my seal of approval is arcade mode. It has also been created to bring an extra challenge, firstly you have 3 difficulty modes (beginner, normal and expert) and the unlock points are weighted towards expert mode which gives the incentive to try out the harder difficulties. Also, the arcade mode itself presents a different challenge not only are you racing against other racers but also against the clock with checkpoints presented around the racetrack which replenish time. On beginner difficulty, the clock isn’t much of a challenge but on expert, it creates a real challenge and it keeps you on your toes.

Mixed Feelings

• No Story | There is no story or career mode in this game, whilst I would always appreciate a story aspect to racing games I wouldn’t downgrade a racing game if it didn’t have a story mode as many others don’t either. The arcade mode tries to double up as a career mode but fails to do this as well as other titles as the only career aspects are unlocking new tracks. There are no championships and no named rivals to overcome in any of the game modes here. 

What we Disliked

• Sounds are lacking | The soundtrack has 2 songs in the game, one in the menu screens and one in the actual race so not a lot of variety. They do invoke the 80s arcade aesthetic and the menu one is quite catchy at first but naturally, after hearing the same thing for 30 minutes it does lose its appeal. A few more tracks would have done wonders here. What is worse though is the in-race sounds which sound very ‘tinny’ and don’t sound authentic at all.

• Blocky Visuals | The visuals of Formula Retro Racing – World Tour look like they are straight from the 1980s, with the cars that look like they have been modelled on a Lego set and the environments that don’t look appealing at all. The heads-up display looks ugly, this game is a sight for sore eyes. The menus also don’t look great either.

• Collision mechanics | During races it’s almost impossible to not be hit by or hit other racers unless you are an extremely talented player. When you do hit a player, it feels like your car is indestructible and other cars disintegrate into dust like they have been made from chocolate. Also, if and when you crash your car, it does not detriment the handling of the motor vehicle at all. All this takes away from the enjoyment of the game and dulls the challenge the developers have tried so hard to create. 

• No online mode | Whilst having no story isn’t an issue for me, in racing games, having no online game mode is definitely a negative as a lot of enjoyment I find comes from testing your abilities against other players. The only option is offline split-screen multiplayer. I would have appreciated a full online player vs player mode or even if not that at least this game could have done with an online way of playing with your friends outside of being on the same console together.

• Controls | The controls are inconsistent, I have sometimes been turning on a track and not even needing to break once (not including the long US-style oval track where you shouldn’t be breaking anyway) and other times where I’m understeering into the wall even when I have breaked before the turn. I would have liked more consistency in the gameplay, preferably to where you are punished for not breaking into turns rather than the break button becoming an option.

How long to beat the story | N/A
How long to achieve 1000G | 1 Hour (Dependent on ability)
You’ll love this game if you like these | Outrun, Forza Motorsport

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