So this game hasn't sold well it would seem. On the plus side that means it's now cheap. For PS+ users in the UK it is now about £25, and I've seen it go for similar at retail.
Don't let the poor sales put you off, it's actually rather good. A racer with no races. It's more a team based game with different classes than anything else.
So if you don't race to the finish, what's the aim? That depends on the mode (stolen from Wikipedia):
"Overdrive" - teams score points by boosting; the first team to boost enough to reach the target score wins.
"Countdown" - involves a series of checkpoints and a timer that drains over time; teams can keep the timer from running out by successfully passing the checkpoints, and if one team's timer runs out, the other team scores a point.
"Lockdown" - a King of the Hill-style mode in which teams fight to stay inside a zone that moves along the track with them for points.
"Switch" - gives each member of each team three lives and tasks the teams with taking each other down to win, but upon crashing, a player will respawn in a more powerful vehicle if they have lives left.
Countdown is one of the closest modes to a traditional racer and allows for some amazing feeling come backs. This clip is me, on the blue team, our team has four seconds left on the clock (look up at the top) with the orange on ten. Through a, fairly lucky, 'Rush' I managed to speed through a series of gates often with milli seconds left on the timer and pull us back to win that round:
https://youtu.be/1xegYrAuHGo
Speaking of Rush, that's how the game works. You build up standard 'boost' throughout the game by bumping other cars, getting closer to obstacles, jumps, smashing in to fodder (weak cars not on either team, just their to be pummelled) and the more you use this boost the more your "rush meter" goes up. At 100% you can use it, which will give you a massive boost of speed.
In addition to the massive boost of speed, depending on your vehicle you'll get an extra effect. Whilst 'rushing' one vehicle will give boost out to any team mates you pass, another will drop barriers in your opponents way, one will cause 'waves', another blinds your opponent, or drains their boost.
Some cars have different ways you can charge Rush in addition to boosting,landing jumps, smashing enemies, doing tricks in the air on a bike.
And as a bonus this all plays out at a lovely 60fps. Here's a trailer:
https://youtu.be/-gpcfmFT3jo
Anyone else playing? I'm on for a couple of races most nights!
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PSN: SirGrinchX
Oculus Rift: Sir_Grinch
Some how a fusion of Motorstorm and Overwatch. It's actually quite a lot of fun and very snappy at putting you back into action.
I think at full price it's maybe a bit overpriced for what is there but at half price it's feels like a good deal.
There is a good fun racing game here and hopefully more people get to try it.
Yeah, I'd agree, it's not a £50 game but at half there's plenty there.
PSN: SirGrinchX
Oculus Rift: Sir_Grinch
The game itself is alright, but there's not enough content there to justify even a $20 purchase IMO. I'd only recommend Onrush if you can find it for $10-$15 maybe =/
Also, the preview vids did nothing for me. It took watching actual gameplay and hearing people talk about it that got me interested but it still being multi heavy meant I'd wait.
And then it hit $35 on the PSN sale and that felt like a great price and it's one hell of a game, very fun. I get a real Burnout Revenge feel from it.
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-07-23-layoffs-onrush-developer-evolution-driveclub-director-rushy-let-go
I still love it. Debating buying it again now I've picked up an Xbox One X
PSN: SirGrinchX
Oculus Rift: Sir_Grinch
All modes are team based and take 5-15mins. They're set up so that it is almost always close. This makes it a pretty different experience than racing games, which are winner takes all and usually very skill dependant.
I do feel the time between rounds is pretty large, I care little for the costume/loot and such.
I think their marketing, timing and sales strategy could have been better.
Their matching system has been great though, you never wait and it'll fill midmatch and use a few bots
The game has released a ranked system, as well as a hint as a premium currency (They've given me 500 of it, but as far as I can see, no way to buy it)
More importantly, it remains really fun.
Though part of that is that it's a game I'm actually good at. I am currently King Platinum(4), which is statistically top 6% or so.
I have had few issues, mostly disconnects on (what seems to be) levelling up at the the end of ranked match, and occassional game crashes.
But it's a really nice, tense, match game. The difference in attitude between the modes (Where you either want to hit gates / deny enemy gates, which leads to safe or aggressive driving depending on what you are at), really conservative play in the score attack (Where by far the best thing you can do is chain a combo for as long as you can and end with an ultimate), and really aggressive play in Lockdown, where you have to have more cars than the opponents in a circle for 5 seconds really keeps things going.
The only thing I'm not that big a fan of is the Switch mode, which feels like it has the largest luck element, as it's basically impossible to be ahead of the pack because not enough fodder cars spawn for the first player, so it feels like it boils down to "whoever is unlucky enough to have enemies respawn close to their people with lives left loses).
Think of this game like competitive Burnout, except instead of racing for a finish, you race for goals normally more FPS related. And it really works.
Is it worth fullprice... maybe, but a bit of a gamble, because who knows how long servers will be filling with their sales numbers. But I picked it up for $30, and it has been my go to game for a month now. (36 hours played)
PSN: SirGrinchX
Oculus Rift: Sir_Grinch
The AI is pretty weak though, I'm not sure the SP will keep your interest long. (Though it is weirdly a lot better in Switch than the other modes)
PSN: SirGrinchX
Oculus Rift: Sir_Grinch