Don’t drink while driving – you will spill the beer.
It’s not often a racing game comes across my lap that I’ve never heard of. Gas Guzzlers Extreme? Yep, never heard of it before this review. What is it? Well, for fans of driving games, one that take players back to some of the purest arcade racing ever, this is a no brainer. Gas Guzzlers has taken me back to the days of classic racing games, the kind I used to sink quarters into, and I couldn’t be happier.
Fart Gulch
First off, as far as games go, Gas Guzzlers doesn’t hold back on letting players know that there is a sense of humor to be had here. From the name of tracks, the voice over for the driver, and the names of the AI racers. It’s one thing to have Duke Nukem voice a character, that’s cool as it is, but to have an Arnold impersonator voice as well, I couldn’t stop laughing during the races. Yes the lines repeat eventually and they get a bit mundane, still it’s an appreciable effort.
MSRP: $24.99
Price I’d Pay: $24.99
Multiplayer: N/A
How long to beat: 5+ hours
Enough about the humor, the real question is how is the racing? Surprisingly good honestly, which surprised me. That’s not to say that player will be getting simulated physics with their driving, but cars handle well, can be upgraded, and sliding around corners becomes fun and chaotic. Did I mention that the game is not only about racing, but also destroying the opponents? Each race consists of either using weapons, boosts, or power ups to take the opposing racers down. This can add to some hilariously fun and exciting races. Explosions rocking the screen, mines on the ground to avoid, and smoke screens in the players face. At times it can almost feel like too much, as playersbarrel down a dusty desert road or snow covered embankment.
The more races players succeed at, the more unlocks open, from new tracks to new parts and decals. Using money gained from race wins and random pickups in the races gives players cash to buy new cars and upgrade the current vehicles. Do well enough in races and sponsored cars can show up, giving players bonus money for each win. Start sucking though, and they take the car away. Such is life.
The tracks here consistently kept surprising me as more and more unlocked. They consist of multiple pathways usually, and at times remind me of some of my favorite racing games of the past. Like a cross of Twisted Metal, meets San Francisco Rush, and even Beetle Adventure racing. Some tracks have shortcuts that help shave off precious seconds, others have jumps, and of course some have environmental objects to avoid. Meanwhile chickens, cactus, fences, and other assorted debris that exists on the tracks can be run into and just get blown away.
Arcade Glory
I honestly can’t surmise how fun and exciting this game is for me as an arcade racing fan. I had literally just been playing Forza Horizon 3, probably one of my all-time favorite arcade open world racers. So when jumping into Gas Guzzlers Extreme, I didn’t expect much going in, even outside of comparison sakes. Yes, the soundtrack is composed of odd metal riffs and typical rock melodies, the graphics, while decent, are not the best visuals in a racing game today, and load times are a bit long in the tooth. Yet I’m hooked, and this is slowly becoming a new 2016 favorite. The environments and tracks are varied, the racing fun and exciting, and the humor silly and absurd even. Gas Guzzlers Extreme might be a small time release, but it’s full of pure, unadulterated, racing heart.
Favorite moment: Turning a corner, blast away racers, and hearing an Arnold impersonator go wild with commentary.
Worst moment: The UI is basic and bare bones, yep, that’s all I got.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
