Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition is as shallow as it is hectic. This fast-paced experience captures the arcade vibe perfectly. With its colourful graphics, insane worlds, and short, sharp action, it is an electrifying affair. However, it is repetitive, simple, and reasonably short. Accordingly, every benefit is balanced by a shortcoming.
This arcade racer was developed by Cradle Games and published by GameMill Entertainment. It is a single-player and 2-player couch competitive experience. There are 6 levels to enjoy and 8 iconic cars to drive. This lack of content was my biggest bugbear as the gameplay quickly plateaued.
Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition tells no story.
The film franchise is filled with insane stories, ridiculous characters, and dangerous stunts. Unfortunately, Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition decides to move away from this tried and tested formula. Yes, there are exciting missions to witness, but racing from A to B with no plot is shallow at best.
As you undertake each race, you must get to the finish line in first place. If you do so, you’ll stop a drone, derail a train, or prevent a bomb from exploding. Furthermore, once you win every race, you’ll unlock a Furious version of your car and an Extreme version of each race course.
It lacks depth.
This is the extent of the gameplay progress. Once you’ve tackled every race with every car, there is nothing more to do. Thankfully, the action is fun, and playing it with another person keeps things interesting and competitive.
Alongside this, there are shortcuts and destructible items to add to the drama. Moreover, you must use your nitro boost carefully if you wish to maximise your chances of winning each race.
Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition is dated but clean.
Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition is clean and vibrant. Additionally, there are minor visual bugs, but the frame rate was suitable for the genre. However, it cannot be considered a next-gen title. The cars are varied but a little boxy. Furthermore, the level design is relatively linear, and the tracks are quite small.
The audio is upbeat, dramatic and loud. Drifting your car generates a boost of power and a booming sound effect. Though the soundtrack wasn’t for me, the music works well with the action.
Basic controls.
Children can play this with ease! Furthermore, the simple button layout can be mastered in no time. Moreover, the clean UI ensures that you know exactly what you are doing throughout. As such, you’ll be racing and winning in no time at all.
Sadly, this isn’t a game that’ll keep you hooked for hours. Though I enjoyed the casual racing, the repetitive design leaves a lot to be desired. If you have someone to play with, you’ll get more out of it. However, if you are a lone wolf, this will fall flat pretty quickly.
Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition needed more.
I like the core ideas, high adrenaline action, and vibrant graphics. Moreover, the cars are varied, and the quick races make it wonderfully casual. Yet, I was left wanting. Sadly, Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition needed much more. More levels, more cars, and more depth. Without this, it feels like it’s missing some key ingredients. Despite these shortcomings, I enjoyed what I saw, and I tentatively recommend buying it here! Can you save the day? Pick your car, race through the streets, and complete every mission.
