Fast Fusion Review

Following successful the pitchy way of futuristic racing games similar F-Zero and Wipeout, Fast Fusion’s blistering velocity has each the hallmarks of what has made the Fast bid truthful amusive since its 2011 debut. Every musculus successful my assemblage tensed up arsenic I blazed done its fistful of sci-fi courses, boosting my mode to the decorativeness enactment portion utilizing the caller jumping mechanic to find shortcuts. As 1 of lone a precise tiny fistful of existent Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives, this is simply a dazzling method showcase for the powerfulness of Nintendo’s recently minted strategy – but annoying progression choices and minimally inventive changes to a well-worn look dull immoderate of Fast Fusion’s shine.

If I had a dollar for each racing bid that added the quality to leap arsenic portion of its accomplishment connected Switch 2, I’d lone beryllium 2 bucks richer, but it’s inactive weird that it happened twice. That leap enactment is besides conscionable astir the lone happening Fast Fusion and Mario Kart World person successful common: wherever the second takes things successful a bold caller absorption with its unfastened world, present developer Shin’en sticks to what it’s done good since Fast Racing League connected Wii. There are a fewer caller bells and whistles to messiness with arsenic you teardrop done its 15 courses ( 3 of which were added successful its archetypal update connected June 26), but this spirit of hypersonic velocity volition mostly beryllium precise acquainted to anyone who has played past entries.

Fans of F-Zero oregon Wipeout volition besides cognize the drill: Fast Fusion is acceptable successful a distant aboriginal wherever the lone velocity is accelerated and each roadworthy is dangerous. High-tech racing machines careen done obstacle-laden courses astatine blinding speeds. The Fast bid sets itself isolated with a unsocial boost system, wherever driving implicit boost pads oregon done different elements of the people volition springiness you an other propulsion arsenic agelong arsenic you power your conveyance to the corresponding orangish oregon bluish color. Making that swap lone takes the property of a fastener and rewards you with a satisfying burst of speed. Fast Fusion knows however bully it feels to spell faster than the velocity of sound, and it leans into it arsenic its highly detailed, staggeringly awesome environments melt into a blur arsenic you carve done them.

You tin besides cod orbs to capable up an autarkic boost meter, and switching arsenic you weave betwixt choky turns earlier boosting done a straightaway to shave nanoseconds disconnected your clip adds conscionable capable to absorption connected without becoming overbearing. But that has ever been existent of the Fast formula, and Fast Fusion’s leap fastener breaks from contented successful a astute but yet not excessively impactful way. Shin’en utilized this alteration to adhd much complexity to its courses with alternate paths stacked connected apical of each other, but I privation the Munich-based workplace had leaned into the alteration adjacent more, arsenic it doesn’t magnitude to overmuch much than adding tiny shortcuts and an other mode to dodge immoderate obstacles.

These are inactive fun, but I consciousness similar there’s conscionable a spot excessively overmuch rigidity successful however and wherever you tin usage the leap to enactment yourself ahead. It has a ton of range, and you tin screen immoderate monolithic gaps with the close timing, but I ne'er felt rewarded by pushing these mechanics to the implicit bounds oregon mastering them beyond jumping wherever it felt earthy oregon obvious.

The mechanical changes from 2017’s Fast RMX connected the archetypal Switch to Fast Fusion reflector the likewise incremental leap successful graphical powerfulness betwixt these hardware generations, leaning into 1 oregon 2 circumstantial improvements alternatively than attempting a implicit overhaul. This is easy 1 of the astir impressive-looking Switch 2 games disposable close now, with unthinkable lighting and gorgeously creaseless visuals portion playing successful 4K docked, but it’s missing immoderate of the archetypal wow origin that Fast RMX had. Don’t get maine wrong, it inactive looks stunning, but the generational leap conscionable isn’t astir arsenic breathtaking oregon surprising.

Thankfully, Fast Fusion does astatine slightest connection a decent enactment of antithetic graphics settings, making it casual to favour framerate, graphical quality, oregon a equilibrium of both. I usually went for the second-best prime mounting that promised 4K output and immoderate high-fidelity lighting portion maintaining a accordant 60 frames-per-second, but past opted for a higher framerate prime erstwhile playing successful splitscreen. I emotion that Shin’en decided to see this option, truly letting maine foodstuff my Switch 2 for each past driblet of processing powerfulness it has.

Just similar Formula 1 oregon NASCAR, futuristic corporations person a mechanical equine successful the race. Instead of racing bounty hunters and samurai clashing connected the track, you’re controlling faceless cars made oregon sponsored by antithetic manufacturers. That sterile, far-flung futuristic vibe has the aforesaid somewhat empty, tech-demo-like feeling you spot successful those videos of Unreal Engine instrumentality mockups wherever a beloved quality runs astir a grey container and the comments are begging immoderate steadfast to, “Please prosecute this man.” But Fast Fusion moves truthful rapidly that you hardly person immoderate clip to wage attraction to those basic-looking spiky balls rolling astir the people unless you’re doing your champion to steer astir them.

Separated by modular racing stats similar apical speed, acceleration, and boost, Fast Fusion’s store has a large enactment of conveyance configurations that cater to tons of antithetic playstyles. Maybe you’ll purpose for a precocious boost stat, which rewards you for precisely switching betwixt bluish and orangish erstwhile driving implicit boost pads oregon done color-coded zones. Alternatively, a precocious acceleration stat makes it easier to get your zero-G legs, allowing you to drawback up to the herd much rapidly arsenic you contend with Fast Fusion’s somewhat punishing wipeouts. I usually went for a blend of precocious apical velocity and boost erstwhile I got utilized to each course, dodging obstacles and nailing hairpin turns portion optimizing routes that allowed maine to boost arsenic overmuch arsenic possible.

Finding that cleanable physique isn’t casual astatine archetypal due to the fact that you commencement with a paltry 3 vehicles, and are forced to usage the in-game currency won by completing races to grow your unchangeable of zero-gravity racers – and yet fuse them together. Fusing vehicles results successful goofy firm merger names and amended vehicles with improved stats. You’re each but required to unlock higher-grade vehicles and fuse them to vie astatine the highest speeds and difficulties Fast Fusion volition propulsion astatine you.

Each fusion is nebulously graded connected a lettering system, which I inactive haven’t wholly deciphered adjacent aft a twelve hours of racing. But arsenic acold arsenic I tin tell, it rewards redeeming up currency to unlock the astir costly vehicles you tin and kit-bashing 2 high-ticket rides unneurotic much than thing else. Frustratingly, fusing racing machines removes the enactment to usage either of the original, pre-fusion vehicles. I get this from a spirit perspective, but it doesn’t marque consciousness wrong the discourse of an arcade-y racing crippled wherever you privation to unlock galore antithetic options. Fusing and de-fusing outgo in-game currency, making its artificial scarcity each the much annoying; this wouldn’t beryllium arsenic overmuch of a occupation if you didn’t besides request to usage that currency to unlock caller cups to vie in. To marque things adjacent worse, Fast Fusion forces you to unlock the second, third, and 4th cups successful each velocity class, which doubles arsenic a trouble setting.

I recognize that Fast Fusion isn’t meant to beryllium arsenic forgiving oregon casual to prime up arsenic a kart racer; gating higher difficulties down reaching the winners’ podium successful each cupful would marque sense. But obscuring cups I’ve already completed by making maine unlock them astatine each trouble – portion besides making maine bargain astir each car and past additionally wage to fuse them into amended ones – unnecessarily stalls Fast Fusion’s economy. It’s similar putting grooming wheels connected a Harley.

Side modes tin astatine slightest marque for amusive alternate ways to gain other currency beyond conscionable repeating the aforesaid cupful implicit and implicit again, similar the abrupt death-style Hero Mode wherever your vehicle’s boost and wellness are linked. That’s neat, but I privation the challenges offered successful these different modes had a small spot much going on. Instead, they’re mostly conscionable flimsy tweaks to a mean contention with nary alteration to the courses themselves, which doesn’t alleviate the repetitive grind of unlocking everything.

Compared to 2015’s Fast Racing Neo, Fast Fusion is smaller – but what it lacks successful quantity, it makes up for successful quality. Most courses connection clever designs that had maine white-knuckling my controller, from a amusive bid of shortcuts connected Yama Crest to dodging tornadoes connected Tempesta. This laser-sharp absorption connected large levels is astir apt the champion and astir absorbing portion of Fast Fusion. Every clip I’ve booted it up, I’ve recovered a new, satisfying mode to shave a fewer seconds disconnected of a thigh I thought I’d mastered. Boost orbs marque for compelling breadcrumbs successful that pursuit, encouraging you to find caller ways to attack a crook oregon hinting astatine a hidden way oregon much businesslike mode to grip an obstacle.