Review for Redout: Lightspeed Edition. Game for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 29/08/2017
August 2017 will be remembered as the month when not one, but well, debuted in stores around the world two console titles! Getting to physically publish a game is now a luxury that only a few can afford, but sometimes even smaller teams manage to reach this goal; since this time it is our compatriots' turn, we can only rejoice. The games in question are Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, developed by Ubisoft Milan in collaboration with Nintendo, and Redout's 34BigThings. We have already talked about the bizarre strategy for Switch in our review, and even Redout had been scrupulously evaluated in its PC version. In recent months, however, the team has absolutely not rested on its laurels, on the contrary, it has made numerous changes to its futuristic arcade racing game, so much so that for the arrival on consoles (with Redout: Lightspeed Edition) was a must to take a second look.
Among the winning points of Redout we find first of all the control system. Rather than relying on proven but already seen mechanics, the guys at 34BigThings wanted to create something perfectly sewn around their product. The solution adopted is as simple as it is practical: the left analog stick is entrusted with the steering, the right one with the airbrakes. Although the configuration may seem difficult, once you get on the track you realize how in reality maneuvering your vehicle is extremely satisfying and practical. The developers must have worked really hard to achieve these levels of quality in the driving model and already from this fundamental component emerges the incredible attention that has been placed throughout the project.
Among the flaws, if we can say so, of the PC release there was an extremely punitive enemy artificial intelligence already in the very first moments of the game. This aggressive AI has in no way been dismissedindeed, it is still the default setting with which the game is proposed to users; the decision was rather to opt for more levels of difficulty, both lower and higher than the standard one, so as to satisfy every type of palate. This will certainly be convenient for those who still have titles such as WipEout or F-Zero printed in their heads, whose first instinct will almost certainly be to approach Redout: Lightspeed Edition just like these two great series.
Present but not mandatory i power-up: As you progress through the career mode, it will be possible to purchase and equip various upgrades that will sometimes also confer some offensive skills. Nothing like WipEout, however: the slots available are two and the offensive skills are mostly used to annoy, not to attack and destroy opponents. It goes without saying that the choice will prove to be fundamental in those races that allow their use as - it is good to remember - it will not always be possible to use them. In the Fast Race mode, the classic races and time trials are in fact also available in their “Pura” counterpart, thus giving the possibility to play competitions based only on driving skills.
At its debut, Redout featured a good amount of content, but it was announced that it would grow over the next few months. After a year we find ourselves in a number of cups, sorry Autodromes, almost duplicated: 34BigThings' post launch support has been commendable. For the modest sum of approx 40€ it is possible to take home the whole package on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One; if you add to that 9 different types of competition and a multiplayer mode both local and online, you will understand how Redout: Lightspeed Edition has the will to present itself as one of the strongest arcade racing games on the market.
Like every title it has some cumbersome flaws. We are talking about the technical sector, which on the regular model of PlayStation 4 offers a variable frame rate which often goes from 60 to 30 frames per second. This happens above all in the more complex settings, however it is not uncommon to also occur in the tracks of theVERTEX racetrack, definitely less rich in screen elements than the others. These constant variations can be annoying for some users, so it would undoubtedly have been useful to have an option to freeze the framerate at just 30 frames. No particular problem on PlayStation 4 Pro, however, which offers an experience very similar to that available on PC.
Redout was an ambitious project right from the start and was inspired by real sacred monsters of the arcade genre. 34BigThings, however, did much more than “copy” WipEout or F-Zero: the team was able to conceive something original and engaging, with a strong personality and rich in content. One year after the first release, Redout: Lightspeed Edition is finally a mature title, able to maintain the high quality of its offer during all the numerous additional contents published. The excellent artistic sector and the mind-boggling track design are still there: only now everything is bigger, more fun and above all more accessible. 34BigThings, we think you have a great future ahead!
► Redout: Lightspeed Edition is a Driving-type game developed by 34 Big Things and published by 505 Games for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 29/08/2017
