A Bargain Bin Racer or a Hidden Gem?
What would happen if you took a bunch of words, threw them up in the air and used whatever came out as the title for a game? Well, may I present Super Engine GT Turbo SPEC, a racing game from Eastasiasoft, who used to be known as purveyors of cheap games with easy achievements that provided fun for about 15 minutes.
Just recently, they have moved away from this stereotype with more challenging games, but now they are back on home turf, providing the usual with a little racer.
The question is, can a cheap little racing game hold anyone’s interest, or is it better to skip over this one and leave it in the pits?
No Story, Just Speed
Usually at this point in the review, I’d start talking about the story of the game, but that is literally impossible here. There is absolutely no explanation as to why we are racing in Super Engine GT Turbo SPEC, nor what our motivation is.
We probably don’t need any narrative for such a game, but at least Super Engine GT Turbo SPEC comes across as a pleasant enough affair, with a cel-shaded look to the cars and the tracks, and a pleasing above-and-behind perspective making the game easy to play. There are odd things that crop up, like having no speedometer, so you have no idea how fast your car is going, nor any on-screen indicators of upcoming bends, which would be handy given how twisty some tracks are. There is a minimap, but you don’t have time to look at it sadly as the other racers are somewhat, shall we say rigid, when it comes to following the racing line?
Sound is a mixed bag as well, with each of the cars having the harmonic sound of a bee in a tin can; a dull muted buzz being the sum total of the engine noises. The music is okay, if somewhat bland and generic, and all in all the presentation just about works.
Mystery Machines and One-Shot Races
So, onto the gameplay and honestly, I am immediately suspicious of a game that gives you a choice of what car to drive, but then doesn’t provide any information about any of the cars. There are no top speed or acceleration stats, and not even a hint as to how any of the cars handle. This is a red flag for me, however, you can rest assured that it makes not a bean of difference which of the cars you choose, as the vehicles have no influence on how you do in the races. Comforting!
As we begin the game, there are a total of four race series on display, but we have to earn our way through to the higher level races by winning the league before. Now, usually at this point, you’d think that there would be some kind of tournament set up to guide us through each cup or league, wouldn’t you? Maybe a points based decider to help us progress to the next level?
Well, forget it. Super Engine GT Turbo SPEC is purely a one shot and done deal. You go into the game, you pick the level and the race, you complete said race (and incidentally, the celebration screen for coming first is the same as it for coming fourth) and then you are thrown out to the main menu. You then select the next race in the series and rinse and repeat until you have beaten them all.
Well, I say beaten them all, but it isn’t strictly true: in order to clear the game and get all the achievements, you never need to place higher than third in all the races.
Magnetic Mayhem: The Frustrating Reality of Collisions
Of course, coming third or above could still be a challenge in a well constructed racing game, but sadly that is one thing that Super Engine GT Turbo SPEC is not. Without a word of a lie, I finished the game, with 100% of the achievements bagged, in under half an hour. While there are 32 races, the longest of them took me a smidge over two minutes to complete, and the majority are a lot shorter. Even factoring in quitting to the menu each time, this is not a game you will be playing for the long term.
Even this would be forgivable (we all need a game we can drop into for a quick blast every now and again, after all), but sadly, Super Engine GT Turbo SPEC proves a very important point. Namely, the point that having racing cars magnetised is a really bad idea.
See, if you drive too close to an opposition car (or heaven forbid have a collision, which is easy to do given the fact that they stick on the racing line no matter what) then the cars stick together, and no matter what you try, you cannot turn when the other car is attached to you. Not even away from the other car, which is weird. Yes, it goes along like that until the next bend, where they will stick you in the barrier and drive off whistling, or they will push you around the corner sideways until one of you crashes. This one “feature” of the racing almost single handedly wrecks any fun that you may have.
A Cheap Thrill with a Sticky Problem
All in all, Super Engine GT Turbo SPEC is a short game with easy achievements and precisely zero replayability. It is not awful, but it is a long way off pole position of the racing genre. Still, 1000G for half an hour of play, and less than a fiver from your wallet, is easy maths in a lot of books…
Important Links
Circuit Superstars Vibes Hit as Super Engine GT Turbo SPEC Takes to the Grid – https://www.thexboxhub.com/circuit-superstars-vibes-hit-as-super-engine-gt-turbo-spec-takes-to-the-grid/
Buy Super Engine GT Turbo SPEC on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/super-engine-gt-turbo-spec/9NTP548W683Z/0010
