FAST Racing Neo (Wii U) Review

The arcade style gameplay is clear throughout FAST Racing Neo but the game itself is not easy by any stretch of the imagination. It is easy to think that the first of the four cups would be straightforward, especially on the lowest difficulty level, yet players will immediately find themselves fighting hard for the top spot on each track. The AI is unforgiving, and only gets tougher, but the experience is never unfair as each craft is very responsive in its handling, and so quick reactions and practice are the keys to success, as opposed to blind luck.

Like other racers, Fast Racing Neo has boost pads on the surfaces of each of its courses but it has implemented these with an interesting mechanic. Each pad is coloured either blue or orange and speed-enthusiasts must ensure that their ships match the correct hue to use it. Failure to do so results in an abrupt drop of speed, so there is a big risk-reward element every time. This also applies to some jumps on parts of certain tracks and can lead to an intense racing experience, especially on the harder difficulty levels where it is mandatory to use them to keep up with the AI.

Each craft is equipped with its own boosting mechanism so that it's possible to get an extra burst of speed at practically any point. This is reliant on collecting coloured orbs that are scattered throughout, though, used to fill the boost meter. The freedom to go fast at any time is very temping but it must be used with responsibility. Crashing into one of the many obstacles drastically hampers speed levels and almost certainly spells defeat against the tougher AI further in.

Championship mode is the main single-player option and is structured similarly to Mario Kart, with four cups, each consisting of four different raceways. There are also three speed classes, the lowest of which is designed to be the easiest but this is purely relative, as even the most seasoned gamer will find a challenge here. Placing at least third in the hardest speed class will then unlock Hero mode, which turns the boost gauge into a hybrid meter that measures both the boost power and shield level of the user's craft, much like in the classic F-Zero series. Hero mode takes place on the same 16 courses as Championship, but they are mirrored to truly offer more and justify its name. The single-player also consists of Time Attack, where new courses appear after completion in the Championship. This is a great place to learn the intricacies of each course while finishing a race in the best time possible.

Multiplayer modes are always a welcomed addition to racers and Shin'en doesn't disappoint here as up to four people can play locally or one person can go online to join up to seven others from around the world. Online gaming is pleasingly lag-free and the experience is just as fast and frantic online as it is offline. Unfortunately, anything above two-player split-screen does lead to a noticeable drop in the resolution and, at times, the frame-rate but it still delivers an enjoyable experience.

The art design in FAST Racing Neo is fantastic and maintains a smooth experience at 60 frames per second, with minimal hints of slowdown, as mentioned. Sadly, the fluid gameplay comes at a cost, as the visuals are let down by a low resolution overall. It's easy to look past this when racing at blistering speeds during a race, but it becomes very apparent after, for example, hitting a barrier and taking the time to analyse the image on-screen. Nonetheless, the well-designed environments still draw players in thanks to wonderful settings, such as futuristic cities, alpine peaks, and expansive oceans that are complemented by features such as meteor showers, and even a cameo from beast of the Nanostray variety.