10-03-2023, 10:47 AM
News - Review: Horizon Chase 2 – More Arcade Racing, With Some Bumps In The Road
<div><div class="media_block"><a href="https://images.nintendolife.com/3915b066b5bdb/large.jpg"><img decoding="async" src="https://images.nintendolife.com/3915b066b5bdb/small.jpg" class="media_thumbnail"></a></div>
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<figure class="picture"><a class="scanlines" title="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of " href="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140688/large.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="lazy" src="image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA5MDAgNTA2Ij48L3N2Zz4=" width="900" height="506" data-original="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140688/900x.jpg" alt="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of "></a></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/games/switch-eshop/horizon_chase_2">Horizon Chase 2</a> isn’t the most interesting racing game out there, but damn, if it isn’t hard to put down! It may not match the high-speed hijinks of kart racers starring <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/games/nintendo-switch/mario_kart_8_deluxe">Mario</a>, <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/games/nintendo-switch/crash_team_racing_nitro-fueled">Crash Bandicoot</a>, or <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/games/nintendo-switch/team_sonic_racing">Sonic the Hedgehog</a>, nor does it hit the same destructive highs of <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/games/gamecube/burnout">Burnout</a> or the high-fidelity, simulative thrill found in other platforms’ exclusive driving games, <a href="https://www.purexbox.com/games/xbox-series-x/forza_motorsport" class="external">Forza</a> and <a href="https://www.pushsquare.com/games/ps5/gran_turismo_7" class="external">Gran Turismo</a>. Instead, you just go fast and feel good doing it. In other words, Horizon Chase 2 is arcade-y fun, and good at pretty much exactly what its title implies, though not much more, and it hits some bumps in the road on Switch.</p>
<p>Like Aquiris’ predecessor, <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/games/switch-eshop/horizon_chase_turbo">Horizon Chase Turbo</a>, Horizon Chase 2 is a throwback to a bygone arcade era; the only thing that matters is that horizon and the finish line that lies somewhere beyond. There’s no gimmick or catch. Everything around you becomes a blur as you hit dizzying speeds as you race through low-fidelity courses offering cute renditions of places like Morocco, Japan, the Continental U.S., and Brazil.</p>
<figure class="picture"><a class="scanlines" title="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of " href="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140677/large.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="lazy" src="image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA5MDAgNTA2Ij48L3N2Zz4=" width="900" height="506" data-original="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140677/900x.jpg" alt="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of "></a></figure>
<p>That said, Horizon Chase 2 seems to have learned the wrong things from the first game’s success. In what seems like an effort to push the series forward, this sequel goes too far in some places and not far enough in others. Instead of Horizon Chase’s bright, sharp environments, some of Chase 2’s feel muddier and much more drab. There are still highlights, but it’s almost like Aquiris tried to create more realistic levels and got caught in an awkward lane between charming, retro visuals and modern, high-fidelity graphics.</p>
<p>Luckily, the soundtrack’s high energy hasn’t faltered. Composed by Barry Leitch, it nails that synthy, pulsating feel you’d expect from a classic racer from the ’90s and early 2000s. Every track here’s a ripper, and it’s playing at all times, pushing you into the next horizon.</p>
<p>Certain modes bring small tweaks that add a modicum of extra depth to Chase 2’s pure ‘gotta go fast’ mentality. In World Tour, you’ll (you guessed it) race in courses around the world, doing your best to podium as you pick up collectible blue coins that populate the race track. The blue coins are the only real change from the races in other modes. If you manage to place first in a race <em>and</em> collect all of the blue coins scattered across a track, you’ll earn a special trophy and unlock car parts. Upgrading and leveling cars in World Tour could be better. Instead of earning garage-wide level-up options, you earn upgrades and unlocks for one car at a time, meaning you’re probably going to be locked to one car at a time.</p>
<figure class="picture"><a class="scanlines" title="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of " href="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140687/large.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="lazy" src="image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA5MDAgNTA2Ij48L3N2Zz4=" width="900" height="506" data-original="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140687/900x.jpg" alt="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of "></a></figure>
<p>Horizon Chase 2 does do a good job of giving you new, leveled-up cars each time you complete a specific country’s courses, though. They can’t all be winners, but each car feels distinct from the last. A luxury sedan with lots of horsepower feels tanky and hard to steer but just sings in long straightaways. Conversely, the maneuverable hybrid zips around corners like a treat but doesn’t hit very high speeds. None of the courses are exactly impossible to complete with any specific vehicle, but there are some that reward different traits more than others.</p>
<p>Knowing those strengths and weaknesses in a normal race isn’t as important as it is in Time Trials, where your speed, precision, and skill are put to the test. These challenges (which are all completely optional) function a bit differently from the time trials you might find elsewhere. Instead of racing along a path against the clock, you’re tasked with hitting a specific time by picking up time coins, which will each reduce your race time by one second, and making clever use of strategically placed boost pads (like what you’d expect from a <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/games/nintendo-switch/mario_kart_8_deluxe">Mario Kart</a> or <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/games/switch-eshop/f-zero_99">F-Zero</a>). Suddenly, times that seemed unrealistically low – like <em>11 seconds</em> for a three-lap course that typically takes 90 seconds to complete – appear within your reach. It’ll usually take a few tries, but these are the best part of Horizon Chase 2. And they’re tough as nails (and unfortunately sparse).</p>
<figure class="picture"><a class="scanlines" title="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of " href="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140683/large.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="lazy" src="image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA5MDAgNTA2Ij48L3N2Zz4=" width="900" height="506" data-original="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140683/900x.jpg" alt="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of "></a><figcaption class="caption generator nintendo-switch-docked">Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Other modes boil down to the same kinds of races in other formats. For the most part, they swap blue coins out for little power pickups that, once you collect them all, give you a temporary speed boost that lasts longer than the four boosts you start each race with. Otherwise, the only thing that varies is the order of the courses presented to you in a four-race series.</p>
<p>Zooming through these races with reckless, breakneck abandon feels good, but the Switch doesn’t exactly love it and there are some significant dips in the frame rate. The Switch really chugs, but on the plus side, because your eyes are almost always on the road ahead and your car, the frame drops don’t affect <em>your</em> performance — they’re just noticeable. The frame rate did hold up surprisingly well in split-screen, though. The dips occurred at the same frequency in and out of split-screen multiplayer.</p>
<p>On the other hand, crashes are a different story. We encountered multiple full-on crashes. While they seem rooted in Horizon Chase 2’s frustrating insistence that you log into an Epic Games account, they’re still frustrating nonetheless. Clicking on an option that requires the login, like starting the game, and then declining before clicking it again caused the game to crash. In other words, if you have an internet connection, you’re all but forced to log into an Epic Games account to play Horizon Chase 2. The almost-always-online nature that comes from the multiplayer itself works well enough, with online play feeling smooth and lag-free. But requiring an Epic login to view leaderboards or start the game takes a heavy toll on the game’s otherwise breezy online functionality.</p>
<figure class="picture"><a class="scanlines" title="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of " href="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140676/large.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="lazy" src="image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA5MDAgNTA2Ij48L3N2Zz4=" width="900" height="506" data-original="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140676/900x.jpg" alt="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of "></a><figcaption class="caption generator nintendo-switch-handheld">Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Its UI has a weird bug that seems tied to Chase 2’s insistence to be always signed in and online where every button prompt in the UI — stuff like ‘A Next,’ ‘X Retry,’ or ‘B Back’ — all get replaced with a prompt for a button that doesn’t exist on Switch: ‘RB’. It’s a frustrating bug that leaves a lot of the menu navigation up to guesswork. Sure, ‘A’ to proceed or go to the next screen totally makes sense, but it’s still a pretty serious issue that lacked rhyme or reason.</p>
</div>
<div id="conclusion">
<h2 class="heading">Conclusion</h2>
<p>Horizon Chase 2 isn’t going to set the world on fire. No matter how fun it is to fly across the highway at blazing speed, no amount of speed can disguise the fairly limited breadth of content available. In fact, that speed only makes courses blur together even more. Ultimately, you’re left with a fun but shallow arcade racer that feels disappointingly shaky on Switch.</p>
</div>
</div>
https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2023/10/...-the-road/
<div><div class="media_block"><a href="https://images.nintendolife.com/3915b066b5bdb/large.jpg"><img decoding="async" src="https://images.nintendolife.com/3915b066b5bdb/small.jpg" class="media_thumbnail"></a></div>
<div id>
<figure class="picture"><a class="scanlines" title="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of " href="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140688/large.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="lazy" src="image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA5MDAgNTA2Ij48L3N2Zz4=" width="900" height="506" data-original="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140688/900x.jpg" alt="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of "></a></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/games/switch-eshop/horizon_chase_2">Horizon Chase 2</a> isn’t the most interesting racing game out there, but damn, if it isn’t hard to put down! It may not match the high-speed hijinks of kart racers starring <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/games/nintendo-switch/mario_kart_8_deluxe">Mario</a>, <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/games/nintendo-switch/crash_team_racing_nitro-fueled">Crash Bandicoot</a>, or <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/games/nintendo-switch/team_sonic_racing">Sonic the Hedgehog</a>, nor does it hit the same destructive highs of <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/games/gamecube/burnout">Burnout</a> or the high-fidelity, simulative thrill found in other platforms’ exclusive driving games, <a href="https://www.purexbox.com/games/xbox-series-x/forza_motorsport" class="external">Forza</a> and <a href="https://www.pushsquare.com/games/ps5/gran_turismo_7" class="external">Gran Turismo</a>. Instead, you just go fast and feel good doing it. In other words, Horizon Chase 2 is arcade-y fun, and good at pretty much exactly what its title implies, though not much more, and it hits some bumps in the road on Switch.</p>
<p>Like Aquiris’ predecessor, <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/games/switch-eshop/horizon_chase_turbo">Horizon Chase Turbo</a>, Horizon Chase 2 is a throwback to a bygone arcade era; the only thing that matters is that horizon and the finish line that lies somewhere beyond. There’s no gimmick or catch. Everything around you becomes a blur as you hit dizzying speeds as you race through low-fidelity courses offering cute renditions of places like Morocco, Japan, the Continental U.S., and Brazil.</p>
<figure class="picture"><a class="scanlines" title="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of " href="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140677/large.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="lazy" src="image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA5MDAgNTA2Ij48L3N2Zz4=" width="900" height="506" data-original="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140677/900x.jpg" alt="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of "></a></figure>
<p>That said, Horizon Chase 2 seems to have learned the wrong things from the first game’s success. In what seems like an effort to push the series forward, this sequel goes too far in some places and not far enough in others. Instead of Horizon Chase’s bright, sharp environments, some of Chase 2’s feel muddier and much more drab. There are still highlights, but it’s almost like Aquiris tried to create more realistic levels and got caught in an awkward lane between charming, retro visuals and modern, high-fidelity graphics.</p>
<p>Luckily, the soundtrack’s high energy hasn’t faltered. Composed by Barry Leitch, it nails that synthy, pulsating feel you’d expect from a classic racer from the ’90s and early 2000s. Every track here’s a ripper, and it’s playing at all times, pushing you into the next horizon.</p>
<p>Certain modes bring small tweaks that add a modicum of extra depth to Chase 2’s pure ‘gotta go fast’ mentality. In World Tour, you’ll (you guessed it) race in courses around the world, doing your best to podium as you pick up collectible blue coins that populate the race track. The blue coins are the only real change from the races in other modes. If you manage to place first in a race <em>and</em> collect all of the blue coins scattered across a track, you’ll earn a special trophy and unlock car parts. Upgrading and leveling cars in World Tour could be better. Instead of earning garage-wide level-up options, you earn upgrades and unlocks for one car at a time, meaning you’re probably going to be locked to one car at a time.</p>
<figure class="picture"><a class="scanlines" title="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of " href="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140687/large.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="lazy" src="image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA5MDAgNTA2Ij48L3N2Zz4=" width="900" height="506" data-original="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140687/900x.jpg" alt="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of "></a></figure>
<p>Horizon Chase 2 does do a good job of giving you new, leveled-up cars each time you complete a specific country’s courses, though. They can’t all be winners, but each car feels distinct from the last. A luxury sedan with lots of horsepower feels tanky and hard to steer but just sings in long straightaways. Conversely, the maneuverable hybrid zips around corners like a treat but doesn’t hit very high speeds. None of the courses are exactly impossible to complete with any specific vehicle, but there are some that reward different traits more than others.</p>
<p>Knowing those strengths and weaknesses in a normal race isn’t as important as it is in Time Trials, where your speed, precision, and skill are put to the test. These challenges (which are all completely optional) function a bit differently from the time trials you might find elsewhere. Instead of racing along a path against the clock, you’re tasked with hitting a specific time by picking up time coins, which will each reduce your race time by one second, and making clever use of strategically placed boost pads (like what you’d expect from a <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/games/nintendo-switch/mario_kart_8_deluxe">Mario Kart</a> or <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/games/switch-eshop/f-zero_99">F-Zero</a>). Suddenly, times that seemed unrealistically low – like <em>11 seconds</em> for a three-lap course that typically takes 90 seconds to complete – appear within your reach. It’ll usually take a few tries, but these are the best part of Horizon Chase 2. And they’re tough as nails (and unfortunately sparse).</p>
<figure class="picture"><a class="scanlines" title="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of " href="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140683/large.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="lazy" src="image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA5MDAgNTA2Ij48L3N2Zz4=" width="900" height="506" data-original="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140683/900x.jpg" alt="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of "></a><figcaption class="caption generator nintendo-switch-docked">Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Other modes boil down to the same kinds of races in other formats. For the most part, they swap blue coins out for little power pickups that, once you collect them all, give you a temporary speed boost that lasts longer than the four boosts you start each race with. Otherwise, the only thing that varies is the order of the courses presented to you in a four-race series.</p>
<p>Zooming through these races with reckless, breakneck abandon feels good, but the Switch doesn’t exactly love it and there are some significant dips in the frame rate. The Switch really chugs, but on the plus side, because your eyes are almost always on the road ahead and your car, the frame drops don’t affect <em>your</em> performance — they’re just noticeable. The frame rate did hold up surprisingly well in split-screen, though. The dips occurred at the same frequency in and out of split-screen multiplayer.</p>
<p>On the other hand, crashes are a different story. We encountered multiple full-on crashes. While they seem rooted in Horizon Chase 2’s frustrating insistence that you log into an Epic Games account, they’re still frustrating nonetheless. Clicking on an option that requires the login, like starting the game, and then declining before clicking it again caused the game to crash. In other words, if you have an internet connection, you’re all but forced to log into an Epic Games account to play Horizon Chase 2. The almost-always-online nature that comes from the multiplayer itself works well enough, with online play feeling smooth and lag-free. But requiring an Epic login to view leaderboards or start the game takes a heavy toll on the game’s otherwise breezy online functionality.</p>
<figure class="picture"><a class="scanlines" title="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of " href="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140676/large.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="lazy" src="image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA5MDAgNTA2Ij48L3N2Zz4=" width="900" height="506" data-original="https://images.nintendolife.com/screenshots/140676/900x.jpg" alt="Horizon Chase 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of "></a><figcaption class="caption generator nintendo-switch-handheld">Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Its UI has a weird bug that seems tied to Chase 2’s insistence to be always signed in and online where every button prompt in the UI — stuff like ‘A Next,’ ‘X Retry,’ or ‘B Back’ — all get replaced with a prompt for a button that doesn’t exist on Switch: ‘RB’. It’s a frustrating bug that leaves a lot of the menu navigation up to guesswork. Sure, ‘A’ to proceed or go to the next screen totally makes sense, but it’s still a pretty serious issue that lacked rhyme or reason.</p>
</div>
<div id="conclusion">
<h2 class="heading">Conclusion</h2>
<p>Horizon Chase 2 isn’t going to set the world on fire. No matter how fun it is to fly across the highway at blazing speed, no amount of speed can disguise the fairly limited breadth of content available. In fact, that speed only makes courses blur together even more. Ultimately, you’re left with a fun but shallow arcade racer that feels disappointingly shaky on Switch.</p>
</div>
</div>
https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2023/10/...-the-road/