REVIEW: Pacer

It's been quite a year, hasn't? That might explain why Pacer is exactly what I have been looking for recently. It's exactly what it seems at first glance: a zero gravity combat racer who either wants to date Wipeout or lock it in its basement. I'm here because those games were awesome and sometimes it's just fun driving really fast and blowing sh*t up. Pacer is basically offering this.

Pacer offers a lot of content, customization, and variety beyond the somewhat limiting pitch. You can start the Career mode by selecting the main menu. This is a great way of getting a taste of the entire game. You can also choose Quick Play, Race Online, or go into the Garage to customize your vehicle. You'll find five craft options to choose from, each with five performance mods and the option to make a custom loadout. There are 11 weapons and many modification options. After you're done with the tinkering you can experience eight different races, along with further variations in career mode, and you can explore 14 tracks. Each track has its own settings and combinations for mirror, reverse, and night-time modifiers. The quality is quite good, but the price is a bit high.

First impressions are good, but not great. Pacer looks sharp in 4K and runs at a smooth 60FPS when played in backwards compatible mode on the Xbox Series X. Although the game has a variety of environments, it also features a retro-futuristic design. However, sometimes things can look a bit flat. Music is also excellent, with a huge selection of music but not many that stand out. This familiarity can be both a strength or a weakness for the game. Developers R8 Games include a few people who worked on Wipeout series, but they also have CoLD SToRAGE and The Designers Republic. The result is somewhere in between tribute band and spiritual successor. Pacer may feel more like a "brand new game" than it does - although it will likely please as many people it disappoints.

I am disappointed in Pacer's menus. They are quite basic in presentation, but they have some strange design choices that make it feel a little "off". If you don't pay attention, weapon load-outs can sometimes default to "zero", leaving you unarmed. You will see a list of text items on the left side of the screen when you unlock new content. It looks like this: "track, track. vehicle, cosmetics. cosmetics." These placeholders are not mine. You'll see the text list down the left-hand side of the screen. Scroll down and highlight each one to find out what each item you have unlocked. You'll be redirected to the series' menu after you finish a series. If you want to progress, you will need to replay the previous race. Although it may seem minor, I understand that it is. However, if you find it annoying, it will.

It's good that racing is so fast, even in the slowest vehicle class. It's a thrilling experience to race around the tracks, as they bank, twist and turn. I am a huge racing game fan so I am used to leaning into corners. However, as I made my way up to Elite I found myself swaying and swearing in ways that no one else could see. After a bit of practice, the handling is very good. It's responsive and has a great sense of weight. The sound effects are excellent.

This all adds up to exciting racing, but there's also strategy. You'll also need to use your vehicle's pitch, and make good use the left and right airbrakes to drift, especially as you move along. You have shield, health, and boost gauges. The track is also stocked with power-ups that can replenish them all, as well boost pads that will give you an extra boost of speed. Your success depends on your ability to monitor your display and find the right pickup at the right moment. This creates some memorable moments. It's amazing to feel like you are gambling just before the line. It's even more rewarding when your robot copilot keeps reminding you to use your shields.

Did I not mention it was a combat-racer? Although I loved the racing aspect of it, the combat side was less appealing to me. It's not bad, but combat feels a little boring and lacking in depth. This isn't a problem in racing-focused modes. You still have the thrill of blowing things up, and can focus your attention on the race. It can feel surprisingly boring in modes that involve weapons, such as Destruction.

What about the other races? They offer a good mix of races, but they are not all the same. Endurance was, along with the previously mentioned Destruction, one of my weakest. StormPacerAlthough it is an interesting idea, the marriage of racing and battle royale (or "marrying racing with battle royale") is not a good fit for all tracks or load-outs. But,PacerThe other mode, known as Flowmentum, is a fun and unique challenge in which you must pass through gates to increase your speed.AndIt will help replenish your ever-decreasing health and shield. This is a more thrilling take on Endurance's emphasis on distance. It brings something new to the genre, and it has a satisfying, almost meditational feel. My favourite modes are still the straight race and the amazing Eliminator. This mode is a favorite of mine, as it adds tension to the game by destroying the last-placed driver at regular intervals.

Pacer at its core is an exciting racing game that offers a lot of customization, variety, and content. Although it has some flaws and some disappointing combat, it is still fun to travel down the memory lane at speeds of 1,000 km/h.