Feeling like a classic.
As someone who grew up on arcade racers like Outrun, Lotus II, and Road Rash, games like Horizon Chase 2 can offer up a lot of nostalgia for that era of gaming. These were racing games that often result in pretty limited steering as you barrel your way through colorful stages at a speed that can feel overwhelming at times. While Horizon Chase 2 is great in that regard, it can feel a tad shallow in its customization, and its far too easy world tour mode.
Horizon Chase 2 is a sequel to its 2018 entry in Horizon Chase Turbo. The visuals have been improved while retaining its particular design and its world is just as colorful and vibrant as it was before. However, for fans of Turbo, it’s worth pointing out that Turbo featured 108 courses while this latest installment has a bit less than half at 66 tracks across 6 countries. Granted, the cleaned-up and improved visuals are worth it in my opinion, but not attempting to match the number of courses here can feel a tad disappointing for fans wanting more of this franchise.
Those who enjoyed Turbo will feel right at home here as the gameplay is back in all its colorful and high-octane glory. Races are still incredibly fast affairs as you take tight corners and attempt to fly through the pack. There are turbo pickups to gather, coins to collect to earn a super trophy, and several cars to unlock as you conquer one of six different countries. The World Tour mode will certainly be the draw as you take on a series of races and time trials, testing your abilities as you attempt to beat the clock.
What is different about Horizon Chase 2 when compared to other racing games is you really only feel like you are turning in the lane you are driving in. It has an on-rails sort of approach that older classic arcade racers had back in the day. Its gameplay may feel simplified to certain players, but honestly, it feels pretty good to control. When you are taking a lot of repeated corners, the game is insanely fast. I would say that Horizon Chase 2 has the best sense of speed in a racing game I think I have ever felt.
I’ll stress that the first three countries are largely a push-over when it comes to the game’s difficulty. The final three locations; however, can start to feel a bit more challenging, but that is simply down to your opponents being faster and that many locations have very thin lanes, making it harder to pass. That, and more obstacles around the corners can potentially lead to a crash.
The countries you’ll visit are The United States. Brazil, Morocco, Italy, Thailand, and Japan. Each country features around 10 courses that are all about 2-3 minutes long, making the entire campaign to be around 3 hours long. The variety within each course is pretty varied from one to the next with some laps seeing dynamic changes to the weather and more. Combine that with a strong visual style that originated from its mobile release in 2015, and you have a very flashy, gorgeous, and stellar look for a very fun and fast racer.
As you progress through the World Tour mode, you’ll earn coins based on your progress as well as experience with the current car you’re driving. Completing a country will earn you another car as you add to your collection. There are 12 cars currently in the game, ranging from sports cars, muscle cars, and SUVs that you can tweak their color and body kit. I will say that while I do like the customization, it’s a shame each car only has 7 or 8 colors, with some colors not being available for all models. Having 3 body kits is great to change up your look, but some only add very basic elements like a spoiler or a canoe rack, while changing very small details like the front lights or grill. You are not going to be individually changing the rearview mirrors or adding underglow lights; the customization is very limited here. You’ll also swap out rims, but I rarely noticed them in gameplay.
Upgrading your car’s color and look are what you are spending your earned coins in, but these are not to be confused with the blue coins you are collecting in the race. Each completion of a course in World Tour will also net you experience, allowing you to upgrade your car’s performance in several key areas; Suspension, Air Intake, Differentials, Gearbox, and Nitro. Some cars as you unlock them will already have certain upgrades unlocked, with the final car already having the whole set equipped. These categories affect Top Speed, Acceleration, Handling, and your Nitro.
Apart from World Tour, you’ll have a few multiplayer options. Playground provides online races and a challenge mode, all which contribute to earning more colors and body kits for your car collection. I’ll add that during my entire time with the game, I couldn’t find a single player playing this game to test out what it is like to race against other players. I know I didn’t find anyone since I could pause this so-called “online” race. It’s a shame since I would have loved to challenge other drivers. The challenge mode is a series of races that have a catch to them. From not collecting any nitro canisters to having less than 7 collisions, these are fairly enjoyable to take on.
Taking a look at this on the Xbox Series X, everything loads and looks pristine and clear. I am a tad disappointed in the pop-in when selecting a car as you’ll see the lower quality model and textures for a tad under a second, and this is something that is constant; even when swapping back to a model that was not even a second prior. Otherwise, the gameplay elements of the title are perfect in every possible way, even with how fast this game can get.
Horizon Chase 2’s visuals and approach may deter the more hardcore audience, but it’s a solid throwback to the arcade racers from years past that is ultimately a very satisfying experience. I would love to see a Horizon Chase 3 that has deeper customization and a larger number of courses when compared to Turbo’s staggering 108 offerings. For what Horizon Chase 2 offers; however, this is still a fun and exciting racer that gets it right where it counts.
Developer - Aquiris Game Studio.
Publisher - Aquiris Game Studio, Epic Games Publishing.
Released - Apple Arcade (2022), Nintendo Switch, PC (2023), PS/XBX (May 30th, 2024).
Available On - Xbox One/Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC.
Rated - (E) - No Descriptors.
Platform Reviewed - Xbox Series X.
Review Access - Review code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
Jeff is the original founder of Analog Stick Gaming. His favorite games include The Witcher III, the Mass Effect Trilogy, Hi-Fi Rush, Stellar Blade, Hellbade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and the Legend of Heroes series, especially Trails of Cold Steel III & IV.