Cruis’n Blast Review: Burnt Out
The original Cruis’n trilogy from Midway was a crucial part of my upbringing. USA, World, and Exocitca are the reasons I adore arcade-style racers so dearly, particularly thanks to the console ports executed brilliantly. Cruis’n Blast was a golden opportunity to bring the beloved racer back into this console niche that’s been relatively vacant since the N64 days. But unfortunately, Raw Fury’s first outing with the Cruis’n franchise is ultimately a shallow and spiritless game as a whole, on top of feeling like a lazy port to console.
As a games media outlet that solely focuses on indie gaming, Cruis’n Blast is typically not the type of game we would cover. The Cruis’n franchise has always lived in that mid-tier AA space, but then again, Raw Thrills is pretty massive in the modern arcade world. So why review it? Well, there are quite a few games in the genre that do Cruis’n better than Cruis’n Blast does; particularly in the indie space at a much more reasonable value. So in addition to this review, I wanted to take the opportunity to recommend a few other arcade-style racing games by indie developers that I find genuinely fantastic.
Before delving into this review, it’s worth pointing out that I have not played the arcade original. This review is purely based on my time with the Nintendo Switch port. Additionally, in regards to most of my critiques and issues with this title, it’s worth acknowledging that this is Raw Thrills’ first console port.
Presentation
What Cruis’n Blast does achieve lies within its artistic direction when it comes to the tracks. While it’s not nailed across the board, many of the tracks capture the essence of what makes a Cruis’n track so fun to drive through. Tracks may include surprise breakaway roads that delve into the depths of the earth showcasing new environments. Others may feature huge monsters ready to interfere with your high octane race. Even the more “basic” tracks have variants that may be drenched in severe thunderstorms attempting to throw you off guard. All of these elements brought a nostalgic sense of joy with each race, especially when they came as a surprise. The greatest delight was seeing brief nods to classic tracks (whether intentional or not) for players who are returning to this series after so long.
Modern racers tend to be the showcase pieces when it comes to graphical fidelity. As much heavy lifting as the art direction does, Cruis’n Blast looks flat and dated. Environments are flooded with polygonal scenery and creatures in an attempt to achieve a sense of detail, but ultimately feels muddy. The environments are too busy, especially in a blur. Similar to many other elements of this entry, less would in fact be more. What doesn’t help the environment’s fidelity is the lighting The lighting techniques utilized help the cars pop in pleasing fashion, but also exaggerate the less favorable surroundings. The two sharing the same world, particularly on a 65” OLED screen, feel mismatched. Now this is all to say that, for better or worse, it does look like an arcade game. Playing in a loud, hectic Dave and Busters with a few drinks in you screaming at the strangers next to you, this wouldn’t be an issue; especially when you’re in and out in under a minute. But at home with all of your senses dialed in playing for an extended period of time, even handheld, the visual stitches begin to unravel before your eyes.
Audio is another piece that feels not catered for the home experience. The mix feels off, and the dynamic range feels mishandled. Certain actions are extraordinarily much louder than others. A key example of this is the revving up for a wheelie speed boost. Races typically sound balanced between the sound effects and music, but popping a wheelie sounds as if a helicopter is taking off inside your ear. Again, in an arcade setting, this makes sense. This, along with other specific actions that exaggerate sound, signal to the other players that you are performing a key action. But at home, whether it’s an isolated action or you’re spamming consistently for boosts, it’s overbearing.
One more presentational element that utterly broke my heart was the title track. The Cruis’n Blast song is disappointing. Credit where credit is due, the composer does implement all of the elements a fan wants to hear; “cruis’n” sang in an attempted catchy melody, the cliche deep voice male voice overdubbing “yeahs” in the spaces between, and great synth instrument patches. The problem is that each ingredient of the recipe is not great. The instrumental track itself is fine, but the vocals are the killer. Poorly executed syncopation feels messy, and what sounds like a rushed auto-tune or Melodyne job fails completely. Not to mention, the vocals are the loudest stem in the mix. This totally distracts and, quite frankly, ruins the track when it should be elevating it. Again, the vocals being in the forefront makes sense for an arcade setting to draw the quarters in. The Cruis’n Blast song is stuck in my head, but for all the wrong reasons.
What feels apparent is that the care to properly port the presentational elements from arcade to console was not there. Tweaking the mix to aid would both help avoid aural exhaustion from jarring, dynamic changes in cues and overall enhance the experience of each race. Same goes for the visuals. It’s a shame the time wasn’t given to help adapt textures and lighting more appropriate to the console experience.
Gameplay
The gameplay, unfortunately, is another let down. Racing feels bland and shallow. While mechanically it feels nostalgic and familiar, the excitement of roaring through tracks and fighting for that number one spot is just not there. What made the original games so special and fun were not only the zany tracks, but it's simplistic gameplay. With Cruis’n Blast, Raw Thrills feels like it’s playing catch up with other modern arcade racers rather than doubling down on what made Cruis’n so beloved in the first place. Mechanics from other franchises are seen in Cruis’n Blast, such as the police chases from Need For Speed and the takedowns from Burnout. While this may sound great, these add nothing in terms of gameplay. The police are there as an annoying distraction, and the takedowns simply trigger a slow-mo visual of the car crashing. No arrests, no points, no consequences or rewards, no advantages in the midst of a race. They’re just there, once again muddying up the presentation rather than adding anything substantial.
Another addition made to this iteration are collectables in the form of keys and money. Keys will unlock new cars, while money will help you buy “upgrades” after you reach a certain level with each car. Unfortunately here, this all just feels like padding that does not add much to the game. I put upgrades in quotes simply because they’re not truly upgrades. These are purely aesthetic; paint job, lights, decals, etc. Being able to customize each car and make it your own is fantastic in theory, but this too was mishandled. The color of each element is locked to the paint job. So for example, I was maining a purple Nissan. The purple gave me orange neon lights under my car, and a Nickelodeon Slime green decal blobbed onto my door. It was hideous. If I changed the paint job, this would change every other element to new colors as well. There was no combination that was pleasing to the eye, and it’s an odd choice to not allow full customization.
Due to the arcade nature, the races themselves are over before you know it. Single lap, usually ending under 50 seconds. The fast turn around makes sense for arcades. But at home, this is jarring and frustrating. There is no mini map or signal as to when you are nearing the finish line. Your only sign is a vibrant number counting down the feet once you are one thousand feet away, but at that point, it’s too late to really do anything. With how rapid races go, I’m barely ever given the chance for a fair fight. In the same breath, races feel unfair and completely out of your control. There was not once where I felt I won or lost purely based on my skill. Whatever happened just happened. Not to mention if you are attempting to grab all of the keys, you have to do that perfectly in a single lap. The pacing feels off, and the races feel as if they're not given the time to breathe. Similar to my port-to-console wishlist on the presentation side, adding multiple laps to races would go a long way here.
Alternative Indie Racing Game Recommendations
As I mentioned towards the start of this heartbreaking review, I wanted to take this opportunity to give you recommendations on a handful of indie racing games that capture the beautiful essence of a fantastic arcade racer. Here are three indie arcade racers out now you should support in place of Cruis’n Blast, as well as two upcoming titles that you should absolutely keep your eyes on.
Hotshot Racing is a brilliant blend of both Cruis’n and Outrun brought to the modern era. It’s vibrant and unique aesthetic, well thought out track design, and astute AI makes races fair and exciting while giving them depth. Not to mention, it’s flat out a blast to play both solo and multiplayer.
Fast RMX delivers high octane gravity defying races within a polished futuristic setting. Frankly, it’s F-Zero in everything but name. Similar to Brace Yourself Games and Cadence of Hyrule, I’m shocked Nintendo hasn’t given Shin'en Multimedia the license to Captain Falcon & co.
Art of Rally leans more onto the simulation side in terms of its gameplay. It takes time to master, but once you do, it is one of the most addictive and engaging experiences I’ve felt within a racing title. The true pull is in it’s art direction and overall presentation, which you honestly just have to see for yourself. It is unlike anything I have ever seen in the sim-racer genre.
Victory Heat Rally is an upcoming love letter to the glory days of retro arcade racers. Even based on looks alone, the execution in exhilarating moment-to-moment gameplay looks pristine. It has honestly lived inside my mind ever since discovering the Kickstarter campaign.
You Suck At Parking is something a bit different. The goal is simple, race to the parking spot as quickly and as cleanly as you possibly can. My hands-on time with the demo exceeded all expectations, delivering a chaotic, hectic, absurd, and addictive experience harkening back to an exhilarating Crazy Taxi-like sensation upon success.
Breakdown
Game: Cruis’n Blast
Developer: Raw Thrills
Availability: Nintendo Switch
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch
Pros:
+ Imaginative tracks that capture the Cruis’n vibe
Cons:
- Overbearing visual and auditory elements not catered to a home experience
- Visually dated compared to modern games in the genre
- Gameplay feels bland and shallow, lacking any real substance
- Meaningless borrowed mechanics that muddy up the moment-to-moment action
- Races feel unfair, where skill does not matter
- Collectibles and upgrades feel like padding, and don’t add much to the experience
- The game’s price point
- The product as a whole does not feel properly ported for the console experience with care
Final Thoughts
It’s hard to express how much I wanted to love Cruis’n Blast, but ultimately, this iteration is bland while the port itself was mishandled greatly. It is a flashy, overbearing-to-the-senses experience that is purely suited for 50 seconds of your time at an arcade, and that’s it. It lacks a lot of the heart and spirit the original Midway games captured. Tweaks made to the console version would go a long way, but even then, who’s to say how much that would truly help. With how many fantastic alternatives are out there, particularly in the indie space, Cruis’n Blast for Nintendo Switch is a game I cannot recommend under any circumstances.
Reviewed by Mike Towndrow