Shin’en Multimedia has punched above its weight class for a while now, especially in regard to its Fast series. For the last few generations, the German studio has developed some of the best, most technically accomplished racing games on Nintendo systems, despite having a team of approximately six people. The developer’s latest racer is Fast Fusion, arguably the marquee Switch 2 launch title after Mario Kart World. So, is it worth picking up alongside your shiny new system?
Like Fast Racing League, Fast Racing Neo, and Fast RMX before it, Fast Fusion is a high-speed futuristic racer in the vein of F-Zero and WipEout. You’ll pilot a sleek anti-gravity ship through straightaways & tight turns, over dash panels, and across shortcuts, all while the cutthroat competition attempts to power past you. It’s a formula that’s worked for Shin’en since the Wii days, and it continues to perform well on the latest Nintendo hardware — albeit with a twist.
That twist is jumping. Now, you might think, “what is jumping doing in my racing game?” And that’s fair. But believe me when I say it’s a game-changer. Each Fast Fusion vehicle is equipped with anti-gravity hyper jump technology, which empowers racers to cut corners, access short-cuts, and fly over (or even land atop) rival racers. It allows Shin’en to stretch outward in each track, both vertically and horizontally, and introduces an extra layer of decision-making to every race. And when jumping combines with the game’s other mechanics — a boost meter replenished by collecting orbs on the track & in the air, and a polarity system in which players switch phases to take advantage of color-coded dash panels — the results are excellent. There’s a speedy, wily, improvisational element to the game, where micro-adjustments made in split seconds mean the difference between a first place finish and missing the winner’s podium entirely.
Truthfully, I can’t summon a single negative to say about the moment-to-moment gameplay in Fast Fusion; it is, at times, divine.
The issues with Fast Fusion emerge outside that momentary gameplay. The first and most glaring problem is the lack of tracks. There are only 12. That’s just not enough to sink your teeth into. Now, in all fairness, the tracks that are here are excellent, structurally, spatially, and aesthetically. You’ll fly through redwood forests, zoom past alpine peaks, and cross a desert valley populated by breaching sand whales. You’ll race upside down and at 90-degree angles. You’ll dodge icicle formations, falling meteors, tornadoes, and giant spiked balls.
Perhaps the finest two tracks, Mori Icepark and Vanilla Haze, arrive in the final cup. They’re particularly exciting because they combine all the game’s racing mechanics seamlessly. You’ll boost, jump, switch phases, and, at certain moments, leap into the air and travel through elevated color-coded zones to gather much-needed speed. But this speaks to the problem: just as the tracks begin to unlock their full potential, they end. There’s good news for early adopters, though. Shin’en has promised content updates in the future, which will include at least one additional track, and almost certainly more.
The second most glaring issue is the lack of online multiplayer. Apart from GameShare, which allows a nearby Switch 2 owner to join a race via wireless connection without a copy of the game (and which works smoothly, apart from a slight degradation in image quality), there’s no option to race online. There’s a robust local multiplayer component, which allows four-player split-screen — at 60 fps, no less — which is absolutely great, but the inclusion of competitive online support would really push Fast Fusion over the top.
As it stands now, however, the game is focused more on local content, particularly single-player content. Outside of Championship mode, which includes all 12 courses at three different speed/difficulty settings, solo players can participate in Time Attack and Super Hero Mode. The latter is an iron man offering that comes with several challenging rules: each track is mirrored; you must place first; you cannot crash; and, most interestingly, your boost meter doubles as your shield. This means if you boost too aggressively without replenishing the meter, it’s game over. It’s a worthwhile addition, and helps get a little more mileage out of those same 12 tracks.
Another thing that adds mileage: the game’s signature fusion mechanic. By combining any two of the 14 available ships, you can create a unique hybrid with altered stats for top speed, acceleration, boost, and weight. There are literally hundreds of possible permutations, each with dimensions, aesthetics, capabilities, and names carried over from the original pair. While it’s a lot of fun to experiment with this system, it creates an odd situation where there isn’t really a reason to test drive a newly-unlocked vehicle. It makes more sense to immediately combine it with another to boost its stats. In a way, you’re not really unlocking ships; you’re unlocking fusion pieces.
Speaking of unlocks, they’re a big part of Fast Fusion. In order to access new cups, vehicles, and even songs, you must accumulate currency by participating in Championship mode, clearing developer benchmarks in Time Attack, and winning in Super Hero Mode. There’s a bit of a grind early on as you bank money to unlock more powerful ships, but after a while you’ll have more than enough. Ultimately, the currency framework is neither good nor bad. It doesn’t really move the needle one way or the other.
Conversely, the technical performance in Fast Fusion moves the needle significantly in the positive direction — albeit with one significant exception. Shin’en has once again proven its engineering and programming prowess with this latest Fast game, which supports 60 fps alongside impressive lighting, fog, rain, and track reflection effects. The game is as smooth as a silk sheet, even in split-screen. There is a caveat, though. And that involves image quality. While the game offers several graphics settings, including options for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, they don’t tell the whole story. In motion, the resolution drops considerably across all settings, particularly in handheld mode. For early adopters, once again, there’s good news: Shin’en has taken note and promised a “pure” graphical preset that removes anti-aliasing and reprojection to produce a cleaner image.
Any high-speed racer worth its salt needs some energetic tunes to go with the fast-paced action. Luckily, Fast Fusion has that covered. The groovy soundtrack, a joint effort by Bjulin and Francisco Cerda that mixes synth, trance, electronica, and drum & bass, is one of the best of the year so far. The standout is “Vhale Valley”, thanks to a driving rhythm, a sultry solo guitar, and echoing electronic beats that almost sound like singing. It’s simply a masterpiece. “Yama Crest” isn’t far behind.
If Fast Fusion featured online multiplayer, better image quality, and 6 or 7 more race tracks, it would enter the game-of-the-year conversation. Even without those things, it’s yet another gem from Shin’en Multimedia. The Munich-based studio has once again punched above its weight, delivering a blisteringly fast, mechanically nimble futuristic racer with outstanding track design and excellent music. Switch 2 owners: go ahead and purchase this one without fear of regret. It’s thrilling, it’s challenging, and at $15, it’s an absolute steal.
Full Article – https://www.vgchartz.com/article/464903/fast-fusion-ns2/
