It should be obvious from the screenshots that Quantum Rush is a game created in the style of legendary PlayStation racer Wipeout 2097, albeit with the benefit of a full 15 years of hardware advancement. The question, then, is, can Quantum Rush live up to the expectations that come from emulating such an iconic game? The answer of course, is no. But there’s so much more to be said, because whilst Quantum Rush may not be the new champion of the futuristic podracing genre, it does put up an admirable fight to prove that it belongs in the same weight class as some of its more popular contemporaries.
Here’s what I liked:
Grand scale — Quantum Rush features some of the most well-realised, exciting tracks to appear in a podracing game for a long time. There are 14 in total, and although they beat the same well-trodden path that most games set in dystopian near-futures have also traveled, their locations are vibrant and varied enough to ensure they remain Quantum Rush‘s standout feature. Most tracks span both indoor and outdoor locations, with the latter offering a welcome change of pace and strategy as the focus shifts from tight turns in claustrophobic tunnels to picking a route through hazardous canyon or tundra-style wastelands.
Lots to do — Quantum Rush‘s core is its campaign mode, which features three different manufacturers, each of which is associated with seven tiers of racing challenge. The tiers each span a number of different races that are drawn from the eight racing modes on offer, and each tier ends with a boss fight. In-between races, the game’s upgrade system keeps players busy as they prepare for the next race, and it’s fair to say that these upgrades are essential: without them, success in later tiers is simply impossible. This model drives the player to replay completed races to try and get the best medal possible.
One careful owner — I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable Quantum Rush is once the race begins. From a technical perspective, podracing games don’t seem to be that hard to get right, because the basic controls and physics behaviour of the vehicles are often the same, but still, many others have tried and failed miserably.
Here’s what I didn’t like:
Blatantly unfair — The overarching issue I had with Quantum Rush is that it is, on occasion, all but impossible to succeed at. There is a boss at the end of each tier (21 in total), and almost all of them are ridiculously hard. Even with every single upgrade applied, there are bosses in this game who will vanish into the distance within seconds of the race starting, never to be seen again despite the most flawless racing performance. Not much fun.
Lonely at the top — Perhaps the most glaring omission from Quantum Rush is the lack of either local or online multiplayer. There may be multiple reasons (technical or budgetary) as to why online multiplayer was omitted, but I would have thought local multiplayer via splitscreen could have been possible. It was one of the biggest criticisms about the original Wipeout series, so I’m surprised GameArt didn’t look to correct that.
A little rough around the edges — Quantum Rush features numerous little issues that prevent it from living up to the standards set by its excellent roster of tracks. Firstly, the menu system is a mess of honeycomb-hex style buttons that have to be navigated with ridiculously precise movements of the right stick. New players will commonly believe that once you find a particular setting, you can’t move to another — this isn’t true, but it takes such a knack to change your selection that it might as well be. Next, whilst the maps look amazing, the explosions and some of the effects that happen during races appear to be dismally low resolution. Finally, there are a range of other collision detection and similar graphical issues that occasionally break the suspension of disbelief.
Wrap Up
I’ve already revealed that Quantum Rush is not the new champion of futuristic podracing games, and it really can’t stand up against games like Wipeout, F-Zero or even Star Wars Episode I: Racer which it is clearly trying to emulate, but for this generation of consoles and with a price tag below 15 dollars, it’s certainly a good effort. The tracks are superb and varied, and the racing itself is decent, so I’d love to see a sequel that builds upon the good work done here.
Score: Try It
Quantum Rush: Champions was developed and published by GameArt Studio on Xbox One. It was released on June 20, 2015 for $14.99. A copy was provided for review purposes.
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