FutureGrind (PC)
Developed By : Milkbag Games Published By : Milkbag Games
Category : Platformer, Racing Release Date : Jan 22, 2019
Code provided by Milkbag Games for the game on Steam
Code provided by Milkbag Games for the game on Steam
No matter what games I find myself playing, one genre that is always going to have a reserved soft-spot in my heart is that of the racing / platforming games. It's a unique genre that can bring you the widest variety of material. You can see some really basic and boring games, while at the same time experience ones that are crazy and just tough enough to hook you in until you beat the game into the ground.
FutureGrind most definitely fits into that latter sub-category. For starters, I got hooked before I even received my review code from Milkbag Games. As you know, I'm a part of the team of reviewers over at The Switch Effect. Two of my fellow writers each got to experience this amazing game, and they couldn't stop praising it, and boy were they right.
Just on seeing the first level, and controlling the first bike, I knew I was in for a treat with this game. In FutureGrind you'll be racing your special two-wheeled bike on crazy, stunt-inducing rail-filled courses. Your goal? Complete the tracks with each specific bike, as well as the special objectives laid down for you, to make your sponsors happy so you can move forward in your career.
First, let's talk about the bikes. There's a handful of them, and what I liked best about them on the surface was that they each are represented by different color schemes. So when you're switching rapidly between them, there's no issue getting them mixed up, because they each have their own ability as well.
The majority of the bikes come with the ability to jump twice after touching the ground. One bike in particular though offers a third jump, while suffering from not being able to jump as powerfully. All the rest of the bikes all have different stats such as offering better balance while on the rails, or rotating faster while suspended in the air.
However, its the color detail that ends up being the most important of all the bikes. You'll notice that the color of the wheels corresponds to the rails within each level. While pulling your stunts, you'll need to make sure the right color wheel hits the matching-colored rail. If you miss, or hit the wrong color, your bike will explode and you'll need to start the level over.
Let me tell you...you'll feel safe and cozy because what could be so hard? Red goes with red, red doesn't go with blue...even if you are effected by color blindness FutureGrind offers a menu option to change the colors around, making this game playable for everyone. But back to my point...just when you start to feel safe and nuzzle into the fact that color matching is simple, the game flips you on your head. You'll be introduced to a bike with only one functioning wheel...and it's a wheel that changes colors each time you jump.
I could honestly go on and on about this game for hours. It's incredibly addicting right from the get-go, whether you want to go the completionist route or not. You can compete against high scores, reaching for gold trophies in each level, or you can simply just complete a track and it's special objectives. No matter your level of commitment, you'll not only have fun with this game but you'll definitely be challenged by it. And if you're anything like me, it's the challenge that will draw you in and want to take everything you can from this game.
The extra challenges that your sponsors will lay down for you are pretty normal. I, at least, didn't feel like there was anything incredibly crazy about them. These come from pulling off specific tricks, like a crazy long spin in mid-air, or pulling off any one of the four types of grinds that are possible. There's the standard grind (bike on top of the rail), an under-grind (top wheel pushing up underneath of the rail), a hang grind (top wheel above the rail, bike "hanging" below) and a push grind (bottom wheel under rail pushing upwards with rest of bike above the rail). Combine any of these with the spins, and throw in some transfers as well (moving from one rail to another without triggering a jump) and rack that multiplier combo up as high as you possibly can!
Whether you play this on PC, PS4, or Switch, FutureGrind is one of the greatest games I've played so far this year, which is something I think will be hard to top as the year comes. And it comes at an amazing price that is more than worth every single penny. Don't pass this one up, you'll surely regret it if you do!
Rating : 9.5/10
Reviewed on PC (Steam)
Also Available on : Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch
Price Tag : $19.99
FutureGrind most definitely fits into that latter sub-category. For starters, I got hooked before I even received my review code from Milkbag Games. As you know, I'm a part of the team of reviewers over at The Switch Effect. Two of my fellow writers each got to experience this amazing game, and they couldn't stop praising it, and boy were they right.
Just on seeing the first level, and controlling the first bike, I knew I was in for a treat with this game. In FutureGrind you'll be racing your special two-wheeled bike on crazy, stunt-inducing rail-filled courses. Your goal? Complete the tracks with each specific bike, as well as the special objectives laid down for you, to make your sponsors happy so you can move forward in your career.First, let's talk about the bikes. There's a handful of them, and what I liked best about them on the surface was that they each are represented by different color schemes. So when you're switching rapidly between them, there's no issue getting them mixed up, because they each have their own ability as well.
The majority of the bikes come with the ability to jump twice after touching the ground. One bike in particular though offers a third jump, while suffering from not being able to jump as powerfully. All the rest of the bikes all have different stats such as offering better balance while on the rails, or rotating faster while suspended in the air.
However, its the color detail that ends up being the most important of all the bikes. You'll notice that the color of the wheels corresponds to the rails within each level. While pulling your stunts, you'll need to make sure the right color wheel hits the matching-colored rail. If you miss, or hit the wrong color, your bike will explode and you'll need to start the level over.Let me tell you...you'll feel safe and cozy because what could be so hard? Red goes with red, red doesn't go with blue...even if you are effected by color blindness FutureGrind offers a menu option to change the colors around, making this game playable for everyone. But back to my point...just when you start to feel safe and nuzzle into the fact that color matching is simple, the game flips you on your head. You'll be introduced to a bike with only one functioning wheel...and it's a wheel that changes colors each time you jump.
I could honestly go on and on about this game for hours. It's incredibly addicting right from the get-go, whether you want to go the completionist route or not. You can compete against high scores, reaching for gold trophies in each level, or you can simply just complete a track and it's special objectives. No matter your level of commitment, you'll not only have fun with this game but you'll definitely be challenged by it. And if you're anything like me, it's the challenge that will draw you in and want to take everything you can from this game.
The extra challenges that your sponsors will lay down for you are pretty normal. I, at least, didn't feel like there was anything incredibly crazy about them. These come from pulling off specific tricks, like a crazy long spin in mid-air, or pulling off any one of the four types of grinds that are possible. There's the standard grind (bike on top of the rail), an under-grind (top wheel pushing up underneath of the rail), a hang grind (top wheel above the rail, bike "hanging" below) and a push grind (bottom wheel under rail pushing upwards with rest of bike above the rail). Combine any of these with the spins, and throw in some transfers as well (moving from one rail to another without triggering a jump) and rack that multiplier combo up as high as you possibly can!
Whether you play this on PC, PS4, or Switch, FutureGrind is one of the greatest games I've played so far this year, which is something I think will be hard to top as the year comes. And it comes at an amazing price that is more than worth every single penny. Don't pass this one up, you'll surely regret it if you do!
Rating : 9.5/10
Reviewed on PC (Steam)
Also Available on : Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch
Price Tag : $19.99
