Ripping down spiraling futuristic highways is absolutely stunning, especially on a big TV. Developer R8 Games Limited's Pacer sets the bar high for the hovercraft racer genre, and is a welcome return to form after years of stagnation. It stands leagues ahead of its predecessor, Formula Fusion, and is a more than worthy competitor for the acclaimed Wipeout games.
It is difficult to find problems with Pacer, whether it be in presentation or in gameplay. Every moment of the game is filled with fast-paced action, explosive firepower, and vehicle customization that expresses the developer's sense of humor. Pacer's suite of hovercrafts are incredibly well optimized, and provide a load of variety for fans of the genre. The only dim bulb here is a lackluster and wholly skippable campaign.
Pacer's predecessor, Formula Fusion had a problem with making its hovercrafts feel properly varied while also controlling well. What was meant to be a Wipeout killer was really an imitation that didn't live up to the potential. Pacer makes an incredible comeback that feels reminiscent enough to be nostalgic while still cementing its own identity. The crafts on offer take a while to understand, as their control is a bit difficult for newcomers. After a short amount of practice, players will be whipping their crafts around sharp turns with ease and blasting their opponents off the track. Control is based around Ignition, turning, and left and right-hand breaking to help with sharper turns. One small issue is that the ignition is a simple on or off button press, rather than a variable system. Controlling speed more precisely could be helpful for players who focus on Time Trials.
Combat in Pacer is exhilarating and surprisingly deep. There are a large selection of different weapons, and each can be added to customized loadouts. Playing with weapons activated never feels cheap, as players need to drive skillfully and pick up power-ups before weapons can be fired. This allows for careful strategy, as shield repair and speed boosts are also scattered throughout the track. Players usually need to choose which boost they are going to grab at any given time, which prevents spamming of these items.
Pacer presents players with a varied suite of game modes that challenge them in a variety of ways. Outside of the normal races and Time Trial modes, there are interesting additions such as Flowmentum, which is a speed challenge that involves hitting gates that increase a craft's maximum speed. Each gate makes the player move faster, and thus makes controlling the craft harder and harder. Eventually, players will crash too many times and fail, but when that happens depends on the skill of the driver. This and other great modes are available in Quickplay, which seems ready to be most player's primary focus. The Campaign mode is nothing more than a series of races locked behind a confusing set of menus. All tracks are available in Quickplay, as well as the ability to earn points to buy cosmetics and crafts, so most players will likely ignore the Campaign all together.
Pacer is an amazing title that reminds players what fun hovercraft racing once was. It adds things to the genre that aid in entertainment without needing to be taken too seriously, and stands as a definite challenge to Wipeout's supremacy. Players who enjoy fast-paced thrills and futuristic cityscapes should without a doubt take the time to experience this title.
Pacer is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows. Screen Rant was provided with a PlayStation 4 code for the purposes of this review.