REVIEW: Formula Retro Racing on Xbox One

Review By Jon Donnis

I was kindly sent a copy of Formula Retro Racing on Xbox by Repixel8 for review.

As someone who grew up in the 80s and 90s just the suggestion of a retro Formula 1 type game excites me. And in Formula Retro Racing we have a gem. My first thought was "wow, this is Virtua Racing on a Xbox".

Formula Retro Racing picks up right where the Sega classic finished, and although only a spiritual sequel, this game is every bit as good as you would hope it would be.

The graphics are glorious, yes they are polygon graphics, a term rarely used in 2020. But they are rendered so perfectly, that they actually look great and help give that true retro feel. And on a modern console that can easily handle high definition and 60 frames per second, the game plays very crisply, without any problems.

So you know the graphics are cool, what about the sounds and music, well the sounds are as you would expect for a racing game, nothing to moan about nothing to cheer about, they are what they are, the lack of any proper commentary as you play is notable, I just think it would be so much better having a commentary mode, is Murray Walker still alive by the way? The music although catchy is very repetitive, and I would say that that is probably the one downer I have on the game.

Onto the game play, you have 8 unique tracks, all pretty different to each other, in style, shape, and surroundings, and you have 2 different modes of play as well as your usual free play.


First up is the simple checkpoint racing mode. Complete a number of laps, try to win the race. Pretty simple.

Then there is the more interesting eliminator mode, get yourself as high up in the standings as possible, and then each lap you complete your level rises but your opponents get faster. Drop below 10th place and you are eliminated.

The eliminator mode is probably the most fun but also the most frustrating, but in a good way.

This is an arcade racer, so do not expect perfect physics, but this is a fun game. The AI opponents can be ruthless at times, and although the first time you play you will think this game is super easy, you will soon learn it is anything but.

The Good

Excellent graphics and fun game play.

The Bad

The soundtrack is a bit annoying.

Overall

I loved this game, cant really say much more than that. It is fast, intense, exciting. I highly recommend it.

8/10

Review by Jon Donnis