Horizon Chase 2: A Nostalgic Ode to Classic Arcade Racing Games

If you’re longing for the good old days of classic 1990s arcade racing games, Horizon Chase 2 is here to transport you back in time. This game serves as a delightful homage to the beloved classics of the past while delivering a modern arcade racing experience. With its smooth crossplay multiplayer options, engaging solo campaign mode, and a delightful collection of cars to choose from, Horizon Chase 2 encapsulates everything that makes an arcade racing game a thrilling and enjoyable experience. Its catchy synth music, vibrant graphics, and straightforward gameplay mechanics make it the epitome of what an arcade racing game should be.

Horizon Chase 2, a retro-styled car racing game, initially made its debut on Apple Arcade last year and has recently become available on Nintendo Switch and PC through the Epic Games Store on September 14, 2023. While it may not break new ground or delve into intricate driving mechanics, it excels in offering a charming and enjoyable gaming experience reminiscent of those days spent at the arcade, competing against friends.

Simplistic Yet Entertaining Racing Gameplay

Horizon Chase 2 keeps its gameplay refreshingly simple. Unlike complex racing simulations that require players to memorize numerous combinations and features, this game lets you dive right in for some unadulterated fun, all without the pressure of adhering to realism. The controls are straightforward, making it an ideal fit for Apple Arcade, and they just feel right. While there are ways to enhance each car, such as upgrading suspension, air intake, differentials, gearbox, and nitro boosts, these improvements happen automatically in later levels to ensure newly unlocked cars aren’t at a disadvantage.

Driving in Horizon Chase 2 involves basic principles: hold down the acceleration, brake when necessary, and steer left or right. Limited nitro boosts provide brief bursts of speed, and crashes are quickly recoverable, allowing you to keep on racing. Some tracks even feature varying weather conditions, such as icy roads that make steering corrections challenging or sandstorms that obscure your view of the road ahead.

World Tour Tracks Keep Drivers Engaged

The World Tour serves as the primary solo campaign mode in Horizon Chase 2, offering a plethora of race courses, each representing a different country, and presenting specific objectives to keep things intriguing. As you navigate the tracks, keep an eye out for hovering blue tokens, a unique challenge that requires you to collect them during races. These tokens can be later used to upgrade your vehicles. Successfully completing a country’s set of races may even reward you with a brand-new car, free of charge.

Multiplayer Thrills: Play with Friends or Compete Online

Horizon Chase 2 offers various ways to engage with others in the world of arcade racing. You can enjoy split-screen multiplayer with friends and family, or take your skills online for races against players from around the globe. Crossplay support between PC and Nintendo Switch ensures that you can race with friends regardless of their gaming platform. This extends to all game modes, including cooperative progress in the World Tour. Additionally, online and local leaderboards on each track enable you to compete against strangers or gauge your performance against other players.

Unlocking and Customizing: The Joy of Personalization

Unlocking new cars in Horizon Chase 2 is achieved by winning specific races within the game. Once unlocked, each car can be customized using the coins you earn from completing races. These customizations include a range of paint jobs, from the mundane to the extravagant, which can be purchased or obtained by completing certain objectives. Additionally, you can unlock different styles and rims to transform your car into a sleek convertible for cruising the California coast or a rugged SUV ready for mountain adventures.

While Horizon Chase 2 may not deliver groundbreaking innovations, it also avoids any significant shortcomings. If there’s one minor drawback, it’s the relatively short playtime, with the entire World Tour taking around eight hours to complete, unless you opt for higher difficulties that increase the challenge. However, Horizon Chase 2 shines as a delightful and fun-filled game that successfully captures the nostalgic essence of 90s arcade racers while elevating the experience with improved graphics.

Horizon Chase 2: Available Now for PC and Nintendo Switch

Horizon Chase 2 is readily available for PC through the Epic Games Store and on the Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant received a digital Epic Games download code for the purpose of this review.

In conclusion, Horizon Chase 2 stands as a testament to the enduring charm of classic arcade racing games. It skillfully combines the simplicity and excitement of the past with modern gaming conveniences, making it an enjoyable experience for both long-time fans of arcade racers and newcomers looking for a taste of nostalgia. Whether you’re racing against friends in split-screen mode or competing online with players worldwide, Horizon Chase 2 delivers the quintessential arcade racing experience. So, if you’re yearning for a dose of 90s arcade racing nostalgia with a contemporary twist, look no further than Horizon Chase 2. It’s a love letter to the golden era of arcade gaming that you won’t want to miss.