Inspired by speedy racers such as WipeOut and F-Zero, Phantom Spark is designed entirely around one thing – speed.
Visually designed with strong pastel visuals, the Hyper Light Drifter-like setting makes for a quality backdrop when set against such high speeds. Racing fans should take note, however, as gameplay is entirely based around shaving milliseconds off race times. There are no Mario Kart-like weapons. The course isn’t littered with other racers like in F-Zero. There are no experience points to gain and no unlockable vehicles/parts to add to your garage. There is no boost or shield system to manage. This game is all about taking perfect turns to finish before pre-set ghosts.
Since the entire experience is essentially one big time trial, there is unfortunate repetition to the gameplay. While each track design is different, the player is exposed to the same formula: race by yourself on the new track, then race against a ghost, then race against a better ghost if you win. This needless repetition doesn’t respect the player’s time. Why can’t I just race against the pro ghost the first time? By the time I finished the first circuit, I was exhausted from boredom.
Also, for a game with such a great sense of speed, it is annoying to have to sit through the unskippable track preview at the beginning of each race. The most frustrating aspect is needing to complete level 2 to unlock level 3. Since there is no upgrading feature, why restrict the player’s progression? Tediously replaying each stage until you get it right to unlock the one new stage is painfully slow, contrary to the game’s overall design.
Hotseat and split screen multiplayer is available but competing against the online leaderboards is the highlight of the replay value. Even though there is an impressive sense of speed, one that would probably excel in VR or if the 3DS eShop was still available, Phantom Spark is a racer designed for a specific audience. If you enjoy grinding tracks ad nauseum to shave fractions of a second off the best time to jump higher the leaderboard, then there is a plenty here for those die hards. But for those looking for more action and variety in their racer, they will need to look elsewhere.
SCORE: 6/10
Also Play: Race The Sun
Makes Me Want: a new WipeOut
Do You Remember?: AIrace on 3DS
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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