FLASHOUT 3 – Review

Whenever there’s a racing game on the market, I always end up buying it. Not the realistic simulation games so much as the arcade-style shooters that feature racing. A few examples are Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, PocketCars, and GRIP. There’s a lot of exciting action, very reminiscent of video fight games.

Also, there’s the Wipeout TV shows. The original idea behind it was fantastic. Anti-gravity racing vehicles armed to the teeth with turrets, mines, and electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) in a distant future. Studio Liverpool, the studio responsible for the Wipeout games, closed down a while back, so I doubt we’ll ever see another entry in the series (except for a mobile game called Wipeout Merge, which apparently will release later this year or next). However, there have been some fan-made attempts to return the Wipeout series to its original roots by creating spiritual successors. One such attempt is Flashout 3.

Next in the Flashout series is Flashout 3. As with Punk Wars and RealPolitiks I & II, COVID: The Outbreak, Deep Diving Simulator, Spellcrafter, and the first game in the Flashout series, Flashout 3D, both were created and published by Jujubee. Poor controls, poor vehicle handling, repetitive gameplay, and unimpressive texture quality all contributed to the game’s generally negative reception. Is there an improvement in Flashout 3 that helps with these problems? In addition, does it satisfy or even surpass your Wipeout expectations? In any case, you’ll learn the truth in due time.

Firstly, let me say that, yes, Flashout 3 is an homage to the Wipeout series in every respect. Features such as hovering anti-gravity vehicles, pulsating techno music, neon-lit futurescapes, weapons that can rip opponents to shreds and leave them trailing in their wake, a first-person perspective from the cockpit, and the ability to perform barrel rolls while in the air are all present. You can find it all in the book. That electronic music is tight and fits each setting perfectly. Graphics-wise, it’s top notch too; I wouldn’t call the textures boring. The heart of the gameplay actually is fun to play.

Unlike in Wipeout, you don’t have to go out and collect your weapons; instead, they’re already on your ship when the race begins, ready to be used at your discretion. Up to three weapons can be installed on your ship. There are many different kinds of weapons, including turret machine guns, mines, magnets that attach to an enemy ship and explode after a short period of time, homing missles, grenade launchers, and just about anything else you can think of. You’re free to use them whenever you like, but if you put them through too much stress too quickly, they’ll overheat and become unusable for a while.

Your ship’s cargo capacity extends well beyond just weapons. In addition, you have the option of using a booster, temporarily protecting yourself from attackers, or deploying a bot that heals your ship. But remember that your ship’s energy reserves are limited. Energy levels vary from ship to ship. The more power it has, the more powerful the weapons or supplies it can transport.

Ships are classified not only by their energy output but also by their duration, manoeuvrability, and velocity. You can level up by completing missions in the story-driven “Campaign” mode, or by competing in a few custom races. If you gain enough levels, you’ll be able to drive more powerful vehicles. There are around a dozen distinct ship classes, each of which is available in three variants. Obviously, the best ships are reserved for the final few classes that you unlock. For its combination of speed, handling, and durability, the “Speedtail” is my favourite design.

The visual design of the levels is solid. There are several different types of environments to race through, including neon-lit streets, an underground tomb, and a volcanic zone where you must avoid incoming fireballs. A nice variety of both futuristic and contemporary maps are included.

In Campaign, you get to choose between two different racers: Bea and Silas. There is a quick rundown of all the characters. I took on the role of Silas, the character sporting the peculiar eyewear. My understanding is that the only discernible distinction between drivers is the type of weapon they carry. Specifically, Silas has a saw that “can cut through anything in its way.” Bea’s military UAV can penetrate any kind of armour thanks to its “advanced ammunition system.”

Aside from that, the Campaign mode doesn’t give either character much of a backstory. A dozen or so things are tied together in a knot. Depending on how often an event needs to be restarted, it will last anywhere from five to six hours. Except for the very last and very last races, each event consists of four races: a standard race, a race against the clock, an elimination mode in which the driver in last place is eliminated every 20 seconds, and a destruction-type race in which the goal is to earn the most eliminations within a time limit. If you finish in the top three, you get bonus points. After the final race is completed, a total score is calculated. Assuming you finish in the top three, you’ll be moved on to the next round.

Those who would rather not take part in the campaign can create their own unique race. To customise your experience, you can choose from a variety of game modes and settings, such as the number of laps, the difficulty of the computer-controlled racers, the direction of the track, the speed of the vehicles (divided into four categories), and the number of laps. This is in addition to the levels you can play, the vehicles you can drive, and the weapons and utilities it can carry.

There is no online multi-player support. On the other hand, a split-screen mode is available. If you want to play with friends on Steam, you can do so locally or through a service like Steam’s Remote Play.

First, let’s talk about how fast these ships travel. The slower vehicles are used at the beginning of the campaign, which is smart so that the player can learn the ropes. I wouldn’t say it’s a terrible introduction. However, the next batch of ships becomes available almost immediately after you progress to the next career event. When you use these vessels, their speed is greatly enhanced. It becomes more of a battle to avoid colliding with the walls than it is to outrun your rivals. There seems to be a problem with the level design, but I can’t tell if it’s because the ships are moving so quickly or not. If you want to avoid crashing every time you turn, always have your airbrakes ready.

It’s more of a chore than a test of skill to navigate the obscure, difficult corners of a few levels. Let me be clear: the controls themselves are fine. It’s hard to say whether the fast ship movement or the layout of the level is to blame for the occasional difficulty I have with cornering.

It’s possible to run into a brick wall at times. If that’s the case, you may be trapped. It’s hard to put into words, but know that every second counts when you’re racing against the clock and you hit a wall like this. Sometimes the collision system acts strangely.

Since there are no cutscenes or other narrative elements in the Campaign mode, it’s a little dull. It’s frustrating when, for example, you finish a destruction race tied for fourth place with three other CPUs with identical scores. I’m the last one in the screenshot, and there are two other AI players who have also been eliminated once. If the game had placed me in fifth instead of seventh, I would have received more points. This means that I need to do better in the next race if I want to improve my overall standing.

It’s not uncommon for me to be in fourth place in the Campaign. I had been in third place, but I was only one point short. Because of that single point difference, I must redo that event from the beginning if I want to continue in the Campaign and finish in the top three.

The Campaign’s final event was plagued by a bug that prevented you from moving forward after you had achieved victory. This was fixed quickly after I reported it by the developer, so hopefully it won’t be a problem anymore.

I have an idea for the Elimination mode that you should consider. Before the starting gun goes off, I think it would be smart to give racers 60 seconds to get warmed up. Too often have I been so far behind in the first 20 seconds of a race that my ship has exploded from being so far behind. Make room for players to catch up.

Another suggestion for Destruction mode is to determine victory not by the number of players eliminated but by the amount of damage dealt. It’s possible I could have done 90% of the damage to a ship, but another AI would have finished it off. A point is awarded to them, but not to me. It’s annoying when you’re able to do a lot of damage to the enemy ships but aren’t able to eliminate them. As a result, you have dropped to dead last.