Set in the not so distant future of 2210, the game Antigraviator by Iceberg Interactive and Cybernetic Walrus provides a new take on the anti-gravity racing genre. After watching a couple races played, I was able to take a spin as well. And I was almost immediately became immersed into the beautiful and sleek landscape. Additionally, as I talked with the developer afterward, it was clear how much time was spent meticulously crafting each level during my time with the game. I personally, only saw two such levels, but I yearned to see more.
Of the two levels that I did see, one was in the far reaches of space and the other was in a desert canyon. Both have a unique feel when raced upon. When playing the space track, there was a feeling of immense openness. It felt like at any moment I would fly off the track and into the unknown vacuum of space and stars. By direct contrast, the desert track was a maze of twists and turns and walls that feel like they are closing inwards. It was like trying to drive through a wriggling snake’s belly. There are 4 unique si-fiesque worlds that are in this game. And each of those 4 worlds has three different courses tailored to the particular world they are designed for.
Beauty aside, what really sets this game apart from others, is the fact that there is no speed cap. In no point during the game will you have reached max speed. Thus you can race through the course with reckless abandon. But be careful. The faster the speed the harder it is to control the craft. Still, with no cap on speed, there will always be that voice inside you that tells you to go just a little bit faster. Or maybe that’s just me.
As far as the controls go, they were surprisingly simple. I often struggle to complete sharp turns in racing games. However, I found it fairly simple to drift around the map. Only as long as I was not going at outlandish speeds. In fact, the game was so easy to pick up, that I found myself placing 2nd or 1st quite often. The only difficulty I faced when testing this game was the use of an Xbox controller versus that of a PS4.
Regardless, there are certain aspects of this game that are appealing for most everyone. One of these being the ability to unlock new ships and skins. As someone who has spent upwards of $300 on skins in video games, this was something that was immediately attractive to me. There is also the ability to customize the ships based on new parts that are acquired throughout the game. But wait there’s more!
Similar to Mario Kart, there are also power-ups and boost that allow the player to get an edge the opposition. I mean, who doesn’t love taking out their anger on their fellow opponents with explosives and traps? I know I sure do. Additionally, this game also includes its own soundtrack. Unfortunately, due to the hustle and bustle of PAX, I was unable to hear it to the fullest of my ability. Still, from what I was able to hear, there were some sweet jams.
Antigraviator is set to come out later this year with an official release date yet to be determined. It will release on PlayStation, Xbox, as well as PC. Anyone in the mood for a sharp sleek racing game should definitely be on the lookout for Antigraviator. For more information about the game or the people who made it be sure to check out their official website here.
