Growing up and being a young male kid I was very excited to have both Micro Machines and even Hot Wheels. One game I especially remember like it was just yesterday was the game Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament, which I played on MS-DOS. Yes, quite a while ago since that game was out in 1994. Fast forward to the year 2017 and the team at Codemasters is back with a new Micro Machines. Codemasters team: if you’re reading this, you should totally port over that classic if you get my drift.
How’s the game? Let’s dig into our review of Micro Machines World Series from Codemasters!
At the time of writing I’ve put a good 10+ hours into the game, that’s including my Steam account as well as local playing with friends who have also purchased the game. Some racing games include a story, but with Micro Machines World Series the game gets straight to the point. I’m going to state now there is nothing wrong with racing games including Micro Machines World Series itself. As someone who grew up with the original Need for Speed and the games that came after on all sorts of systems. (My favorite racing game growing up has and will always be Diddy Kong Racing.) This game features a top down style that I can remember playing, but with a new look of course. Codemasters has a track record of games such as Dirt 2, Dirt 3, Dirt 4, Grid 2 and many more games that aren’t racing titles. So what craziness will I expect when playing a game in which all my Micro Machines have weapons and other power-ups?
The gameplay itself isn’t as I hoped to a point. The courses are pretty awesome to look at while racing. Some of the levels include a pool table, kitchen, and even work bench with saws and more. Many of the levels within the game include various hazards to avoid, such as weapons of other vehicles, slippery roads, or disappearing ice, among others. While I love the racing aspect of the classics, having hazards as part of the game gets two thumbs up from me. In the end, it’s one of the only areas of the game you’ll want to keep playing, but there are more modes than just that. There is elimination, which has you and other cars racing to stay on screen–get too close to edge of the screen and you’re out. Other modes include a nice little free-for-all as you battle to score the most points by end of time or even a set score. When it comes to the overall gameplay, the basic racing is what I grew up enjoying, while I felt like the other in-game modes were a nice touch to provide replay value if you have friends who can join you. While the game does have online, I felt like I had more fun when playing with friends than random users.
When it comes to the look of the game… If you’ve taken time to Google the game Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament and took a glance at the art style of that title. You can see where the idea of that classic was brought to today’s version of the franchise. The visuals are pretty solid and provide real textures to make sure the game is updated with the look of the classics shining through. One level I loved was the pool table in both the classic and Micro Machines World Series. Codemasters being the masters of the Micro Machines franchise made sure to bring the concept from the past titles and add more features such as the loot boxes to make your Micro Machines your own. Having loot boxes is nice, but will require you to level up in-game to unlock more. It’s better than paying for loot boxes like other games lately have done. Again this is another thumbs up from me per having a system to unlock new skins and more by simply playing the game.
As for the audio of the game, it does have a nice soundtrack to listen to when exploring the menu. Your main focus when playing will be listening to the levels themself due to the hazards that may or may not come up during racing or even battle modes.
Overall, Micro Machines World Series is a solid game that will grant anyone who plays a good time online or with friends locally. As for reviving what I grew up with, I do think the game needs more work in terms of more levels to race on. If you’re reading this Codemasters, you should bring some of those classic racing levels into the game. Who didn’t love racing a boat in the middle of a bathtub? It feels as if the game is very focused on having all out battles against everyone rather than a main focus of racing for first place. I’m not saying that’s bad, but I feel as if all-out battle style racing games have been overdone as of late.
The nostalgia of the classics really grew on me, which is why I was so excited for this game after seeing the trailers. In the end do I feel as if this game is worth its $29.99 price tag. Sadly, my answer is that it’s overpriced for the content it does have. I could see this game being a great deal for what it is now for around $15, but you never know if they’ll drop the price or not. The future may include some DLC or other features that those of that grew up with the Micro Machines franchise that would like to see.
Micro Machines World Series was provided for review purposes for Steam format. For more information on the game head to: http://www.micromachinesgame.com/index_us.html.
