A couple of years ago, Codemasters attempted to revive the top down racing genre with Toybox Turbos. It was essentially Micro Machines, but without the license to call it Micro Machines and although the gameplay was basic, it managed to capture the essence of what made the original games so special.
The success of that release must have paid off because Micro Machines: World Series sees Codemasters reclaiming that famous name, although with it comes a lot of extra baggage, including some rather odd in-game design choices that fundamentally change the spirit of the series.
While Turbos was a charming nostalgia trip, World Series often feels calculated and almost soulless. Whatever deals were made with Hasbro for the Micro Machines name seem to have come at a price and Nerf branding is slapped liberally over the scenery and the UI. Familiar weapons from Toybox, the Tommy Gun, the Hammer and the Mines are rebranded as Nerf products, while countless Nerf guns litter the tracks and arenas. It all feels a bit like you're playing an advert rather than a game.
0 comments:
Post a Comment