💥 TRENDING: Id/Rewdalf/recommended/ - Complete Album!

We're getting patches, adjustments, and fixes; which is good! A few gripes still exist, and it's still in early access, but it's good to see player concerns get addressed and worked on during this early period.
There are still difficult races, but many fans know this is a 'feature' in TXR rather than a bug. The previous iteration of Melancholy Angel though was a tad ridiculous, but it's been adjusted with a compromise.

Progression still needs work, unlocking things is still a bit of an issue; namely the limited points you get for perks, and not being able to get through some once you beat every racer-... but the game is solid and shows that it can and will change for the better while still being a genuine TXR title

===PRIOR REVIEW===

It's in early access, and it shows.

Despite the thumbs down, the game looks and feels great. It's a competent remaster/remake of the golden age of TXR games. The cars feel good to drive, and the soundtrack is on point.

While it lacks the comprehensive vehicle list of some of the previous titles, this isn't it's biggest flaw.

Where the game falls completely flat is balance and difficulty.
It starts out pretty mild, low end cars and some light upgrades. Some races feel easy, and some are a challenge. You advance and earn better cars, and more upgrades are made available. Once you can start buying more, the game quickly gets very easy if you play your cards right.
Emphasis on very easy.
A fully upgraded car in the second stage(s) will absolutely destroy most race teams, and the AI really just feels like it's racing on rails; only switching lanes abruptly to avoid traffic...

Then, after the first two waves of teams and bosses, it hits you full force with a series of rivals that are basically unbeatable later on.

A few require more intricate tuning, or more careful play. This isn't a bad thing, but it may alienate more casual players. I play with manual shifting and I know how to tune a gearbox. Not everyone else will...
Correct tire choice may sometimes be a factor. Getting the temporary one-night upgrade from the mechanic is needed for a boss or two. There are times when you have to think or change your approach to a boss or wanderer. As I said, not a bad thing.

But, even for veterans of TXR, we have to talk about 'Melancholic Angel.' This boss is so ridiculously busted, that there is no feasible way to defeat them without glitching or exploiting. Their car has twice the power of anything you are allowed to own or upgrade, and racing them is completely pointless.
This is where the second big issue pops in; the progression. It's done terribly, requiring you to 'advance' through groups and bosses in order to be allowed to purchase better cars and upgrades. But, the bosses that you're asked to race can only be rivaled with better cars and upgrades! This takes all of the enjoyment I had up until that point and grinds it to a halt...

It's not that unlocks shouldn't exist, it's their pacing that's absolutely out of whack... a progression system like this can work, but only if the resources given to the player aren't gapped so far with the AI you're expected to race and beat.

So, until the balance and progression is fixed or addressed, I can't recommend the game; since these issues make it nearly unplayable once you hit the limit...

We're getting patches, adjustments, and fixes; which is good! A few gripes still exist, and it's still in early access, but it's good to see player concerns get addressed and worked on during this early period. There are still difficult races, but many fans know this is a 'feature' in TXR rather than a bug. The previous iteration of Melancholy Angel though was a tad ridiculous, but it's been adjusted with a compromise. Progression still needs work, unlocking things is still a bit of an issue; namely the limited points you get for perks, and not being able to get through some once you beat every racer-... but the game is solid and shows that it can and will change for the better while still being a genuine TXR title ===PRIOR REVIEW=== It's in early access, and it shows. Despite the thumbs down, the game looks and feels great. It's a competent remaster/remake of the golden age of TXR games. The cars feel good to drive, and the soundtrack is on point. While it lacks the comprehensive vehicle list of some of the previous titles, this isn't it's biggest flaw. Where the game falls [i]completely[/i] flat is [b]balance[/b] and [b]difficulty[/b]. It starts out pretty mild, low end cars and some light upgrades. Some races feel easy, and some are a challenge. You advance and earn better cars, and more upgrades are made available. Once you can start buying more, the game quickly gets [i]very[/i] easy if you play your cards right. [b]Emphasis on [i]very[/i] easy[/b]. A fully upgraded car in the second stage(s) will absolutely destroy most race teams, and the AI really just feels like it's racing on rails; only switching lanes abruptly to avoid traffic... Then, after the first two waves of teams and bosses, it hits you [b]full force[/b] with a series of rivals that are basically unbeatable later on. A few require more intricate tuning, or more careful play. This isn't a bad thing, but it may alienate more casual players. I play with manual shifting and I know how to tune a gearbox. Not everyone else will... Correct tire choice may sometimes be a factor. Getting the temporary one-night upgrade from the mechanic is needed for a boss or two. There are times when you have to think or change your approach to a boss or wanderer. As I said, not a bad thing. But, even for veterans of TXR, we have to talk about 'Melancholic Angel.' This boss is so ridiculously busted, that there is no feasible way to defeat them without glitching or exploiting. Their car has twice the power of anything you are allowed to own or upgrade, and racing them is completely pointless. This is where the second big issue pops in; the progression. It's done terribly, requiring you to 'advance' through groups and bosses in order to be allowed to purchase better cars and upgrades. But, the bosses that you're asked to race can [i]only[/i] be rivaled with better cars and upgrades! This takes all of the enjoyment I had up until that point and grinds it to a halt... It's not that unlocks shouldn't exist, it's their pacing that's absolutely out of whack... a progression system like this [i]can[/i] work, but only if the resources given to the player aren't gapped so far with the AI you're expected to race and [i]beat[/i]. So, until the balance and progression is fixed or addressed, I can't recommend the game; since these issues make it nearly unplayable once you hit the limit...