The success of What the Bat and What the Golf continues to generate sequels and derivatives, and precisely this natural path of evolution and reworking leads us to this. review of What car?, new madness Triband released on Apple Arcade. As the official website, aptly named "What the Games", also demonstrates, there is indeed a programmatic idea to continue this style, a kind of common thread in the team's productions, although at first glance it can be difficult to find an underlying basis. logic. . In fact, the lack of this is probably a key feature of the series, but we're not complaining at all. At first glance, what car? It looks like a racing game designed on hallucinogens, however, upon closer inspection, it turns out that yes, it is truly a racing game developed in the midst of madness, but it also contains a fairly functional gameplay structure.
This attention to gameplay makes it clear that the project has been well studied, beyond its crazy appearance: What the Car? manages to propose an exercise of skill of increasing difficulty that systematically destroys the conventions of the driving game, while perfectly achieving its objective of making fun of the entire automobile culture that is usually at the center of this type of game.
In this way, the car becomes a clumsy and essentially useless object, requiring considerable skill to simply get it from the starting point to the finish line, regardless of all the classic challenging elements that are normally placed in a game of racing, as the key features of the game. . In this we find precisely the characteristic that unites the "What The" series: in the construction of games through systematic deconstruction and mockery of the conventions of the reference genres and finding, in this operation, new rules consistent with a precise game idea.
The machine with legs
Il game Conceptually it is very simple: it is about taking the vehicle from the starting point to the finish line, without having to worry about overtaking opponents or relentless stopwatches, but simply trying to reach the end somehow, which is anything but easy, in many cases. cases. Performance is still evaluated at the end of the race, but in the heat of the action we must above all fight with the strange controls and at least try to direct the car towards the finishing point, without focusing so much on speed, style or performance. bears that can inexorably end up under the wheels (or feet) of the car. The only thing we have at our disposal is a steering wheel to turn and a button that, if necessary, can act as a horn or a trigger for jumps, rockets or other modifications momentarily applied to the car.
This is because the the vehicle is constantly changing In each race: the wheels are usually replaced by legs, many legs, huge legs, jetpacks or bears, which each time represents a substantial change in the way we control the car. Added to the difficulty inherent in using a vehicle of this type is that of the circuit, which on the different routes can take on very complicated configurations with curves, drops, bridges and obstacles to avoid, making the race a real challenge.
This is especially true in the later stages, since What the Car? It starts off very light but then reaches impressive levels of chaos, continuing through its branching map.
La graphics The game recovers the style seen in the previous "What The", staging a strange minimalist 3D world, populated by handyman bears and strange animated vehicles. All aesthetic choices are in keeping with the zany look that Triband has given to its strange, multi-faceted world, with considerable attention to the animations that arise in even the most absurd situations. The somewhat rough physical handling obviously plays in favor of chaos, capable of generating more fun for everyone.
Conclusions
Tested version iPad digital delivery App Store Holygamerz.com 7.5 audience ND your voteThere is a method to the madness of What the Car, as we had already seen in previous Triband games: in the destruction and mockery of the typical elements of the driving game, a structure emerges that follows solid rules and the construction of gameplay. capable of functioning rigorously, despite its absurdity. There are some good laughs, but as you progress through the levels it becomes a challenge that you have to take seriously, although it is perhaps less structured and coherent than What the Golf. In short, this is another great addition to the Apple Arcade catalogue, which is becoming more and more convincing.
PRO
- A true interactive madness
- The gameplay becomes more structured and fun towards more advanced levels.
- Continuous and interesting variations.
AGAINST
- Too gradual introduction
- Less rigorous than other "What the"
