Feel the rush.
Arcade racing games are a weakness for me. I simply adore them. Drifting, crashing, big jumps; I adore all of it. So when Codemasters snatched up the Motorstorm developers and put them on their own game, I followed it like a hawk. ONRUSH is the end result of what a team with an idea and a chance can achieve. It combines a lot of different ideas into one package that simply impresses. Imagine a mixture of the looks of Motorstorm, the brutality of Burnout, and the team-based cooperation of Overwatch and we have ONRUSH.
ONRUSH is not a typical racing game. None of the events are ever decided by who crosses the finish line first. I love this approach. Every race is a 6v6 matchup of vehicles with different objectives. This is where some of the Overwatch comparison comes in. Each vehicle is equipped with two passive abilities and an ultimate ability that fills up as I chained boost together. Unleashing it can change the tide of the game.
MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: XB1 (reviewed), PS4, PC
Price I’d Pay: $59.99
There are loot boxes in the game for cosmetic items. Skins for cars, stickers for tombstones, and of course emotes for that character I chose. Again, ONRUSH wears its inspirations on its sleeve. Even the loot box opening animation reminds me of my favorite online shooter.
Matches are varied depending on the mode. Some modes are about taking a moving spot on the track. Think Territories in Halo and you get the idea. Other modes required me to chain boost to earn points, while another one had me weaving through checkpoints to increase a countdown timer. Every player contributes to the team, and having a good comp is required. Each vehicle has a specialty and they can change the tide of the match.
While each mode keeps things from feeling like other racing games, not all of them work as well as others. Some of the events, such as checkpoint, lose their flare after 2-3 races. I love the ideas that the team has introduced. At times though, they feel half-baked. I wanted more focus on the passive abilities of the vehicles.
The single player mode is a welcome addition, but wears thin fast. The tracks are repeated far too often (as gorgeous as they are) and there just isn’t enough here to keep solo players coming back. I like the cosmetic items, but there are really none that scream I need to grind to get. Most are color swaps and I never see the character ones during races unless I am using a bike.
Online is where this game shines. Teaming up with friends or even randoms to work together is addictive. At launch servers are plentiful, but I wonder how long of a tail the game will have. If the online quickly becomes a ghost town, this game loses more than half of its appeal. Couple that with the limited solo content and the $60 price tag that feels a touch too much. This game would have lit up at $10 or even $20 cheaper.
I can’t talk about ONRUSH without mentioning its visuals. I played on Xbox One X and it takes advantage of the console by offering two modes, framerate and resolution. Obviously I prefer framerate for a racing game, and man is it fast. The game rarely misses a beat. The HDR support is also incredible. I turned it off to see the difference and the loss of color was astounding. Not something I would notice without having seen it first, but side-by-side it is a night and day difference.
ONRUSH is a great arcade racing game that scratches so many itches. I wish the single player was a little more drawing and diverse. I also wish some of the modes were a little more exciting, but as a new take on the genre, it feels fantastic. Don’t skip this one, it is a must-play for anyone that enjoys arcade racing.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
