Here are a few alternatives you could be taking for a spin

Released for switch on launch day in 2017, is a port of the Wii U title and it’s more in the mould than Though visually impressive with a 60fps target,

never really gets into a good flow due to a frustrating, stop-start boost system and clumsy course design. craft turning, pitching and flying. With all of these in mind, we essentially develop an idea of what we want in each craft and we iterate on it until we are sure we have got it right.”

hile speed is a key aspect in racing games of all types, we have to talk about something that no one really likes doing, braking. has adopted the airbrake systems seen in AG racing games with fully analogue control, as Carlton explains: “Each craft has two airbrakes that can be used to help turn the craft sharply if held down but each one is also analogue, so you if you press a trigger halfway, you will get half of that airbrake’s capability. They can be useful on technical circuits, but having both airbrakes active act as the crafts main brake, so there is a lot of finesse in how they are used.”

Pitch is also not forgotten unlike in say,

where the craft seemed almost rigidly stuck to the circuit without real need to dip or lift the nose. “A craft can pitch to get extra speed from a jump or fall, but if a player doesn’t counter in time, the craft will hit the track and can be slowed from it. This can also be used to manage how the craft flies on an undulating track to take a faster or more manageable route,” says Carlton. The system was a key feature of when you would unceremoniously bounce if you hit the track floor at high speeds, mastering this became one of the most satisfying parts of AG racing games.

Combat is the remaining piece of the puzzle for Carlton to discuss with us. does this without weapons but with ramming techniques,

of course, goes full though fortunately without a Blue Shell equivalent.

takes its own approach with a new take on the weapons system. “We have a feature in our weapons called ‘impulse’, which is something we believe helps set us apart,” says Carlton. “When a craft is impacted by a weapon, instead of being automatically slowed, they are shoved sideways and away from the point of impact. This means that a skilled pilot may be able to predict this and prepare for it with a defensive weapon, or react to the impact and counter-steer to avoid a wall.” Defence is an important part of any battle and

mixes things up in this department, too.

“We have taken a new approach both in terms of health systems and craft interaction,” says Carlton. “There are two ways of resisting damage; shield and health, which allow for an interesting element of risk management,” he adds.