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Starting with the positives the game’s visuals, for being simple, are definitely eye-catching and interesting. Everything plays smoothly in general from a performance standpoint, even when in 2-player split-screen, which may be the best way to play since it introduces some actual competition into the mix. To make things a bit more interesting you have shooting, which is handled with the right analog stick and is generally pretty easy since all you need to do it aim. As a base, this is all on the right track. You can tackle the game’s 15 tracks one by one solo, with a friend, or you can take them on in a more tournament circuit fashion 5 at a time in the King of the Galaxy mode. As you progress you’ll be able to unlock some new ships, though honestly the nuances in their relative performance don’t feel that substantial so I’d chalk the various ships up to being more of a mere aesthetic choice. Finally, you can then feel free to change your ships colors to show a bit of personality as well. Where things get a bit more tricky is with the racing mechanics themselves. While you’re very good at going fast slowing down is a challenge that becomes more aggravating as you try to push yourself to get further and do better. With barriers and segments of track without railings on the side you do need to watch yourself as once you deplete your ship’s energy it will be game over and back to the start. Since you have no competitors on the track your only reward is beating your own times and perhaps competing on the leaderboards but it doesn’t take long for the experience to get a bit lonely, especially since the variations in the tracks aren’t major enough in terms of layout or aesthetics to prevent them from sort of meshing together in your mind. There’s an indie spirit to Mercury Race that I appreciate, with the game refusing to strictly to adhere to any specific formula, but the result can be a bit of a letdown as well. The shooting is a fine distraction and keeps you on your toes but it also doesn’t necessarily elevate the game substantially. That’s especially true since the racing itself, while competent, isn’t terrific either. If you’re able to play with a friend in split-screen that’s probably the best way to enjoy the game, with a little competition. Unfortunately, going solo in the end it’s a bit of a lonely experience in the end and going for better times on the leaderboards can only be so engaging for very long.
Justin Nation, Score:Fair [6.0]