One of the most neglected genres on Nintendo Switch at the moment, driving games, gains a new following thanks to the expert and veteran hands of Eden Games. We analyze what Gear Club Unlimited has given of itself, its arcade driving proposal for Switch.
Iperfectly remember the one that was built with V-Rally , the excellent simulator (at that time that was how these games were considered) for PSX created by Eden Studios (that was its name then) that, at least in England where its launch caught me, had elbows for getting him at local HMV stores. This mega hit put said French studio into orbit but, as many of you already know, years later it was absorbed by Infogrames and ended up even disappearing … to reappear months later like Ave Fénix.
Gone are the best days of this study, but despite that they continue to create games based on their great specialty: car games . They recently designed Gear Club for mobile devices, a title that was well received by users of these machines and that has encouraged the studio to create a new installment designed for Nintendo Switch . And is that Gear Club UnlimitedIt is not a port or conversion of the aforementioned mobile title, but a new version created from scratch to take advantage of the hardware and features of the Nintendo console. And to what extent has it succeeded? Well, I think it is a remarkable work that, without being the definitive speed game (I don’t think it is intended at all), it is a good contribution to the catalog of games on this machine.
Before entering the matter, it is convenient to indicate the type of game that is Gear Club Unlimited. The developers have tried to place the game halfway between simulation and arcade, although in my opinion it is much closer to the latter concept than to the simulation factor. And it does not seem bad to me, the other way around, among other things because trying to capture a pure simulator on a machine whose pads do not have analog buttons “as standard” (nor the Joy-Connot even the Pro controller have them) would be an almost impossible task. In addition, immersing yourself in the field of simulation is always a much more arduous, expensive and complex task for obvious reasons, being much easier to choose the other way. So do not expect to find the inclusion of aspects such as damage system, real physics or anything similar because you are not going to find it anywhere.
Gear.Club Unlimited – Launch Trailer
The car collection included is small, but there are interesting licensesHowever, it is a fairly adaptable game in terms of its driving requirements, since it is not only possible to choose the difficulty of the AI of the cars controlled by the CPU, but to adjust certain traditional aids such as stability or braking. as well as activating or deactivating other options such as the ideal line. That is why I think that it is a fairly accessible game and suitable for a good number of users, especially for those looking for direct and more “serious” fun that moves away from the sympathy and madness offered by the frantic races of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe , the great reference of the genre on Switch.
Sporty and adaptable drivingAs for the title itself, do not expect to find a game that monopolizes a number of unapproachable game modes as it does in other similar games available on other consoles and PC. Quite the contrary. This work by Eden Games goes straight to the point and offers us to play alone in the extensive Campaign mode or choose to compete in its offline multiplayer aspect , an option that can accommodate four users at the same time in split screen. And what about the online mode ? Well, from the beginning it is possible to compete against ghostsfrom other rivals as well as participating in sporadic world events that will be established by the developers themselves. That is, today it is not possible to play online in a traditional way, keep this in mind, although the game is prepared for it and will be activated in a few months with a free DLC.
We can fine-tune certain improvements to enjoy a highly personalized driving style.
And since we have brought up the subject, the developers plan to launch several DLCs (all free) for this production that allow users to enjoy new cars, game modes and options, packages that will arrive in a spaced manner and at a pre-established rate of one every three to four months. This policy has its reason for being, since it is a game that is quite fair in terms of the amount of content it offers as standard. The few game modes are joined by a garage that only consists of a start with just over 30 vehicles and three different environments that, yes, house 200 different layouts (although many of them are too similar in my opinion).
These circuits give about 400 tests to enjoy alone and that appear on a fairly extensive map that is progressively expanding. The races in which it is possible to participate can be of several different types: traditional, time trial, other rally in which we need to adapt our car to that style of competition … For all this, Gear Club Unlimited is not the most complete game or the one that offers us more options, and more if we compare it with the great representatives of the genre currently in other formats. But to be a title designed for Nintendo Switch, a console that beyond the aforementioned Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Fast RMX It hardly has representatives of the genre (and much less “serious”), I think it is a good incorporation.
It is possible to compete in three different zones, but more will be added in the future through free DLCs.
During the tests we can enjoy a remarkable sensation of speed (especially from the inside view), one of the great virtues of the video game. The races are rather short, a legacy of the original installment designed for mobiles that, due to the hybrid concept of Switch, I think it fits well with its characteristics.
As for the handling and leaving aside what has already been said about the absence of analog controls to accelerate / brake (something that cannot be blamed on the game itself, obviously), it is a fairly accessible title … at least If we wish, since if we deactivate all the aids and play at the highest difficulty level, things change a lot. But come on, it is one of those titles that is easy to control and that although it is necessary to be aware of the brake to take the corners, especially when we compete in rally races, the driving is quite permissible.
To try to add a layer of depth to the whole, the game includes an option called The Performance Shop in which it is possible to touch up various aspects of our vehicles. Without being anything too complex, rather the opposite, here we can fiddle with the mechanics of the cars (although “above”) and adjust certain aspects related to aerodynamics, tires, etc. And, of course, we also have other options such as buying new more powerful engines, staining our vehicle with paint and certain accessories and other similar options. An interesting function for those looking for something more than the pure arcade tonic.
It’s much more shocking in handheld mode than on TVOn the other hand, and to provide the necessary doses of “realism” in this type of game, it has had the official license of a good handful of well-known manufacturers such as BMW, Bugatti, McLaren, Jaguar or Pagani, offering us some of their vehicles best known. I have already told you that the car collection introduced is very small (we reiterate, about 30 vehicles), and more if we compare it with what other titles in other formats usually provide us, but at least its recreation is quite solid and relatively detailed … especially if we play in portable mode.
All the cars are real and belong to very leading brands such as BMW, Bentley, Nissan or Bugatti. Too bad they are so few, for now …
Precisely when we visualize this game on the 6.2-inch screen of the console when it transmits better visual sensations. The defects that are more noticeable when we connect the console to the dock such as the low resolution of some textures of the scenes, the somewhat noticeable pixelation of the reflections of the car bodies or the lack of detail that can be seen in some sections of the circuits are “camouflaged” a lot when we play in portable mode. Yes, the resolution goes from 1080p to the usual 720p offered by the console screen, but the game wins a lot in portable mode. In addition, the animation frame rate is the same in both cases, 30 very stable frames, including even when playing split-screen doubles, suffering somewhat more when there are four participants.
The sound acquires a very secondary relevance and beyond the effects of the engines, skids and others, well recreated but nothing else, there is not much to highlight in this section.
“Interesting”
Gear.Club Unlimited
7.5
Readers
(2)
Eden Games has come up with a humble but quite remarkable title for the Switch. It is true that it presents certain gaps in very specific and important areas such as the number of integrated starting vehicles or the range of game modes, very small in both cases, but it is a game that offers almost instantaneous fun and that fills a gap quite evident within the Nintendo Switch catalog. It is not the definitive speed title, it is far from being it, but it is a more than acceptable game that has very appreciable virtues.
- Good amount of circuits (although there are too similar)
- Local multiplayer works really well
- The feeling of speed is quite successful
- It is possible to adjust the driving experience within limits
- Few cars available from start. Hopefully many more will appear through the announced free DLCs
- It cannot and does not intend to fight against the great representatives of the genre in other formats
- It is quite scarce in game modes
