Developed by Firebrand games, known for their iOS titles, Fast and Furious: Showdown is the worst kind of shameless movie tie-in: it’s the kind that the publisher knows is so atrocious that it released virtually no pre-release material for it.
Taking place as a prequel to the upcoming film Fast and Furious 6, Showdown casts you as hero and villain alike; partaking in races, heists, freeway shootouts and overall vehicular warfare. The most hardcore Fast fanatics may appreciate the visual likenesses of the characters (no real voice actors here), and maybe the pathetic storyline told through unbearable cutscenes, but after that . . . ugh.
I’m no game developer, but I do know that if I were to take an intro class or seminar to the profession, Fast and Furious: Showdown could very much be the first example of what not to make. Levels are all the same open highways with different scenery around the guardrails- no median, no shortcuts--just flat, sometimes twisty roads., Backgrounds are straight out of Cruisin’ U.S.A. Both the enemy and comrade A.I. are pathetic, and the game looks like an iOS title. The asking price of $40 bucks is inexcusable.
Gameplay spans 10 lousy chapters that can be completed in a couple of hours. There is also a challenge mode as well as local co-op. During races, chases, and highway shootouts, if you’re playing alone you can switch between multiple characters, driving and shooting. Controls are abysmal-- feeling like they were intended to be steered by touching the sides of a screen or by rotating an iPad. Cars slide out of control, and can’t decide if they handle like an arcade racer or driving simulator. Hitting jumps or the “drift” button is always a complete gamble. Opponents rubberband back and forth during competitive races, and police and pursuers are there to be wrecked by you, and nothing else.
The worst part about the gameplay is that it’s just plain boring. Yes, cars are constantly exploding and flipping out of control, but what’s the point? Enemy vehicles have no real weight or consistent physics, so if you hit them or not, there’s really isn’t any feeling of danger. With shoddy controls come cheap endings, and after a long and boring seven-minute race, why would anyone want to start over after “wrecking” 100 yards from the finish line?
Aside from basic driving and passenger-side shooting, sometimes quicktime events will have your character jumping from car to car. This is undoubtedly the best part of the game because if you miss the jump to the intended car, a laughable splatting sound effect couples with your character hitting the highway.
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