Topic: Trailblazers (The Splatoon of Racers)

So, Trailblazers just released and I haven't seen one single person on this entire site even acknowledge its existence. Which is a travesty of the fanbase's typical reputation for recognizing amazing indie game talent (although this borders from indie into AA game territory). But in this case, I suppose it's more of a tragedy than travesty, given this game is actually being mostly ignored despite being one of the funnest racing games I've played in recent memory, probably since Sonic Racing Transformed (not saying it's better overall, but the racing is just as fun at its core). I haven't played too much, and the characters may be corny (F Zero type of corny) and just grunts and giggles for voiceover, but when it comes to the actual racing itself... man is it fun.

It's basically got the controls of Sonic Racing Transformed, but with Splatoon mechanics. You have a paint meter and you can hold A to lay paint in your team's color. When driving over your color paint, you get a boost to your speed and you can see the fire boosting out of the back of your car. When you drive over an opponent's color of paint, it slows you down. When your paint meter runs out, it has a small cool down before refilling quickly so you can lay more paint. There are also these objects on the tracks which if you drive through, shoots out a straight line of your color paint for a certain distance. When you have a full paint meter you can also press X instead of holding A to shoot out a straight line of paint which serves as an attack that can spin out your opponents, all while laying paint on the track in the process. Each character and car has different attributes. Some lay a lot of paint but get small boosts on paint, while others are hogs that lay very little paint while getting much larger boosts on the paint.

It's an extremely simple concept, yet it's brilliant. It works incredibly well. Like, really really well. It's one of those things where after you play a single match you're just like... holy crap... this is amazing! Why hasn't anyone thought of something like this before???

Being such a great game I expected to see it in the bestsellers list on the eShop, but nope, not there. So I figured I'd check the full list and see if it at least made it into the top 50 or top 100 and is moving up... not there either. I panned down to over 300 games and still didn't see it in the listings. Maybe I just missed it- that's possible. But if this game hasn't even made it into the top 300 when there's only like 1200 games on the system... yikes.

I'm just hoping there's a few other people on this site that managed to pick this game up (it's only $29.99, and just $23.99 with GCU). I'm anxious to talk to another human being on this planet who has actually played this game to get some feedback and see if they're loving it as much as I am.

Reviews
Seems the game released to some middling reviews on other platforms, and I can't exactly figure out why. Well, that's not entirely true- the game does seem to have some unfortunate issues such as the single player campaign story ending halfway to chapter 37, then just backwards tracks and mirror modes, the online being score based rather than who placed first and then point combos being lost when bumping into a wall (encouraging a slower, play it safe approach which contradicts the basis of paint boosts and speed), some complaints of the AI, and small things like no audial indicator of Final lap... maybe a combination of all the above. But when taken as a whole, I just feel like this game is far better, or at least more fun, than the scores would suggest (if you're playing single player or local MP anyways... maybe not if online is what you're after). There's no way a game that is this fun to play, that isn't broken, is that average imo. This game should be a 9/10 based on fun factor and detracted from there for various issues. I'm thinking 7/10 at worst as an overall package. That would be my "incomplete impressions review for now". Regardless though, even if middling reviews are somehow justified, one thing I know to be true- the fun factor of the racing and mechanics rivals even Sonic Racing Transformed and Mario Kart. I think if the devs simply patched in a 1st place scoring system for MP, that alone would solve most of my personal gripes. The rest I can deal with or feel is negligible enough to only be a niggling gripe.

I was interested in this game back when it was suppose to come out in like April or May then it got pushed back to July then September and now it finally releases in mid November during a time period where a lot of bigger games are being released so it’s not shocking it’s fallen through the cracks add to that that when it was released on other platforms in the spring it didn’t receive rave reviews.I may check it out down the line if it goes on sale.

Tried it a few months back and found it serviceable but not even in the same league as MK8 or even Sonic racing. Definitely a neat concept however not quite enough meat on the bone and a lack of polish just make for an average package imo. I do how they can continue with the concept though for perhaps a more refined sequel.

Ya, I wouldn't say it's as good as those games as a whole but, as far as the actual racing goes, I think it's every bit as fun.

I'll have to keep playing to see how many different tracks there are but, I swear I could just keep racing with that paint all night long, I'd never get back to Pokémon or Civ lol.

Glad to hear that the game is good. I’ve really wanted this since I first saw some footage of it.

On to the Christmas list it goes!

Like I said, it's not perfect (more relaying complaints of others here than my own, since I haven't played enough as of yet), but I think the single player campaign is worth it for how fun the actual racing is. Definitely a game that would be fun for local MP.

Idk, maybe its cause I'm so used to racing games whose core racing just feels kinda meh, while this one was like woah, its core mechanics feel as good as the best racers out there.

Maybe for the next one they can address the issues and problems and offer a more balanced, rounded package. It's got the fundamentals of a top tier race. Just needs some iterating.