If, like me, you were excited about the Switch 2 but also couldn’t see much truly new stuff beyond Mario Kart World, then I hope you like racing games as I’m currently having a jolly good time with one of the few Switch 2 exclusives that isn’t from Nintendo.
Fast Fusion, the latest entry in the now four-game Wipeout-esque futuristic racing series that began as a Wii Shop Channel game in 2011, is glorious. In fact, judged only on pure exhilaration, I’m having a better time with Shin’en’s racer than I am with Mario Kart World.
Don’t jump to the comments section just yet, put your barbed retorts away for a moment, and I’ll explain. Mario Kart World has been fun (at the time of writing I’ve only managed to put about an hour into it, and only in two-player split-screen), but so far it’s not given me the adrenaline rush that Fast Fusion has.
If you haven’t played any of the three previous entries in the series, this is a Wipeout/F-Zero/Hydro Thundery feeling sci-fi racer, with breakneck speeds, loads of boosts, gorgeous scenery, and some outrageous jumps. It’s arcade fun, but with enough depth to clearly split the lark-havers from the time trial enthusiasts.
As you attempt to keep control of your missile-like craft across increasingly more complex and dangerous courses you’ll need to pick up tokens to fill your boost bar and be aware of the colour of the boost pads, ensuring you’ve switched to the right phase (orange or blue) before you hit them or else you’ll be unceremoniously slowed down.
For all Fast Fusion’s dazzle, there’s a lot to take in, with a momentary lack of focus usually resulting in precious time being lost. On this point, to play properly you’ll need to be able to access all four shoulder buttons (leaning left and right, plus jump and boost), plus accelerate and phase shift. I will add, here, that playing in handheld mode wasn’t great for my hands, with the standard controller or Pro controller being far more comfortable.
Digital Foundry will no doubt have more to say on the visuals on display here, but it’s worth noting that there are four display options in docked mode, three of which offer a 60 FPS target with a combination of resolutions and graphics settings, and one claiming to be 4K at 30 FPS. The 30 FPS option I found almost unplayable (this game needs the smoothness of 60 FPS), and the lowest res option too rough looking, but the two in the middle are solid.
In handheld mode there are just two options that claim to offer 1080p resolution, with one at 60 FPS with reduced graphics quality and the other at 30 FPS with higher quality graphics. Again, it really has to be 60 FPS with this.
I’m still in the ‘unlocking everything’ stage of Fast Fusion (credits earned by completing races can be spent to open new race tiers and buy new ships), and I have plenty more to learn, including the titular fusion mechanic that lets you combine two ships into one with a combination of stats. I’ve already made a considerably better ship than the stock models I owned by smashing two together, and presumably combining more expensive ships will result in even better outcomes.
In the UK Fast Fusion is a budget-busting £13.49. Cost isn’t everything when it comes to what games are worth buying, but given what I’ve played I can confidently say that’ll be money very well spent. The Switch 2 launch line-up isn’t packed with exclusives, but it’s certainly looking good if you love a bit of racing.
A Nintendo Switch 2 was provided by Nintendo. Review code for Fast Fusion was provided by the publisher.
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