Eden Games’ Nintendo Switch game gets a release on the PlayStation 5 as Gear.Club Unlimited 2 – Ultimate Edition.

Industry veterans, Eden Games have been developing racing games going all the way back to the 1990s with their V-Rally games. Their 2011 open-world racer, Test Drive Unlimited 2 was a lot of fun. In recent years the developer has concentrated on mobile racing games including bringing the Gear.Club franchise to the Nintendo Switch.

Now, I enjoyed the 2017 original Gear.Club Unlimited on Switch. It was a lot of fun and bought an impressive racing game to Nintendo’s portable console. Sadly, I didn’t fare as well with Gear.Club Unlimited 2 – Ultimate Edition on the PS5.

On paper, the game looks great. There’s a huge map with loads of races, over 50 licenced cars, a decent campaign, and lots of customisation and upgrades. This version also has all the DLC included.

The graphics don’t look too bad. The campaign story is told via static character images and text, a holdover from the mobile-friendly Switch version of the game.

There’s a bit of pop-up and sometimes some stuttering. This is surprising for a game ported from the humble Switch to the comparative powerhouse that is the PlayStation 5.

Regardless of the above, the game’s presentation, graphical style, race environments, and cars all look very nice. Things really take a turn for the worst when you actually start racing.

Vehicle handling is snatchy and unrefined.

At first, it felt like I was controlling the car with digital buttons rather than an analogue controller. The handling seems to be trying to mimic a more simulated driving experience rather than that of an arcade racer. I have to admit that I got used to the handling, but I can’t say I liked it.

Of the track, the game also veers towards the motorsport simulation side of things, which is good. The game gets players involved in the buying and tuning of the fleet of race cars as well as equipping the garage. Building and maintaining a fleet of cars, upgrading components and the workshop facilities is actually quite good fun. This side of the game adds depth to what could just be an arcade racer.

The game can be played online and with local multiplayer. Online, players can create or join a club and race as a part of a team. The four-player local split-screen is a rarity and another plus point.

In the interest of science, I also had the opportunity to try Gear.Club Unlimited 2 on the Nintendo Switch, as it was on sale over Christmas. It is, essentially, the same game on Nintendo’s portable console.

It’s also clear that in porting the game over to the PlayStation 5, the controls, which work very well with the Switch’s Joycons, just don’t match the expectations when using the PS5’s DualSense controllers. This is a big shame, as a bit of refinement in the car handling, removing the snatchy steering, would make all the difference.

On paper, Gear.Club Unlimited 2- Ultimate Edition on PlayStation 5 has everything going for it. It’s a nice-looking and full-featured, comprehensive racing game.

Unfortunately, the vehicle handling, whilst it works on the Switch, feels primitive compared to the likes of Forza Horizon 5 or Gran Turismo Sport.

The slick presentation, features, multiplayer, and pumping soundtrack mean that, if you can overlook its weaknesses, the game is still fun to play.

The post Gear.Club Unlimited 2 – Ultimate Edition (PlayStation 5) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Switch games generally seem to fall into two categories: genuinely incredible gaming experiences and great portable gaming experiences. Gear Club Unlimited is one of those games.

As a portable experience the game is astounding. Anyone that’s played Eden Games’ Test Drive Unlimited games know that they are capable of stuffing a very large and detailed areas into a game.

Playing the game on your TV, and the experience is not so impressive, especially up against the likes of Gran Turismo Sport and Forza Motorsport 7. But let’s not kid ourselves here, Nintendo’s Switch is all about portability. And with that in mind, with Gear Club Unlimited, you’ve got a rather fabulous racing game that you can take wherever you go.

The game is basically a retooled version of Eden’s freemium mobile game, Gear Club. All the nags have been removed, leaving you with all the fun without having to dip your hands in your pockets to pay for microtransactions. Also, using the Switch’s thumbsticks are a lot easier than a smartphone’s touchscreen.

The campaign mode in Gear Club Unlimited presents players with huge number of progressively unlocked tournaments across different environments. Completing in races earns you stars, exp and cash. Stars unlock races, exp raises your level unlocking workshop items and, of course, cash enables you to purchased cars, upgrades and other items.

Players work their way through a career that unlocks races across different regions of the map. You can be racing along a waterfront, through quaint villages and even sliding through the mud of a rally course.

The cars handle superbly well, with the game featuring actual cars from the likes of Ford, Lotus, BMW and GM. The game does a good job with its learning curve and getting you used to steering the cars. At first you can negotiate the circuits with barely a touch of the brakes. As cars are upgraded and better cars being made available for purchase, the extra speed, faster opponents and tighter tracks increase the skill required to win.

A neat inclusion that certainly helps at the beginning of your career is the ability to rewind a race if you mess up. The feature is used to great effect by Codemasters in their racing games, as well as in the Forza series. There’s nothing worse than losing a race at the last minute because of a silly mistake.

Cars are modified and upgraded in the performance shop. New workshops can be added and upgraded to provide enhancements to bodywork, mechanics, tyres and other cosmetic improvements. The rally workshop enables players to kit their cars out in order to meet the additional demands of off-road racing.

The single player races in the campaign are complemented by Leagues events. These daily races allow players to be ranked winning or losing league points. Gain enough points and players move up to a new league and harder opponents.

Local multiplayer allows up to four players to race on a single screen. The action is a bit small on the Switch’s screen, and the visuals look a bit bland on a big TV screen. The option’s there if you want it.

If I had to fault Gear Club Unlimited, it would be that it still feels a bit like a free-to-play game. I also suffered with the controls a bit, but I have always found the Switch controls a little too small for my hands.

With great car handling, great visuals on the small Switch screen and an in-depth car modification system, the game offers hours of gameplay. Gear Club Unlimited is a game I’d recommend to any Switch owner and an absolutely essential purchase if you like racing games.

The post Gear Club Unlimited (Nintendo Switch) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.