Onrush is the ultimate adrenaline rush
In just a few weeks Codemasters’ arcade-style racing game, Onrush, will launch on both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. However, this past weekend I had the chance to get in on the fast-paced action a little early with the Onrush beta.
The game is being developed by the same people, in a new team at Codemasters, that previously brought us the MotorStorm series of games and Driveclub. Published by Deep Silver, Onrush isn’t about crossing the finish line first. This 6v6 team based circuit battle game is all about teamwork and the team that works together the best wins.
Pre-order Onrush now for PlayStation 4
Pre-order Onrush now for Xbox One
Gravity defying arcade racing
Before you can compete in any events, the game takes you through a tutorial. You are introduced to each of the different vehicle classes, which all come equipped with RUSH abilities. Think of it as a massive turbo boost with perks.
When the game launches June 5th, there will be a total of eight different vehicles classes. However, the beta had four of the eight vehicle classes playable—Blade, Titan, Vortex, and Interceptor. The Blade is essentially a dirt bike that allows you to zip around your opponents and works great when out in front of the pack.
The Titan is a heavily armoured vehicle that gives your nearby teammates a defense boost. While the Vortex looks like a Dune buggy that create a whirlwind behind it, causing opponents who follow to closely to crash. And, finally, my personal favourite the Interceptor. It’s an off-road vehicle that has the ability to instantly refill your RUSH gauge after each successful takedown.
The controls are easy to grasp and consist of holding a button for gas, holding a button for turbo, and pressing a button to active RUSH when available.
It’s not about racing to the finish line
The Onrush beta featured two maps and two different gameplay modes. Each mode was a best two out of three and there were various weather conditions for each track in addition to night and day time racing.
The first mode I played was Countdown. The goal is to add time to the clock by going through checkpoint gates scattered around the track. Your team’s time is constantly ticking down and the first team whose time runs out loses.
While initially I didn’t think it was going to be that fun, I was pleasantly surprised. The action was fast-paced, which meant there was always something going on. Add in RUSH abilities and vehicle stunts and you have a recipe for success.
The second mode available to play in the beta was Overdrive. The object much like Countdown was simple. The team to reach 1000 points first in a round wins. You can earn points by taking out opponents, doing tricks, landing big jumps and more. Again, I wasn’t expecting much. Though, after a few matches, I didn’t want the action to stop.
Arcade-style colourful graphicsÂ
Much like the graphics in MotorStorm and Driveclub were impressive, Onrush’s graphics are great. Weather effects such as snow blowing and water splashes in addition to destructive environments have never looked better. And, just like the game’s graphics, the soundtrack is top notch.
It’s a mix or hip-hop beats and hard rock songs that are reminiscent of arcade racers from years gone by.
Seamless Online play
Online play during the Onrush beta was quick and I never had an issue finding a match. On the odd occasion, I connected to existing lobbies where a game had just finished. However, those instances were far and few in between.
For the vast majority of the time, match making was efficient, fast, and had me racing in a matter of moments. This made me even more excited for Onrush’s impending launch. The final game features a co-op campaign with over 90 events and hundreds of objectives to beat.
If the online experience is anything like what I experienced in the Onrush beta, we are in for a treat.
Pre-order Onrush now!
Onrush is scheduled for release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on June 5th, 2018. There is still time to pre order the day one edition. This edition includes the game plus the Vortex Buggy Design.
Overall, I’m pretty excited about what Onrush brings to the table. If you love fast-paced arcade style racing, then you will surely want to try this game. Stay tuned for a full review on the Best Buy blog soon!
Pre-order Onrush now for PlayStation 4
Pre-order Onrush now for Xbox One
