Have you ever wanted to race in the first-person view? What about wanting to race the depths of the 80s Internet? What type of tracks would you see yourself racing on? Would there be music that would add that next level of realism? For me, if being able to race in the depths of the Internet would be an option in the 80s, I think I would have to go with some of the classics from that time or even some synthwave electronic music racing around the tracks, but in doing so, would there be any form of danger to worry about? As we move further and further with technology, it makes me really start to think anything could happen. So does developer Entalto Studios shows us what it’s like to race on in a neon world? Let’s find out with NeonHat for the PlayStation VR.
NeonHat allows you to soar for raging speed as you dodge and shoot your way against the dangers of the Synthwave skies so you can leave your mark in this neon-soaked universe of a racer. So before hitting the tracks, please make you do the following. One, have your favorite seat as you do want to be comfortable. Ensure that your DualShock 4 controller or Move controllers are charged. And finally, just get ready to enjoy the neon worlds and race. With that said, let’s continue.
I will say that when I first started NeonHat, I did use the DualShock 4. It’s a very good controller that just feels right in the hands. So once you start, pick a save slot and name it. In the settings, you also get to select things such as showing the Cockpit to the color of your racer. I will say that I do like the loading screen of the flashing NeonHat sign like it was a neon sign. It’s the small little things that can add to the experience. But it was the controls of the DualShock 4 that seemed just a tad off. For one, you shoot with the L1 and R1. I almost would have rather had it using the L2 and R2 for shooting. But you use the L2 to fly and stop over the target. Use R2 to fly to the target.
You do have different options while playing as you can Race, pursuit, and Extreme Derby. With Race and Pursuit, you have different speeds that are broken up by kilobyte, megabyte, and Gigabyte. So if you want super-fast speeds, go with Gigabyte. Expect many crashes into walls. But if you are good with drifting, this should help.
As there are enemies to shoot your weapons at, they are A.I. And that’s it. There are no other live players to race against. When you do shoot the enemies, nothing indicates that you hit them. I mean, you can hear your weapons fire, but other than the music, that’s it. There are a set number of tracks before you reach a boss level, and I will say that some of the bosses are quite fun to try and beat. I think my favorite just might be the Spider boss (I apologize, as I don’t know why in the video there is a black box that appears, as it didn’t appear in the game).
Earlier I mentioned both the DualShock 4 controller and the Move controllers. With the DualShock 4, something other than the controls felt a little off and it did take me longer than usual to get used to things. So if you have the Move controllers, I am going to suggest that you go with them. Being able to have separate engines to control felt like a different game and just felt right.
Let’s talk about the graphics and sound. Racing in the world of NeonHat is pretty awesome with the neon colors coming alive on the PlayStation VR. Not only seeing how the tracks are laid out, but also watching what is going on in the background as well that really could shine thanks to Virtual Reality. Listening to each of the different tracks just helps bring the 80s internet of Synthwave together and helps complement the graphics.
There are some things that I hope to see added. For one, Multiplayer. Since there is no racing with other actual players, it feels like this is a missed opportunity. Playing the boss battles in single-player has some good vibes going for it, but battling bosses with other players to see who got the most damage to add to their score would be a great benefit to have. Second, for a racing game to not have any type of power-ups also seems to be missing. Yes, you can shoot the A.I. enemies, but it’s the same weapon. Maybe adding power-ups to the boss’ battles might be something, but it just seems, again, a missed opportunity here. Third, I would love to have an option where even if players can race against others, maybe be able to have a system in place so that players can design their tracks and then upload them along with adding some type of rumble feedback from the controllers. Finally, I think this game would have the added benefit of adding the 3dRudder controller, as it would add a whole new level of play to the game.
NeonHat is out now on PlayStation VR. A review code was provided.
To learn more about Entalto Studios, please visit their site, follow them on Twitter, follow them on Instagram, and subscribe to their YouTube channel.
Also, check out the NeonHat interview.
In case you missed the trailer, please enjoy. Until next time, I have some scores that I need to increase.
