The cars are all fun to drive, and the different environments do genuinely call for different approaches. Racing on asphalt roads takes guts and faith in the grip you have. Racing on loose surfaces requires discipline, resisting the temptation to overstep your limits. And there's plenty of in between situations, like judging how much you can get away with cutting a corner on a difficult surface. Or even overcoming nature's obstacles, like night time and fog. The critical flaw in the game for me is in the setups. You can choose suspension stiffness, tire set, tire pressures, etc. before every race, and everything has a very profound effect. So profound that if you get a couple of these elements wrong, you're wasting your time in the next race. Picking the right tire compound won't even put you in the ballpark. There's very little clarity in what effect the setup options have outside trial and error. And in a game like this you can never be sure they react realistically, ruling out a conventional understanding.
It's a solid and enjoyable game. The fighting mechanics in place are a bit stiff and undynamic, but are pretty functional and reward a composed, patient approach. There's a large variety of different styles of fighting. What you'd normally consider your 'character class' occurs in this through the equipment you choose, and so you may need to play a few levels to unlock your choice of melee, ranged or magic. It doesn't take long and you'll find something you like. But never underestimate the importance of some versatility! You have to be prepared to deal with any kind of enemy somehow. Character strengths improve as you go by unlocking new equipment. However before you can use it, you must have enough money to equip it. Your budget for each level's equipment comes from gold you collected in all prior levels. So you can give yourself a boost by searching earlier levels more thoroughly, and coming back later better equipped. Affording good equipment will prove essential later in this game, as it's very tough. Many levels can be like endurance tests. If you enjoy a challenge, you'll find one in Enclave. Though I should warn you, there's also a few deathtraps which you couldn't possibly guess. They're not very common, but there's a few of them. There's no shortage of variety in the game. Levels occur in very different environments, taking you to some spectacular landscapes and structures. And if that's not enough variety for you, there's a second campaign where you play on the evil side, giving you a second perspective on the conflict. Definitely an enjoyable game for me, and an easy recommendation at the humble price GoG asks.
