FAST RMX Review

Whoever says the Nintendo Switch has a poor launch line-up needs a good whack over the head with an eShop card attached to a sturdy plank of wood – FAST RMX is one of a number of Switch games delivering a staunch rebuttal to doubters’ launch expectations.

Developed by German team Shin’en Multimedia GmBH, RMX acts as a follow-up expansion of sorts to the Wii U title FAST Racing Neo. Like F-Zero, FAST RMX features futuristic high-speed anti-gravity racing. However, unlike the long-starved Nintendo franchise, RMX requires players to switch between two coloured phases, signified by the colour of the vehicle’s engine. It is vital to change between the vehicle’s orange and blue phases to match the boost and jump pads on the track. Getting the colours mixed up will slow you down or send you off track to your fiery demise.

Refreshingly, RMX does not offer all content immediately; there are a decent amount of unlockables, ranging from vehicles, courses, and higher difficulty settings. The championship mode pits racers against each other in a variety of three-race cups, with points awarded based on placings to determine the winner. Even on the lowest difficulty (and slowest, by loose definition), many of the cups are brutally difficult, with each minor mistake punished by the intelligent AI. The game still feels fair, which makes taking out first place even more satisfying. Winning cups unlocks the ability to play the completed courses in HERO mode, in addition to the other unlockables.

HERO mode ramps up the challenge for individual tracks, enforcing stricter conditions for victory: finish first without depleting your boost bar. In this mode, you start with a full bar of boost which you must carefully manage – empty your boost and the vehicle will explode, ending the race. This adds a different level of strategy to racing where you have to delicately balance your boost, but also try to speed past the other competitors at the same time.

RMX looks fantastic running at 1080p and a smooth 60 frames in TV mode, and it looks equally incredible in handheld play. Everything from the tracks, the vehicle design, and even to the minimalist menus is slick. The varied environments are vibrant and feel cohesive to the game’s overall sci-fi aesthetic. A multitude of obstacles to overcome on each track adds further depth to the course strategy, with plenty of lasers, turbines, and robots to dodge. The wild weather conditions on many tracks add another dynamic layer to not only the visuals but also in trying to navigate some of the precarious positions you may find yourself in. Heavy rainstorms affect visibility with raindrops cascading down the screen, tornadoes affect vehicle flight while kicking up thick dust, and you can feel the searing heat as solar flares whizz straight past the racetrack orbiting the sun.

FAST RMX does a thrilling job of convincingly depicting speed, with plenty of motion blur and camera shake adding extra oomph to the gameplay. The only visual weak point of the game is the lacklustre crash animations – some minor graphical glitches occur during crashes such as vehicles getting stuck in the track, but your vehicle is respawned before you can say “Joy-Con controller” three times fast. The limp crash animations only really stand out due to how sleek everything else looks.

This is a game worth cranking the sound system for. Within seconds of launching the game, your ears are treated to what the youth of today refer to as “bangers” – infectiously-catchy thumping tunes to get you psyched up. Keeping with the sci-fi vibe, RMX’s overall sound design is a superb mix of electronic music and futuristic soundscapes. Every vehicle collision and jump landing is felt with the piercing sound of metal crunching on metal, and the vehicles’ engines whine past aggressively. Incredibly, the soundtrack almost outshines the gameplay – drum & bass fans will find plenty to like here as the songs pound tightly composed heavy beats and synths during the races.

Essential to high-speed racers, RMX’s controls feel super-tight and responsive irrespective of the controller of choice. Unsurprisingly, the Pro Controller feels the most comfortable, but the other control schemes are more than adequate. The Joy-Cons work well when attached to the screen in handheld play, and feel fine when held sideways with a friend in tabletop mode. However, the HD Rumble feels weak; it does feel more nuanced than the rumble of other consoles’ controllers, but RMX’s use of rumble lacks power, especially considering the type of game it is. I normally would not bother mentioning controller rumble in a review, but it is worth pointing out when HD Rumble is advertised as a feature.

Multiplayer is a great time in RMX; split-screen multiplayer runs equally as well on TV and handheld, although the handheld screen is too small for anything more than two-player. Local-play supports up to eight players, and the same applies for online multiplayer. In my brief experience with online, connecting to races was instantaneous and reliable. My only gripe is that I had some races where I crossed the finish line only to be informed I finished behind someone I had passed a whole lap prior. I am unsure whether this was because of my internet connection, or whether it was a server issue. Regardless, this did not occur often enough for it to be a major problem.

Shin’en Multimedia have already announced an update containing a Time Attack mode and online friend support, which will be a welcome addition in addition to future planned content updates.

Rating: 4/5