Switch Galaxy Ultra Review (PC)

good
key review info
  • Game: Switch Galaxy Ultra
  • Platform: PC
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: N/a
  • Reviewed on:
Switch Galaxy Ultra racing moment

Switch Galaxy Ultra is a video game about speed and space, the kind of title that asks gamers to imagine a future where space has developed its analog of the highways systems here on Earth and truckers need to carefully avoid their dangers as they move across the stars delivering their cargo.

The game also taught me to hate the color red, which is used to mark all obstacles that can slow down the player's ship, and to appreciate any ship upgrade that can increase my dexterity and my ability to move from lane to lane.

Switch Galaxy Ultra starts off a little slow, but the mechanics are solid enough to deliver a sense of speed that can get a player's adrenaline pumping as he dodges obstacles and tries to hit as many of the power-ups as possible.

The title offers a straightforward take on the lane-based space racing genre and will offer hours of fun to those who love its core mechanics, even if there's little in the way of entirely new ideas to explore.

Depending on the platform taken into account, the final Wipeout launch was in either 2008 on the PlayStation 3 or in 2012 on the Vita, and that means there's clearly a modern audience that wants to get a similar experience, which Switch Galaxy Ultra offers.

Gamers should be warned that the mechanics heavily emphasize quick reflexes and that there are moments when the level design might feel unfair to those who lack fast twitching fingers.

The title is developed and published by Atomicon and can be played on the PlayStation 4, the PC and the Vita, with cross-play offered for the two platforms from Sony.

Story

Switch Galaxy Ultra tells a story about Vince Vance, a rogue that aims to be charming but tends to be just a pain for anyone else to deal with, and about his need to get access to some fast cash after fighting some aliens in a casino and losing to them.

That means working for a big corporation that has him moving through the galaxy using his space truck, trying to collect as much Tantalum as possible to progress through the levels.

The narrative of Switch Galaxy Ultra is delivered in comic book form, with some cool graphics that suggest a bigger universe where trade is crucial, and there are some interesting new issues that the player gets as the game progresses.

Switch Galaxy Ultra race time
Switch Galaxy Ultra race time

Unfortunately, there's little interest from the developers to turn the story into an important part of the game and the focus is clearly on the mechanics.

The setting is a little generic, but Atomicon had the opportunity to introduce a twist or two to keep gamers engaged in the long term.

Unfortunately, the developers only hint at the wider universe of Switch Galaxy Ultra rather than give gamers a way to explore it and maybe learn a little more about the joy and sadness that mark the life of a space trucker.

Gameplay

Switch Galaxy Ultra is a lane-driven racing game that challenges the player to find the fastest route through a wide variety of levels while also encouraging them to collect Tantalum to ensure progress.

The game is deceptively simple initially, with just four keys required to control the ship as it moves at relatively tame speeds down space highways, with the player tasked with avoiding broken paths and with hitting boost pads to reach his destination as quickly as possible.

The design is simply elegant, and the game introduces new options and perils at a steady pace to boost the level of challenge and to get the players moving faster than ever before.

Slow lanes are easily avoidable, and boost areas should be a prime target for every player, but lane switching becomes complicated as barriers are introduced, alongside side passes that allow the ship to move through them without any loss of speed.

Later actual enemies and bombs make an appearance, adding to the dangers that a player needs to deal with, and the complexity of each of the level increases gently but surely, leading to some final levels that will test even the most seasoned fans.

Switch Galaxy Ultra also offers credits to pick up, often placed in locations riddled with slowdown dangers, and the player has access to some ships, each with its own setup upgrades to improve performance.

Tantalum is obtained in the section in the middle of all levels and can only be lost in the final run to the destination city, which means that gamers will have to balance the need to move as fast as possible with their desire to converse the resource that opens up later campaign content.

Atomicon has riddled these sections with barriers and a lot of lanes, which means that it's a good idea to either conserve some passes to make it home quickly and with a full load or to simply slow down.

The best levels of Switch Galaxy Ultra create moments where a kind of tunnel vision develops, and my brain only registers possible obstacles and tries to calculate paths through them and then convince my fingers to move fast enough to execute the plan.

It's a thrilling experience, and the feeling of speed can get some adrenaline pumping, especially when revisiting levels using the faster ships that can be unlocked loaded with a full array of upgrades, which can easily deliver improved times even while hitting a few barriers.

The biggest problem with Switch Galaxy Ultra is that it can turn repetitive once the player spends a few hours with it, recycling some of the assets as the levels themselves tend to lack a little personality later on.

I like the feeling of speed and the way the game asks me to balance rewards and danger that appear on the space highways, but there are moments when the challenge level feels unfair, and I needed some time to cool off before trying once again to get the Tantalum required to access new areas.

Graphics and audio

Switch Galaxy Ultra is a solid-looking if not impressive video game, managing some interesting backgrounds with a lot of visual information that the player needs to find his way through the levels.

There's not a lot of detail for the ships or the tracks themselves, but the galaxy around looks good enough, although most gamers will never have time to explore it because they will be too busy trying to achieve their objectives.

When the player's ship is moving at close to full speed, Switch Galaxy Ultra manages to still deliver clear information about the level and how a player can approach it although there are some sections where the road is hidden for short periods of time, and it's a little harder to spit money or boosts than it should be.

The voice acting in the game is better avoided because of the underpar delivery, but the music manages to enhance the racing experience, adding another level of immersion when the player reaches for top speed as he tries to duck through obstacles on the final run to his destination.


The Good

  • Classic lane racing mechanics
  • Sense of speed

The Bad

  • Limited story appeal
  • Some difficulty spikes

Conclusion

Switch Galaxy Ultra is a very niche experience, but for those who loved Wipeout or the idea of moving fast across space lanes, it can deliver challenging moments and very fun levels.

The narrative should have been a little more interesting, and the graphics would have been well served by an increase in detail, but the core mechanics from Atomicon are carefully constructed to deliver speed and complexity without moving into frustration space.

The genre itself feels limited, and the development team makes almost no attempt at delivering a new idea that can open up new ways for it to evolve in the coming years, but for more classic-minded players Switch Galaxy Ultra is a good way to create some new memories.

story 6
gameplay 8
concept 8
graphics 7
audio 8
multiplayer 0
final rating 7
Editor's review
good
 

Switch Galaxy Ultra (20 Images)

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