Developer: Strobetano
Publisher: Crescent Moon Games
Platforms: PC
Tested on: PC
Neodori Forever – Review
Sometimes games need to be flashy and filled with cool gameplay features to be interesting to a broader audience. Luckily, there are still those who don’t care about the masses and just do what they want. The same goes for Neodori Forever. This game looks and plays like an older arcade game, but takes elements from popular mobile endless runner titles to make the gameplay feel a bit more modern. These elements all come together nicely in a fun bite-sized title.
Story
If you are looking for a story, then Neodori Forever probably isn’t for you. There is no introduction nor an explanation of who you are or why you are racing along these busy streets. It seems that you have made a bunch of rivals along the way as many people will want to challenge you, yet their interaction is barely personal, so it might just be like those jackasses you encounter during your daily commute.
Graphics
Visually the game looks like it could be made for an arcade somewhere in the late 90s or early 00s. The polygon retro graphics will take you back to the era of early 3D games and the camera style clearly gives the title the same atmosphere as we see in games such as Outrun. If you spent many hours in the arcade like us, then you could see this title placed between the many other racing games from that era. When it comes to details, the cars might look simple, but there are 27 different models that you can collect. On top of that, you’ll race in eleven different locations, so there is no lack of unique content.
Sound
If we would score the games on sound alone, then this title would get a solid 10 out of 10. The kickass soundtrack will get the adrenaline flowing and you’ll simply be enthralled by the game’s tracklist. The music ranges from feisty Eurobeat to pumping techno and chillwave-styled cruising songs. Whilst the music is top-notch, the sound effects have remained true to arcade standards, making most cars sound the same. Other sound effects are very simple but it all suits the game’s overall atmosphere.
Gameplay
Neodori Forever can be best described as being an auto-runner type of game as you have no real control of your speed. It seems your gas pedal is stuck, and you can only drive at the max speed. As anyone with a car knows, this burns a bunch of fuel and fuel is your health in this game. When you hit a wall or crash into another car you lose health. You’ll have to pick up jerrycans while driving to refill your gas tank and make it to the finish line. If you run out of gas, there is no second chance, and you’ll have to start the level from the beginning. The game has eleven locations and each location has a set amount of levels.
Alongside picking up jerrycans, you can collect coins and boost pickups. With coins, you can buy a car loot box and get one of the 26 other unlockable vehicles. As this process is completely random, the price will stay the same for all vehicles. Getting a really good car out of this is somewhat luck based, but you will soon learn that your starter car isn’t all that bad. Each car handles differently and it can take some time to find the car that fits you like a glove. If driving at top speed isn’t fast enough, and you need to get out in a pinch, then the boost will be your lifesaver. Once you pick up enough boost pickups you can hit the button and you’ll hit speeds never seen before. This can give you an extra edge when you are facing off against a rival. Driving at full speed and street racing others will eventually come to the attention of the police. They will try to stop you with force, but once you dodge them, they will easily give up on the chase.
Controlling your vehicle depends mainly on each car’s handling capabilities. Some cars will drive more aggressively while others tend to drift easily. The game can be enjoyed with a keyboard but a controller would work better. The game states there is controller support, but our two controllers didn’t register during our testing period.
Conclusion
Neodori Forever is a fun arcade game that will tickle the nostalgia nerves for some or is an easy-to-enjoy auto-runner game for others. The graphics look good, and the diversity in the many levels gives you an incentive to make progress. If that isn’t the case, then trying to collect all vehicles might be another one. You can always pick up the game and enjoy it in short sessions, or try to clear as many levels without failing. The music is so great that we’d pay the developers to be able to download it. The controls might feel better with a controller but playing it on a keyboard is not impossible, especially when you have found the right car that suits you perfectly.
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