fun, engaging, simple, casual but also partly challenging arcade racer with a couple surprises and a lot of content


Horizon Chase Turbo (HCT) is an arcade racing game that has a lot to offer. You can compete in several campaigns and different challenge modes. Overall more than 100 unique racing tracks await in a very diverse set of scenery inspired from places and countries around the world. If you have friends, you can also race them in (local) multiplayer.


The games description reads: "Thrilling arcade racing game, inspired by the super-fun-straight-to-the-point classic racing games from the 90s." which sums it up perfectly well. It is easy, rather streamlined and you can just start racing. I really like the simplicity. Depending on the track and car you chose you don't even need to use your breaks. It is the perfect game to start and play a couple of rounds if you have only a short time period to spare, or if you don't want anything too complex at a given moment.

The general look is quite charming. In the beginning it may not seem all too special, but the more you play the more you realise that there is a lot of detail to it. Some tracks change the time of day and suddenly you are driving below a surprisingly gorgeous starry sky. Others take place during new years eve with unexpected fireworks suddenly showing up on the horizon.

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3558312010

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3565834785

There is a lot more to discover including some charming Easter eggs, but I'll leave it to you to look for them.

HCT manages a feat that is challenging in its own right. You can have a lot of casual fun without a lot of struggles. The more you delve into the completion the game can become relatively hard and some grinding will be needed, all the while fun is never completely abandoned. Managing to accommodate different types of players like that is far from being a given.
If you are going down the completion road, there are quite some cars, many modes and a lot of tracks to discover. In general HCT offers a surprising amount of content. The DLCs tend to also live up to that. Especially the Senna Forever DLC delivers a lot of content including a completely different take on retro arcade racing while still remaining true to HCT.


The AI drivers tend to drive rather erratic. In combination with the fact that some circuits are quite narrow, certain sections can get agonising. They tend to feel like an utterly sh!tfaced bachelor party occupying the bumper car ride.
While the game ran mostly smooth, I encountered two bugs that occasionally happened. One is a short 2-3 second freeze which is not too dramatic, the second one basically attaches your ride to an invisible rail and disables your steering. I could not reproduce it but it can cost your race. In the rather challenging part of the game, loosing a race like that can be quite frustrating. Furthermore, there is a mode called Tournament, where you have to climb the leaderboard in a set of 4 races. Having a leaderboard for 4 races just feels odd too me, as you essentially have to win anyway. Sure, HCT is not a simulation but there is something about that really bugging me. Lastly, the only thing really missing IMHO is a "Quick Race" mode. HCT feels like a game supposed to have a mode like that.


Nothing about the game. Devs got bought by Epic which results in the predecessor probably never coming to Steam. Bummer.


While there is nothing too hard, some cheevos are relatively time consuming and some are pretty grindy. The Master Gold Tournament one was the most teeth grinding for me and took me way longer than I'd be willing to admit. Could be a skill issue though, as I am not very seasoned with arcade racing games. So you may have no problem at all. While "Endurance Mode" wasn't difficult per se, the "Long Endurance" spans over 109 races. When you mess up one, you have to start from the beginning. Messing up 100/109 because to don't pay attention to your fuel is utterly frustrating. Or so I've heard. Just be wary.
Lastly you will need the Senna Forever and Summer Vibes DLC's for 100% completion, but they are cheap and worth it.


I played the game exclusively on my Steam Deck. I think it is predestined to be played on handheld as it kinda feels like a handheld title in the first place, and in all honesty, I somehow doubted that I would have had that much fun with the game on my main rig. Although I can't really put into words why I think that. Besides that little piece of intuition, I can not do anything else besides recommending HCT. It is not expensive, offers a lot of content and fun, and every frustration I overcame felt incredibly rewarding afterwards. Go for it. Have some fun.