Most of the time, racing games are a bit of a mixed bag, either too afraid to try something new and different or… perhaps they lack that ever-important feeling when you hit the track at several hundred miles per hour. As far as I can tell, Trailblazers is both innovative and packs a punch in the immersive speed department too, what with its unique painting mechanic. Yes, painting. No joke.
Painting the track in Trailblazers works a bit like the boosters in Mario Kart, except these are not in pre-determined locations. They do however yield speed increases all the same, and the best part is that you get to choose when and where to ‘coat the track’ with your team’s colour, so to speak. See, team-based high-speed fun is supported here, up to a total of three-versus-three, each team carrying a different colour. Oh, and I do believe opponents can ‘paint over’ each other, essentially stealing the best lines.
Now, the best part of this team-centric affair is that you can mix and match split-screen and online with optional AI-controlled racers, meaning there’s really no reason not to race with a full party of six; even if not every one of them is, you know, human. Heck, there’s a full campaign to blaze through, as well as various game modes (on top of the typical 3v3 affair), and cross-platform across the board (PC/Mac/Linux with PlayStation 4, Xbox One and/or Switch players). So, ready to hit the track and go REALLY fast? Just don’t forget about the paint.
Trailblazers is available on Steam, GOG.com, Switch (Q1 2018), Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
