Game review: Gear.Club Unlimited 2
Developer Eden Games has been in the video game industry for decades, working on famous games such as the V-Rally and Test Drive Unlimited series. Well, more recently, the developer has made Gear.Club Unlimited 2 in 2018 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
Fast forward to the year 2022 and Gear.Club Unlimited 2 has now been ported to the PC, PlayStation and Xbox consoles. We reviewed the PS5 version of the game during the holidays, and this is our thoughts on this new racing title.
When I first heard Gear.Club Unlimited 2 was a Nintendo exclusive, I didn't expect the graphics to be all that fancy on the PS5. To my amazement though, the game does not look too bad while playing it on the more powerful PS5 console.
Surprisingly, the game features real-life car models, and the vehicles do look realistic. The cars have shiny reflections and generally accurate details. The only thing that this game is sorely missing is an inside cockpit view of the steering wheel.
Sadly though, the only realistic visuals of the entire game are the vehicles. It seems as if the developer cut corners when it comes to the details of the actual levels and environment. The background objects and scenery look budget, and it's like something you might see from a PS3 or Xbox 360 game.
That being said, this game doesn't have AAA production values, so don't expect it to look like Forza Horizon 5 or the upcoming Gran Turismo 7. While the graphics are hit and miss, let us tell you how the game plays.
When it comes to racing games, the most important thing that developers need to nail is driving physics. Some developers opt for a more simulation feel like the Gran Turismo series. On the other hand, there's the more arcade-style of gameplay seen in games like the Forza Horizon and Need for Speed series.
Even though I enjoyed previously released Eden Games, unfortunately Gear.Club Unlimited 2 is not a great racing game. The main problem that I have with the game is the fact that the racing physics are atrocious.
There is a major problem with this game regarding how you can turn your car. The cars in this game feel awkward and stiff most of the time. Not to mention I usually skid whenever I want to turn tightly left or right. It doesn't even matter how many times I choose a different car or use different tyres. The end result always makes the car feel like it's sliding on ice. It's also tough to try and catch up to the AI racers the further you play the game too. At the beginning of the game, the AI racers are usually easy to beat, and you can win races quite easily.
After you have played the game for several hours, the difficulty spikes and you will have trouble winning the races. The only way you can win races later on is if you can tune your car. Tuning your car costs thousands of dollars, and you will need to win every race along the way if you want to keep being competitive. If you cannot afford the much-needed upgrades, you will have to do the same races repeatedly to
earn more money.
Luckily this game does not have any damage, so you don't have to worry about crashing into walls all of the time. I remember playing an old game called Street Racing Syndicate where you had to pay lots of
money for repairs!
Outside of tuning your car's specs, you can also customise the look of it as well. There are plenty of colours that you can choose from, and you even add unique patterns to the outside of the car too. I can see many car enthusiasts spending lots of time making their cars look extra special!
For a budget title, it's still impressive that this game still manages to include 50 real-life cars. This is an increase of the 32 cars that were only available in the 2018 Nintendo Switch version of the game. Cars can get expensive, so you will need to grind if you want to get them all.
The only problem I have with the list of cars is that this game does not organise them in alphabetical order by manufacturer. The cars are listed together as a random bunch for some odd reason. The game needed a proper dealership to keep things better organised.
Outside of the lengthy single-player campaign, you can also experience the multiplayer mode. There's both online multiplayer as well as couch co-op. Overall, Gear.Club Unlimited 2 feels like a budget racing title with inconsistent visuals and terrible racing physics. If you own a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, it is better off you get something better like Forza or a Gran Turismo instead.
