My main metric for how good a game is usually centers around how hard it is to drag myself away from the screen to do less important things like eating and sleeping. On that note, FutureGrind by developer Milkbag Games put me on the grind for sure. This game was so much fun to play and I would recommend it for sure. The core mechanic of FutureGrind involves grinding (as the name implies) along differently colored rails while controlling a variety of bikes. Not only must you ride the rails to the finish line, but each bike handles differently, and each wheel can only grind on rails of its own color. Since the speed of your bike is constant, it makes for very technical and fast-paced gameplay in short sprints – a single level will only last at most 30 seconds.
Now, don’t get discouraged when I say you will fail. A lot. But that’s okay, because the more you fail, the more you learn, and the more rewarding it is to finally complete a level. That being said, this game has the fastest respawn time I have ever seen in a game ever, with a reset button actually mapped to a controller button. I thought this was a great addition and relied on it heavily. Having a reset button so close allowed me to retry as soon as I failed rather than waiting for a big “YOU FAILED” screen to come up, wasting both my time and my patience. Those two seconds really made a major difference in my gameplay experience. Grinding the rails is extremely satisfying, but the second things go awry, I can know why and try again immediately with more experience. The lack of punishment makes this game so much more enticing and leaves the player with a sense of accomplishment that lacks the normal disdain that can come from such annoyances. All of my failures were my own, and I learned quickly what not to do in order to reach the goal.
FutureGrind does attempt somewhat of a storyline, but in all honesty, it’s a bit uninspired. Initially, you’re hired as a biker to test these grinding tracks for different companies, but eventually there comes some sort of protagonist versus antagonist rivalry in a fight for the survival of the world. Meanwhile, I’m busy grinding away on my colored rails. The thing I really found most exciting about the storyline was that as I progressed, I unlocked more bikes and harder tracks. I felt like sort of a nuisance in terms of the plot since, as a biker, I can’t exactly do much to help either cause. In any case, it didn’t distract from the gameplay. It was sort of a cute attempt at trying to explain the level design choices, but honestly, the gameplay is already so enthralling, I would much rather the time spent putting story in be spent on adding more levels.
That brings me back to my original point: FutureGrind is impossible to put down! My biggest (and probably only) complaint about this game is that it felt too short. Now, that could be because I sat down to finish the entire thing in two days because it was so good I just couldn’t put it down, but I still feel like a lot more content could be added with minimal effort from the developers. Some levels had special events where they would recolor one of your wheels, forcing you to follow a different path than before on the same track. I loved playing these challenges, but not every track had one. My main recommendation would be to make more of these. I want more things to do in this game, to come back and play more, but currently, besides just doing a bunch of flips to get a higher score, I don’t really feel like I’m accomplishing anything new. That being said, this game is still amazing and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes this kind of fast-paced yet strategic gameplay.
Check Out the FutureGrind Trailer:
FutureGrind slides onto Nintendo Switch, PC, and PS4 today, January 22, 2019. For more information on all things futuristic and grinding, follow Milkbag Games on Twitter, Wishlist the game on Steam, and check out the official website.
Nintendo Switch Review
I am an aspiring game designer looking to explore the philosophy behind game creation. Some of my favorite games include Overwatch, Super Smash Bros, Portal, and Beat Saber.
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