Arcade racing games used to be a thrilling, neon-lit escape from reality. Ridge Racer, Burnout… all speed, style and sublime chaos. Then along comes Neon Apex: Beyond the Limit, a game with the visual flair of an energy drink commercial and the handling of a shopping trolley on an ice rink.
Gaming Heaven
To its credit, Neon Apex doesn’t lack ambition. There are so many modes here: Arcade, Story, Time Attack, Championship and a Career mode that thinks it’s prepping you for Formula 1. You get a bevy of futuristic vehicles – some looking like motorcycles, others like rejected Batmobiles – all upgradable and paintable if you’re into vehicle dress-up.
Gaming Hell
Unfortunately, the one thing Neon Apex forgets to polish is, well, the racing. Vehicles feel like ghosts skimming a glass table, with twitchy controls that seem determined to steer you into the nearest wall. Colliding with another racer triggers an impromptu pinball session, and not the fun kind.
Visually, it’s like someone let a glow stick factory explode. Neon spills from every corner, overwhelming the screen and your sense of direction. At times it feels less like racing and more like being trapped inside a 1990’s rave.
Final Judgement
A racing game that forgot racing is supposed to be fun. Come for the colours, stay for the confusion and leave after the third crash into a corner that looked suspiciously like a boss fight.
