4PGP Review: A Challenging Arcade Multiplayer Racer | The Gamerheads Podcast

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2

Also on: Nintendo Switch, Playstation 5, Steam

Price: $19.99

I love Daytona USA. It’s one of my favorite racing games. It's also one of the reasons I wanted a Sega Saturn (the other reason was Die Hard Arcade). If I see it in an arcade, I’m jumping in to play. In a lot of ways, 4PGP reminds me of Daytona USA; instead of Nascar it’s formula one racing cars. On the Nintendo Switch 2, 4PGP captures the arcade feel really well. While the game hits on almost every cylinder, there are a few things where I think Daytona USA still does a better job.

As mentioned, 4PGP is an arcade racer. And if the name didn’t give it away, it features up to four players racing on a split screen. Or you can do a game share with up to four friends as well, and it integrates Game Chat too. There’s also a single-player mode, which features Quick Race, Time Attack, and the mode I spent most of my time in, Championship, which seems like the mode the devs intended players to focus on.

There are four championships, and each has three races to compete in. Each race feels so different, with some focusing on top speed, where there are long stretches of track. Then there are races with hairpin turns, requiring me to pay close attention to the in-game map.

4PGP features a lot of different cars, each with their own unique attributes: handling, acceleration, and top speed. I like that the cars look so different too, and have sponsorship logos on each vehicle. Although, I would have liked to have seen some customization with the cars. While there are a lot to choose from, the ability to manipulate the look of each car would have added more player agency to the overall game.

There are four different difficulty levels: Rookie, Novice, Veteran, and Expert. I didn’t see any value playing the rookie level, except maybe getting used to the tracks. The other levels provide the opportunity for unlocking new vehicles, that is, if I get in first place overall.

The game is pretty challenging, and getting in first overall is difficult. If I flub up, which I did a lot, there isn’t restarting the current race I’m in; restarting means I start the whole championship all over. There isn’t drifting, which makes sense as the game is leaning into the racing formula one cars versus a Kart-style game, so I learned quickly that holding the gas down and then breaking on sharp turns isn’t going to win races. I played a lot more strategically, entering in curves low and letting my vehicle naturally climb outwards to the top of the curve, and then punching it coming out of the final part of the turn.

Besides gas and breaking, I do have a turbo which is in limited supply. I can replenish it by pulling into the pit and hitting the left shoulder button during a timed event (it’s a light QTE mechanic). My tires also wear down, especially if I drive off track. The game really doesn’t want me to drive off track. In most kart racers, I can get away with driving off track. Not in 4PGP. Not only does it shred my tires, I'm slowed down. Big time.

The game is an arcade game, so there isn’t a career mode. I get it , since the game leans into the arcade style, but after beating the different races, I had little incentive to return to the game. Sure, a game night with friends, I may revisit 4PGP, but there’s nothing convincing me to come back from a single-player perspective.

My biggest criticism though comes from the environment. The tracks look really good (even in handheld mode, the game plays incredibly well). But the levels lack any life. There’s no crowd. No interactive elements. Unlike Daytona USA where I'm driving under a giant slot machine or a roulette table, there's nothing like that in 4PGP. I get that those elements in Daytona USA make it feel like an unrealistic track, but anything that would make the track feel alive in 4PGP would be welcomed. It's too bad, because it makes the experience just feel flat.

Final Grade: B-

4PGP plays really well. Even in handheld mode on Switch 2, the performance is impressive. It's a challenging arcade racer and incorporates the multiplayer aspect well, and I appreciate the devs implemented game share. I wish the same amount of effort was put into the level designs and customization. The environments were lifeless which made the game feel flat. The lack of any car customizations, even just providing cosmetic options, took away any agency I had over the game.

Review copy provided by Press Engine and PR Hound