FutureGrind is a bright, neon-filled stunt-based 2D title with the mindset of games like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. You control a motorcycle-like contraption with one very important gimmick – it has two wheels on a spindle which can be rotated around your seat. By manipulating your colored wheels, you can grind your way around a multitude of tracks. If you fail to match the color of your wheel to the color of the rail, well…you will die. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? Let’s dive right in then!
At the onset of FutureGrind you’ll hit the rails hard and fast at what at feels like an almost impossible speed. Think of it like a teeny tiny baby bird being shoved of comfort and safety of its nest for the first time, and it’s do or die. Fortunately for you – and not so much for that bird I guess – you can fail as many times as you like as the game allows you instantly restart the level with the press of the button. Oh and press it you will, because you’ll know when you just jumped too soon…or too late and would like to spare yourself the heartache of seeing you and your bike sail straight into the ground – unless you’re into that sort of thing. It won’t be long however until that muscle memory kicks in and you really start to get it at least a little bit of it. With six tracks to complete, FutureGrind sort of presses you to do your very best for each run. If you’re anything like me, you’ll often get greedy for just one more flip, just to push one more rotation…only to land on the wrong colored wheel on to the next incoming rail and explode…in utter humiliation.
You’ll restart over and over again simply because you were just 14 measly points shy of hitting 50,000 to get that sweet sweet Gold Trophy and you know that it will be different on that next run – it will be better! Because when you finally do get that coveted Gold Trophy, you internally celebrate for a single fleeting moment…before unceremoniously moving on to the next track where certain demise awaits you again. This brutal cycle continues until you simply get too frustrated to continue. Yet somehow, FutureGrind always finds a way to lure you back in for more punishment. it just takes about an hour or so to let that seething anger calm itself before you jump back in again.
In order to win (and not explode every five seconds) you have to grind your way to the end of each track and match the color of your wheel(s) to the rail it comes on contact with. Beyond simple survival, there is an emphasis not only on nailing a high score, but also completing the various trick-based objectives for each track. These tricks include a Front-Flip, Back-Flip, and four variations of crowd-pleasing grinds depending on whether the top or bottom wheel hits a rail from above or below. You will string together tricks continuously, with bonuses for not jumping to reach the next rail and not touching any white safety rails. The combo system is thoughtful, and the game’s Grindpedia goes over these mechanics in depth, but that all goes flying out the window when the rails start coming at you at warp speed from the right side the screen. You’ll have to be your own coach, mentally mapping each track as you find the most optimal route – and perfect it as there is little room for error if you want to win big. It reminded me a lot of Spider-Man’s Speed Challenges where you needed laser-precision to get the highest rating possible. Challenges become increasingly more intense and complex as you proceed and eventually bring in new mechanics such as wheel color change zones and balls that bounce you up into the air.
For a game that demands so much from you, you would expect the controls to be extremely tight. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case with FutureGrind. The wheel rotations and jumps feel a bit loose, which makes it feel like sheer chance and good luck are playing a larger role in your success than you’d like. But hey, at least the game is really nice to look at.
FutureGrind has a pretty nifty art direction, with its vibrant neon rails and wheels popping against its varied landscapes. These landscapes include dark, urban areas and snow-filled mountain ranges. The bass-heavy soundtrack also pumps you forward, even if it seems a bit lacking and generic.
At $20 on eShop, FutureGrind is a bit too shallow to buy at full price. It challenges players to find an optimal path on tracks through repeated failures, but doesn’t contextualize the challenges in a way that makes success satisfying. The game is very attractive though and super-shiny; I can tell a lot of effort was put into the look and feel. But for what feels like one big mini-game, I would only consider purchasing FutureGrind if it was under $10.
A review key was provided by Evolve PR for the Nintendo Switch.
