If you own a smartphone (which let’s be honest, you more than likely do), you might have heard of Horizon Chase already. It released for the Apple App Store and Google Play Store just over a year ago on 20th August 2015.
Since release it’s gone on to gain lots of awards and recognition being included in multiple best IOS games of 2015 lists and a rather impressive 3rd place at Gamescom 2015’s ‘Pocket Gamer’s BIG indie pitch 2015’. IGN Brazil named it their best mobile game of 2015.
IGN Brazil you say? Well yes actually as Aquiris Game Studio the studio behind Horizon Chase are based in Brazil. They were founded in 2007 and are a team of 40 people. They’ve developed for a broad range of platforms from browser to PC to Mobile. Perhaps their best known title other than Horizon Chase is Ballistic. Originally a free-to-play shooter with over 6m players, it’s now coming to Steam as a paid FPS.
Remember some of the great 80’s and 90’s racers that gamers still hold dear to them all these years later? Games like the addictive Out Run, Lotus Challenge and Top Gear for the SNES? Horizon Chase is a love letter to those classics. It’s revisiting those greats all these years later and giving us the familiar game-play from those greats, with almost identical visuals, but just tidied up with a slightly more modern style that works perfectly for the type of game it is. Watching it in motion, the colourful visuals and incredible electronic sound track from Barry Leitch, the musician behind soundtracks of classic arcade racers Lotus Challenge and Top Gear SNES (The soundtrack is available on Amazon to buy to FYI) complement each other perfectly. The result looks to be a fast paced, nostalgic joy ride. The only thing missing is seeing the blonde haired lady sat in the passenger seat of a Ferrari Testarossa.
So what’s the deal with Horizon Chase? Why am I hyping up a year old mobile game as one to watch?
Well the good news is that Horizon Chase is coming to PS4 and Steam.
At PlayStation Experience 2015, Aquiris Game Studio were at the show and brought with them a playable prototype of the game for PS4. From their blog post about their show at PSX, they confirmed that the PlayStation 4 version, which is due to release this year (Yes please) will feature split screen local multiplayer and support up to 4 players (this is very welcome news as another favourite of mine Table Top Racer unfortunately didn’t support local multiplayer which was sorely missed). As well as this there will be new game modes (cooperative and competitive) and unreleased cars, circuits and new music tracks.
I’ve played the mobile version and enjoyed it on the small screen of an iPhone. I truly cannot wait to have this on my PS4 and enjoy some local multiplayer with my wife and friends. Here’s hoping we get release details soon.
In the mean time, check out trailer below to get your nostalgic racer juices flowing.
https://youtu.be/j-8-W_NEXYA
– Murr
