R4 is an absolute favorite of mine and every time I come back to it I'm reminded why. It's a game that executes its vision near perfectly, especially in the presentation. The iconic active yellow color scheme along with the menu design perfectly creates the feeling of something bright and warm yet mechanical -- it really gives the vibe of being in a pit lane garage on a sunny race day morning. This is only enhanced by what I would say is hands-down one of the best soundtracks in any video game.
The gameplay of R4 to me is at its best from the second stage up to the penultimate race. The early game does struggle somewhat with the cars feeling too sluggish (mainly on replays) but I would say the final race, Shooting Hoops, is where the game is at its weakest. The track design doesn't require you to ever brake or drift, so it doesn't feel like a proper test of the skills you've learned up to that point. If anything, Shooting Hoops is more of a victory lap than a finale.
It doesn't take away too much, though, because the track design up to that point is absolutely stellar. Every course has a nice rhythm of breakneck full-throttle corners and sharper turns that are beyond satisfying to tackle once you have a handle on the drift cars. Out of Blue is my favorite, hitting that one right angle corner with a perfectly lined up drift is beyond satisfying.
The stories for each arcade mode route have a perfect understanding of what the narrative scope needs to be in a game like this. R4 is a game that shows a lot of love for the drama of motorsports, and the little character arcs for each team manager display that very well. Each time I came away impressed with how thoughtfully written they were.
One of the hosts of Time Extend podcast said of R4 that it's a racing drama that isn't so much about the racing, and I don't think that's a bad way to put it. Instead of trying to simulate professional racing beyond what it would have been capable of, R4 intends to capture the feelings and dramatic flair brought about by racing -- and when you overtake first place on the last corner with Naked Glow blasting, you understand that vision perfectly.
The gameplay of R4 to me is at its best from the second stage up to the penultimate race. The early game does struggle somewhat with the cars feeling too sluggish (mainly on replays) but I would say the final race, Shooting Hoops, is where the game is at its weakest. The track design doesn't require you to ever brake or drift, so it doesn't feel like a proper test of the skills you've learned up to that point. If anything, Shooting Hoops is more of a victory lap than a finale.
It doesn't take away too much, though, because the track design up to that point is absolutely stellar. Every course has a nice rhythm of breakneck full-throttle corners and sharper turns that are beyond satisfying to tackle once you have a handle on the drift cars. Out of Blue is my favorite, hitting that one right angle corner with a perfectly lined up drift is beyond satisfying.
The stories for each arcade mode route have a perfect understanding of what the narrative scope needs to be in a game like this. R4 is a game that shows a lot of love for the drama of motorsports, and the little character arcs for each team manager display that very well. Each time I came away impressed with how thoughtfully written they were.
One of the hosts of Time Extend podcast said of R4 that it's a racing drama that isn't so much about the racing, and I don't think that's a bad way to put it. Instead of trying to simulate professional racing beyond what it would have been capable of, R4 intends to capture the feelings and dramatic flair brought about by racing -- and when you overtake first place on the last corner with Naked Glow blasting, you understand that vision perfectly.