It may be hard to believe, but beforeGTA IIIburst on the scene and offered gamers a chance to truly exist in an open-world sandbox, the concept of a truly open world with no loading screens or rendering was a pipe dream at best. So whenRockstarshowed the world that it was not only possible, but there was an insatiable hunger for games like this, plenty were keen to jump on the bandwagon.
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You had copycats gunning for the same audience withSaints Row, True CrimeandThe Getaway.And equally, you had more silly and irreverent titles likeSimpson’s Hit and Runoffering kid-friendly alternatives to quell the anger of rampaging Karens everywhere. But theseGTA-esque romps have been pretty few and far between since then. And it’s something thatTiny Terry’s Turbo Tripaims to remedy, in the silliest, zaniest way imaginable. But is it worth your time? Well, let’s find out in ourTiny Terry’s Turbo TripReview, conducted on PC.
Too Cool For School
If you’re someone who isn’t all that academically inclined, you’ll be all too familiar with the concept of Summer School. Something our titular character, Tiny Terry, is all too keen to avoid. As far as he is concerned, if he achieves unprecedented levels of fame, grades simply won’t matter. I guess he must have been watchingKeeping Up With The Kardashians.
Terry aims to grab that fame with both hands by driving his humble little car into space. This seems impossible because it’s a little taxi shaped like a shoe, but through the power of turbo upgrades, anything is possible.
This simple premise is the foundation upon which the wacky world of Sprankelwater is built, and in terms of narrative, it’s essentially an open world sandbox collect-a-thon, punctuated by surreal and wacky encounters with the colorful cast of characters that call this town home.
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Honestly, in terms of storytelling, it’s about as shallow as a kid’s paddling pool, but when playing a game like this, where the happy-go-lucky vibe and accessible gameplay drive you forward, all you really need is a simple and easily understandable goal to nudge you onward, and the need to collect enough junk to modify your car works just fine.
Then, when the monotony of simply collecting junk and money around the map kicks in, there’s usually someone around town who will have you participate in a fun mini-game, send you on a side quest or a stupid gag to give you a chuckle before you go about your business again.
It’s a perfect blend of the immature and irreverent comedy you’ll find in games likeTurnip Boy Robs A Bank, orFrog Detective, married with the focus on fun and whimsy present in games likeLil Gator Game. If you’re looking for something profound or deeply affecting, you’re barking up the wrong tree. But if you’re looking for silliness in abundance, this is just the ticket.
The Epitome Of Unadulterated Fun
Watching a man literally burn to a crisp while sunbathing or bankrupting a man due to your addiction to Beach Fries is fun and all, but these little moments wouldn’t be all that fun and whimsical if it wasn’t facilitated through satisfying gameplay. But thankfully, the gameplay here feels like a throwback to the golden age of mascot platformers, filtered through the lens of open-world GTA games.
It’s a pocket-sized open world, a trend that seems to be all the rage currently due to the success of games likeA Short Hike, Lil Gator Gameand many more. Due to both the quality and intentional jankiness ofTiny Terry’s Turbo Trip, it cements itself as a wonderful indie open world in its own right.
It’s one of those games where you feel like you’re losing brain cells just by playing, yet you can’t seem to pull yourself away because the moment-to-moment gameplay is so satisfyingly stupid. Which is a feeling that’s comparable with games likeSimpson’s Hit and Run, which undoubtedly serves as inspiration here.
Runs Out of Steam
It would be wonderful to leave it there and say that this is an all-thrills, short and sweet adventure. But in truth, it kind of runs out of steam before the player gets to the end of proceedings, despite there initially being a cavalcade of things to do, with the freedom to engage in whatever tickles your fancy.
By the closing stages, you’ll be aimlessly wandering the little map, hoping and praying you happen to come across a cluster of junk parts that will push your car that little bit further. This essentially sees the action flip from laugh-a-minute playtime to mindless busywork, which serves as a means to an end. This is a real shame, as the emergent sense of freedom from the outset is a joy to behold.
Couple this with some minor foibles like a lack of an easy way to toggle between your main tools, forcing you to menu every time you need to switch from a Shovel to a Wrench, for example. Or the fact the camera angle when inside buildings is borderline nauseating, and you have a game that comes out the blocks fast, but begins to show its flaws the longer things play out.
Closing Comments:
There are so many games in the zeitgeist that focus on offering the most realistic or the most refined and polished experience on the market, but often this can be to the detriment of fun.Tiny Terry’s Turbo Tripknows this all too well, focusing solely on bringing the fun factor. It’s a love letter to successful mascot platformers of old while offering some much-needed fan service to the kid-friendly GTA-clone sub-genre that gave usThe Simpsons Hit and RunandLego City Undercover. It’s not a game that’s going to change your life, but it’s a wonderful, action-packed romp that just might make a lazy afternoon a little more memorable.
