You know what. I'm gonna leave a positive review still—[b]BUT[/b]
Frankly, the in-game phone design is way more "playable" than the game itself, the control logic, UI, games, but not fully utilized. The scanner mode(nothing rare) is a little shame that they didn’t build more mechanics around it or expand it into more gameplay system. It's perfect for collectible items like graffiti tags[strike](well you do get to collect "Pokémon")[/strike], keycode puzzles, something like Comm Tower hacks but more than a QR code. You can even play some mini-game while cycling(not that I recommend). And its screen input mapping is live, that's an intriguing detail.
Aside from that, even if the whole structure of entire game is just A-to-B courier runs, hitting the marks to unlock next zone, the mission types and design creativity are quite thin. Well the riding model and control feedback are serviceable, NPCs are voiced, some dialogue does make me laugh. But package types, delivery constraints, and dispatch modes, despite all they could've been but mostly no difference. Side quests are sparse, limited, whereas the phone's mini-games are somehow more varied in comparison.
Maxing out the rank also gives you no useful progression bonuses, or perks. I know this isn't a typical RPG but at least something? Maybe after hitting max loyalty could grant you have some incremental buffs in that current map? after all there are so many elements to build off.
Like some HP upgrade?(not that the game even shows you a health bar or any damage state.) Or at least making you less likely to get shredded by the ''Five-O''? Considering they are always shooting whether you are picking up a package or dropping one off or just arrived at the designated area try to do a Delivery Rush. Or start spraying the moment you get back up from a crash, even the second you spawn into the map? like-bro, I just launched the game and loaded in, what the F? The only way that can make them retreat is to hack every surveillance tower in the district, which I only discovered this after basically finishing the whole game while I was waiting for a Double-Time Delivery cuz one routine is ABSURDLY LONG. And the only way to avoid them is drifting, bunny-hopping, slide-kicking nonstop, because there are no perks that allow you just run them over.
OR something that could give you faster base speed? higher jumps? better stability? Since the initial acceleration is exasperatingly slow which is one of the most frustrating flaws right next to camera control. Hit anything, try to turn around, you are stuck staring at the countdown while patrols close in and your bike accelerates like a dying turtle. And your acceleration or top speed never scales with shop level, different character, or "upgraded" bike parts.
Yes you can customize bike parts but the changes do basically nothing, maybe tires affect drifting slightly but for the rest I honestly couldn't tell. There's even a "Same-day&Next-day" shipping you can choose when ordering parts, well "Next-Day" is cheaper, but you have to wait several real-world hours for them to unlock at the club, literally. Kinda funny, if you rush fast enough, you might still not get them when the game is halfway through.
OR! A loyalty-XP boost? Since Will "insists" on me maxing out every single store in every district cuz he claims he'll give me something fancy but never explains what that is so I kept wondering. Especially when the game never once gives you anything genuinely useful. [spoiler]Guess what, he gave me himself! as a selectable rider in your camp! WOW, FABULOUS. Here I am still expecting something practical even near the end, silly me(not even one specialized bike).[/spoiler]
OR AT LEAST let Comm Towers appear on the map? I mean, after everything I've completed?
There's no custom waypoint system, no zone counters, NOTHING. In that case is only fair if they give the towers an audio cue when you pass by Idk anything? But nope(or they do? just too low to notice). Instead all you can do is panning the free camera across the entire map like an idiot(is really a waste of time). On a map that isn't even that big and somehow it still managed to make me feel frustrated at the moment. Also why not just add a fast-travel system? every transition already triggers a loading screen anyway. And every exit doesn't even show the destination name on the map unless you physically ride to them. For real? Is that something so difficult to do?
Camera-wise are fixed and locked. you can’t free-look with the right stick while riding, you only get manual control when the bike is fully stopped and you can only see the road ahead when the bike is completely facing forward. No FOV slider, no camera-height adjustment, no keybind remapping. With Online Multiplayer, well there’s literally no one playing, not even filler AI.
And bugs, for a 2025 playthrough, it's tolerable. Respawn points occasionally loop endlessly, mission icons vanish mid-run, can be fixed with a reload but still annoying. Except for one: The "G.O.A.T." achievement which has been fixed according to the Devs, it was not. So I went back to Parklands, my first max-level district, delivered one random parcel, magically solved. Speechless.
The music of this game has the same issue as everything else. Overly generic, repetitive melody. All the flaws become obvious so quickly and ultimately disturbing. I had to mute the in-game audio and use my own playlist. Have they not understood what a well-made, thematically cohesive OST can do for a game's experience? Particularly for this type of game and you even had a phone to easily make a Walkman happen, theoretically. Or maybe they are well aware, but good music, precious, expensive things. Guess that's inevitable.
I was stuck in the dilemma of whether I go for 100% playthrough or not, so many experiences fall short of being satisfying but I did it anyway. I guess with your own playlist on, any game can match the image you pictured. Music can basically filter anything. Yes, it matters that much.
As a bike game, the bike itself barely matters—none of the modifications have an impact on your bike's performance or riding experience. As a courier game, deliveries themselves serve only to progress the story, barely served the sense of immersion or accomplishment—no matter how high your ranks are, they never reward you something that really increases the game's texture. There are customizable elements for players, for me it's just not enough.
I actually like the distinct aesthetic styles across different regions, each highlighting unique characteristics, some environmental details did surprise me. The route design is solid and thoughtful, weaving through the city does feel good. But with such a monotonous, narrow underlying logic, It never fully commits to pure relaxation, nor does it commit to a thrilling arcade rush. As a 2024 release, I think these aspects should've been considered.
