Apex Review

Overview

Released in 2003 by Milestone and developed by Babylon Software, Apex attempts to carve its own niche in the futuristic racing genre. The game combines antigravity racing with a robust vehicle customization system and branching championship structure. While it draws clear inspiration from genre stalwarts, Apex tries to differentiate itself through industrial design aesthetics and an emphasis on technical vehicle tuning. As a new intellectual property in a genre dominated by established franchises, it represents an ambitious but ultimately flawed attempt to innovate in the space.

Graphics and Presentation

The visual design of Apex stands as one of its more distinctive features, blending cyberpunk aesthetics with industrial architecture. Vehicle models show attention to detail with numerous customizable components visible during races. The environments span various futuristic locations, from neon cities to orbital tracks, though texture quality varies significantly throughout.

Special effects like engine trails and weapon impacts add visual flair but can contribute to performance issues. The game struggles to maintain a consistent frame rate, particularly during busy races or when using split screen multiplayer. Draw distance limitations result in noticeable pop in, especially on faster vehicles.

The user interface adopts a minimalist sci fi aesthetic that fits the setting but sometimes sacrifices clarity for style. Menu navigation is straightforward though loading times between screens can be lengthy. The HUD provides necessary information without cluttering the view, though speed indicators don't always convey an appropriate sense of velocity.

Sound and Music

The electronic soundtrack complements the futuristic setting with a mix of techno and ambient tracks that maintain energy during races. While the music selection is relatively limited, the quality of the tracks helps maintain atmosphere throughout the championship mode. Sound mixing allows for good separation between music, engine sounds, and effects.

Vehicle audio lacks punch, with engine sounds that fail to convey power or speed convincingly. Weapon and collision effects are similarly underwhelming, reducing the impact of combat encounters. Environmental audio is minimal, missing opportunities to enhance the atmosphere of different track locations.

Gameplay Mechanics

The core racing mechanics suffer from inconsistent physics and control response. Vehicles float disconnected from the track surface, making precise navigation difficult particularly at high speeds. The antigravity system lacks the refined feel of genre leaders, with momentum and collision behaviour that often feels random rather than predictable.

Vehicle customization offers significant depth, with multiple components affecting handling, speed, and combat capabilities. However, the impact of these modifications can be difficult to predict due to the unstable physics model. Weapon systems add combat elements to races but feel underpowered and lack tactical depth.

Track design emphasizes multiple routes and shortcuts, though poor signposting often leads to confusion about optimal paths. The branching championship structure provides some variety in progression, but difficulty spikes and unreliable AI behaviour create frustration. Split screen multiplayer maintains most features from single player but compounds the technical performance issues.

Story and Setting

The game's narrative framework is minimal, with a basic championship structure providing context for races. While the setting hints at an interesting future world through track designs and vehicle aesthetics, little effort is made to develop the background or characters. Race events lack meaningful context beyond competition progression.

The industrial sci fi setting differentiates itself visually from other genre entries but fails to capitalize on its unique elements through world building or narrative development. The absence of character personalities or story progression reduces investment in championship outcomes.

Content and Value

The championship mode offers approximately 10 hours of content, with additional time required to unlock all vehicles and upgrades. Multiple difficulty levels and track variants extend replay value, though the core gameplay issues limit long term appeal. Split screen multiplayer provides additional entertainment value for those able to overlook the technical limitations.

At its current pre owned price of £8.99, Apex represents a budget option for genre fans, though its flaws make it difficult to recommend even at this price point. The amount of content is reasonable, but quality issues throughout the experience diminish the overall value proposition.

Technical Performance

Loading times are lengthy, particularly when initializing races or switching between championship events. The save system functions reliably, tracking unlocks and championship progress without issues. Memory card management is straightforward with modest storage requirements.

Frame rate inconsistency significantly impacts the racing experience, with frequent drops during busy sections or when using specific visual effects. While no game breaking bugs were encountered during testing, physics glitches and collision detection issues create regular frustrations.

The Verdict

Apex demonstrates ambition in its attempt to innovate within the futuristic racing genre, but falls short in execution across multiple areas. While its visual style and customization systems show promise, fundamental issues with physics, controls, and technical performance undermine the core racing experience. The game might interest dedicated genre fans seeking something different, but most players would be better served by more polished alternatives.

Pros

• Distinctive visual style and setting
• Deep vehicle customization options
• Solid electronic soundtrack
• Multiple track routes and variants

Cons

• Unstable physics and controls
• Significant performance issues
• Poor track signposting
• Unsatisfying combat mechanics

Final Score: 5/10

While Apex shows glimpses of potential in its visual design and customization systems, fundamental gameplay issues and technical problems hold it back from competing with genre leaders. Its ambitions exceed its execution in nearly every aspect.

By OGXbox Archive