A wild build-as-you go party racer full of vehicular chaos, high-speed scores and tons of laughs.
The zany world of Can’t Drive This is full of huge jumps, twisting turns and big drops. Developed and published by Pixel Maniacs, the game is if pipedreams and Micro Machines had a baby. Throw in the craziness of up to 4 players for some couch co-op madness, or find some new friends online to make one Hell of a co-op driving experience. Even if you’re flying solo, you’d better strap in.
Can’t Drive This knows what it is. A small, multiplayer-focused title that packs a deceptive amount of laughs and excitement. The game is best enjoyed with friends, either online or right next to you on the couch to make the most out of the crazy action. The aesthetics and visuals match with a bright, happy tone to keep the feeling upbeat during the chaos. The customization is full of variety with you being able change everything from the paint job, pattern, and other add-ons right down to your truck itself. The game even lets you customize the look of the roads, so the wackiness is all up to you. Your car could be wearing a top hat and sporting a mustache, or just be a plain-Jane truck. With the tremendous amount of different combinations, everyone you play with can bring their unique flair to the party.
The big question is how well does this wacky kart racer work. To start, if you have no one to play with, you can only play one of the four game modes. One of the more significant flaws of this game is that the single-player experience is not 100% there and takes a noticeable back seat to the multiplayer. Having to switch from building your three-block-long road, then having to drive those three blocks, then build again becomes daunting. So hopefully, you have friends who will want to play to experience the other three modes. These modes are the core of the game and offer much more variety than the lonely single-player experience.
The first of these modes is just like the single-player mode, except only one person is making the road and the other player is driving as best he can so together you can capture that high score. The second mode, Game of Drones, is a collect-the-node style mode that functions the same as the other mode, with one player taking the role of the driver and the builder. The twist here is that there is more than one objective and after a certain amount of time, drones fly by and drop electric bombs on the driver. This makes the mode a bit more dynamic than the previous one. The final mode is a four-player mode that was unfortunately difficult to find a match for due to the pre-release player pool being small.
The concept of the game is exciting and the craziness translates into the gameplay well. The randomness of not knowing what roads your friend will be putting ahead of you adds suspense and tests your skills as a driver to act fast. The player who builds will find his mind racing to find out where the next piece goes and what direction to place it in. Then we add hazard pieces, flaming rings, super jumps, and a ton of other obstacles to create a hectic multiplayer experience with non-stop action. Can’t Drive This also knows its audience with catchy tunes, a hilarious narrator, and rewarding collectibles that are tracked with a small “unlock-o-meter” in-game right before you obtain them.
The randomness is what makes this game challenging but can also make it very frustrating. Sometimes the game will give you straight or easy to navigate road pieces, netting you an incredible new high score. Other times, you are slammed with a barrage of turns that, when placed incorrectly, will end your run in an instant. As the driver, sometimes you will find yourself driving in a circle, waiting for your partner to place the right road to keep moving forward so that you don’t blow up from going too slow. These problems can add up quickly and can hit the unaware player often, giving the experience a deflating feeling that doesn’t lend itself to long play sessions.
Can’t Drive This is a great couch co-op or online game to play with your friends. There are a ton of customization items to unlock, which are awarded to you by simply playing the game. It makes coming back to play something to look forward to, while also making any possible future DLC an appealing idea. The game only has one mode to play for a single-player experience and becomes very dull very quickly, however. Thankfully, the online modes are the focus of the game and perfect for people looking to take on some crazy co-op action with some random people and play this very wacky game. The game combines two very different types of games into one, and while it is not perfect, it offers a unique experience that is best played with your friends.
Pros
- Great couch co-op and online game.
- Lots of customization items to unlock.
- Incredibly fun when with laugh-out-loud moment throughout.
Cons
- Lacking in single player content.
- Randomness is more frustrating than fun.
- The current game modes don’t support long play sessions.
3/5
Code for PS4 provided by Perpgames and Pixel Maniacs. Available 3/19/21
