A combination of extreme sports, high-flying action, and breakneck speeds, Pow Wow Entertainment and THQ Nordic’s Jected – Rivals cranks the energy up to 11. There’s no denying that this elimination tournament has more energy than a Red Bull bender, but does it provide a good or bad rush?
Jected – Rivals Early Access Preview
After making a mad dash, players will grab their ticket to the Jected – Rivals show, a reality show that takes the battle royale action we’ve all come to know and love and brings it to the wide world of racing. No need to worry about tuning, suspension, or even what color each car is – plenty of random rides line the track, just waiting for you to jump right in.
As one would expected with a predicament like this, the cars in Jected – Rivals were meant to get down and dirty. Loop-de-loops, spike traps, perilous jumps, and nitro boosts all ensure that there’s never a dull moment. With 18 players in each elimination race and only one winner, the best way to get qualified is to ram opponents and find a way to get ahead by any means necessary.
The racing mechanics get the job done; there’s an emphasis on speed and drifting with handbrake drifts and other dynamic maneuvers. However, whether by design or mere happenstance, it’s far too easy to end up flipping a car and pulling out your grappling hook to find a new set of wheels. The Burnout and Need for Speed series faced similar predicaments, but kept the frustration at a far lower level. There’s a respawn button, sure, but it can feel like these cars are light as a feather.
You know what else is light as a feather? The player!
If one gets tired of terra firma, Jected – Rivals lets players eject themselves into the sky. A jetpack with limited fuel works in a clutch, but there is also a wingsuit (with its very own boost!) that helps players feel free as a bird. This system is also a little awkward, with the pitch a bit tricky to get down. However, going from car to sky to grappling hook to car again is unlike anything else we’ve played.
This battle royale takes advantage of both of these elements by varying up each challenge. For every standard race, there’s also skydiving challenges, launching challenges, and other wild predicaments. As of May 7 there’s not too much to choose from, but the title is also still fairly new.
Outside of the main mode and two characters, players can add additional characters and cars through its Starter and Supporter Packs. While Andee the crash test dummy is certainly a lively character, we ended up going the free route during our time with the title.
Jected – Rivals flying and driving mechanics get the job done, but those looking to rise to the top should learn to overcome its different quirks and repeated events. Nevertheless, this battle royale shows promise, and we’re eager to jump back into this show for future seasons.
