Trailmakers is a racing simulation game with action/adventure elements by Flashbulb. It is a mashup of vehicle-building sandbox and open-world rally expedition. The game is still in Early Access stage, yet I am lucky enough to lay my hands and eyes on this title and share my first impressions with you.
Trailmakers offers you and your friends to build your own vehicles and start a journey across a dangerous wasteland. The game is set in a distant planet far from civilization and begins with your landing on this planet. With the parts in your inventory, you start to build your very first vehicle which will be your lovely companion for a while. It feels like building Lego cars and it surely sounds like it.
All blocks have unique features like shape, weight and functionality. They can be broken off, refitted and used to build new vehicles. Each block’s shape plays a role as wind and aerodynamics is an important part of the gameplay. The blocks are fairly simple but combined the possibilities are endless.
The building part is the most charming, I must say. The menu of the game is highly friendly and understandable, and I had no problems while using the inventory. Along with that, building mechanics will be told to you like you are five, yet it is not something you can resent. Take this part from your inventory, OK now put it here, HERE! Then rotate it nice and slow. There you go, gorgeous, I always trusted you.
I find it very useful that the game tells you everything clearly, since I know that most of you would skip that part and wander around without knowing what to do. After building our first vehicle, we are headed to our first location and the real game begins.
The first area of the map will teach you the basics of the game. There are batteries around which you can collect, there are checkpoints which save your progress once you drive through, there are places marked on your map which you should visit and there are hills which you can not climb. Honestly, I got stuck in there for a while since I couldn’t climb a hill and the game told me that I needed more engines in order to climb a long and devastating hill. After a while, I figured out that I have another engine I can use and with that, I was able to climb the hill.
Engines give you power and speed, yet you need to be careful while building your vehicle, since your impulsive design may shift the balance in a bad way. Always keep in mind that the vehicles tend to turn upside down real quick.
The main goal of the game is to build a better and better “jet-powered hover-buggy” and continue to the expedition. Along your way, you will find better spare parts which will help you go on if you do not crash it very often. I admit that I did, but it is a relief that repairing is easy as hell.
The only thing I can complain is the control mechanism of the Trailmakers. I find it highly sensitive while playing with mouse and keyboard. Another problematic thing is the camera angles, which are somehow not satisfying.
Knowing that the game is still in early-access, I can totally overlook that. There is so much to change and fix, like the problematic dust cloud which makes your vehicle disappear when you start it. But, with no doubt, Trailmakers will make you enjoy it, especially with friends.
It is a huge chance to make your crazy weird vehicle ideas real and I bet you will be proud of your little unusual Lego-like creation. I just hope that your imagination has no boundaries, because I will surely enjoy watching you all driving these weird work of arts around. There is no limit.
Trailmakers will also offer multiplayer mode which I was unable to try out, yet I am positive that it will be even more fun and challenging with friends.
I must mention that the beautiful and relaxing colors of Trailmakers look highly satisfying, thanks to Unity Engine. Trailmakers offers an environmental design with warm colors and sunsets over the hills. The game lets you enjoy driving your badass vehicle to the sunset while you make your way to the dusty road through the sea of green grass.
The last thing I need to mention is the soundtracks of Trailmakers which were insanely beautiful. Music of Trailmakers just completes the game, even cranks it up a notch. I also find the environmental sounds most fitting.
I would love to see Trailmakers free from all the bugs and glitches and evolved to its full potential, since it promises a fun, creative and imaginative gameplay experience with or without friends. Trailmakers is still in early-access and available on Steam. You can go ahead and check the page by visiting here.
Trailmakers was reviewed using a Steam key provided by the publisher.
