4PGP PS5 Review: The Ultimate 90s Arcade Throwback

If you miss the days of sitting on a beanbag, staring at a thick television screen, and shouting at your mates while racing low-polygon open-wheel cars, this throwback project wants to transport you right back to that golden era. It aims to capture the raw, immediate velocity of 90s coin-op racing without any modern open-world bloat or grinding getting in the way. Specifically, you get fast speeds, flashy retro effects, and intense local competition designed to deliver instant arcade thrills directly to your modern console.

Specs & HUD | Gameplay | Performance | Settings

4PGP PS5 Review: Specs & HUD

• Developer: Vision Reelle
• Publisher: 3goo
• Genre: Retro Arcade Racing
• Official Download Size: 615.8MB
• Trophy Count: 14 Trophies total (Note: There is no Platinum trophy).
• Game Modes Available: Three modes including Championship, Quick Race, and Time Attack.
• Championship Structure: Four distinct championships featuring three tracks from around the globe.
• Track Variety: 14 race tracks based on real-world locations with unofficial names, playable in standard layouts or mirror form. Initially, 12 tracks are unlocked.
• Vehicle Selection: 20 unique cars with individual stats for acceleration, top speed, and handling. Unofficial models featuring classic racing colours and parody joke sponsors. Initially, 9 cars are unlocked.
• Multiplayer Support: 2 to 4 player local split-screen multiplayer support. No online multiplayer functionality is present.
• Camera Angles: Five instantly switchable driving views available during races.
• Onboarding Features: Real-time tutorial pop-ups that appear during active play, alongside an optional, fully replayable dedicated tutorial mode.

Gameplay Review & Mechanics Breakdown

Dropping behind the wheel in this title immediately brings back memories of arcade cabinets and classic 90s racers. The experience focuses completely on high-speed, no-nonsense racing across three distinct modes. For instance, you can jump straight into a Quick Race, tackle a Time Attack, or challenge the main Championship paths. Because the developers wanted an authentic retro feel, the cars are styled after classic formula vehicles, complete with recognisable racing liveries and hilarious parody sponsors replacing the real-world brands. Initially, you have access to nine vehicles and twelve tracks, meaning you have to work to unlock the remaining grid.

Handling across the fourteen global tracks feels swift and responsive. However, the track layouts, which represent real-world locations under fake names, throw a proper challenge your way. To help you manage these tight corners, the game includes a steering and braking assist feature. Unfortunately, this assist is incredibly aggressive, constantly forcing your vehicle directly onto the ideal racing line. As a result, anyone who actually likes having total control over their steering will want to turn this option off immediately. You can swap between five different driving views on the fly, allowing you to find the perfect perspective to attack hairpins normally or in mirror form.

The biggest mechanical quirk involves the turbo bar system. Specifically, you replenish your boost by driving over the designated pit lane section and hitting a button prompt perfectly on a spinning dial. It sounds simple enough, but entering the pits forces your car to go completely slow. In addition, waiting for the dial to appear and activate takes way too long, completely killing your momentum during a fast-paced race. Hitting walls or slamming into rival cars also feels sluggish and heavily dampens your speed, rather than causing a spectacular crash. While the immediate pick-up-and-play loop offers brilliant couch multiplayer chaos for up to four players, the package ultimately lacks the depth required to offer massive replay value over the long haul.

4PGP PS5 Review: Performance & Fidelity

• Visual Presentation: Clean retro graphics that serve as a great nod to the 90s era, featuring impressive particle effects like bright sparks flying from the chassis.
• Vehicle Models: Well-rendered, retro-inspired formula car models that accurately mimic classic racing shapes without official licensing.
• Frame Rate & Performance: Runs at a fast, smooth, and highly consistent pace during gameplay, maintaining solid stability even during busy split-screen sessions.
• Collision Behaviour: Zero physical damage modelling is present on the vehicles. Collisions with barriers or other competitors result in a slow, sluggish impact animation rather than dynamic destruction.
• Online Connectivity Limitations: A massive missed opportunity exists regarding the Time Attack leaderboards, which are entirely local and feature absolutely no online connectivity or global ranking boards.
• Audio Mixing and Soundtrack Concerns: The music tracks themselves sound good, but they are incredibly scarce. Specifically, there is no music playing during the actual races, leaving you driving in near silence until you cross the finish line.

Settings, Customisation & Control Details

• Audio Settings Menu: Basic mixing controls featuring independent sliders for master volume, music volume, and specific sound effects.
• General Game Settings: Interface language selection and a speedometer speed unit toggle, allowing players to swap instantly between mph and kmh.
• Difficulty Tiers: Four race difficulty settings available for championships, categorised into Rookie, Novice, Veteran, and Expert brackets.
• Pause Menu Adjustments: Quick access toggles for controller vibration, motion sensor driving inputs, and the automated steering/braking assist system.
• Control Configuration Options: Built-in control mapping presets allowing acceleration and braking to be assigned to the L2 and R2 triggers, the analogue stick, X and O buttons, or an inverted O and X button setup.

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