The ladies and gentleman of Playism have pulled out all of the stops with Nitro Express. Throwing you into a chaotic pixel-art take on Tokyo, where drones have gone haywire and all fingers point to the Atypical Vehicle Disposal Squad when it comes to who it will fall on to clean the streets – once and for all. Merging classic arcade shoot-’em-ups with late-night anime, Playism here present an in-your-face extravaganza, full of kickass guns, cool gadgets and, of course, non-stop mayhem. However, for all its charm and charisma, Nitro Express isn’t without its faults.
Welcome to Nitro City
Nitro Express throws you into the highly polished boots of a Nitro City cop where your beat is a neon explosion of a Cyberpunk-esque city. While the game offers these familiar settings it still maintains a fresh angle with its futuristic scenes, dazzling color and futuristic elements.
While there exists a vague story in the heart of Nitro City, the game relies more on its casual style and almost tangible atmosphere to tell its story and submerge the player. Where some would baulk at the thought of no real narrative, others will be happy to learn that Nitro Express tells its story through banterful radio chatter, which serves its purpose beautifully without taking focus away from the action.
An Awesome Arsenal Garnished with Gadgetry
Weapons and gadgetry are certainly where Nitro Express shines. The sheer variety at ones disposal is more than enough to send the undecisive player into turmoil. You’re given the opportunity to mess around with everything from flame-throwers and EMP grenades to sentry turrets and remote-controlled drones. Then you have your gadgets; with a total of twelve to find, there’s always new ways to approach combat, adding further depth into how you choose to play the game.
Smooth PC Controls Marred by Balance
Playing Nitro Express on PC was a smooth experience, even for someone more used to the comforts only a console can offer. The mouse aiming is far smoother than I’ve experienced in other games (which pleasantly surprised me) and you’ll even be rewarded with a an accuracy and damage boost for standing still – although do so at your own peril. While this can encourage a mixture of careful aiming and good ol’ fashioned run-and-gun maneuvers, the balance can – at times – feel a little off. It can get frustrating when you’re forced into slowing down to deal the required damage – and the camera only adds to your frustrations.
A 30 FPS Lock Seems Bizarre
I’d say the largest shortfall in Nitro Express would be the locked 30 FPS that the game runs at. It’s 2025, Playism, and a 60 FPS update would be a wonderful thing to behold. It just feels a little “yesteryear”. We live in an age where gamers flourish with lightning fast reflexes and fluid gameplay.
Furthermore, when faced with resource-heavy action events, like shootouts against the likes of tanks and helicopters. Neon Express will even drop below the 30 FPS standard and make what should be immense and riveting gameplay sluggish and frustrating. I need to say here that despite the 30 FPS lock, the game is definitely playable – just a little annoying when the occasional frame drop takes away from the experience.
Summary
Nitro Express is a sleek and stylish retro shooter, held back only by a dated FPS rate and somewhat awkward camera. However, if you can look past these minor hiccups then then the pixel-art chaos is relentlessly fun. It’s a commendable retro shooter that could become a staple of the scene, given a quick update.
Having enjoyed Playism titles in the past (Mind Diver, Million Depth), I have hope for an update.
REVIEW
OUR SCORE - 7
7
SCORE
Nitro Express is a sleek and stylish retro shooter, held back only by a dated FPS rate and somewhat awkward camera.
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