Player One Reviews Faaast Penguin

Faaast Penguin Review: Flawed, flashy, fun

Reviewed by Darcy Brown

 

Faaast Penguin is an online multiplayer tournament-style racing game developed by Historia INC. This cutesy and vibrant racing adventure follows up to 40 players racing as penguins to compete in a toboggan race to get the buffet of a lifetime. The maps consist of various vacation themed islands. Penguins travel to new islands where they dodge obstacles and knock out other penguins to fight for the right to race again.

 

 

Breaking away from Historia INC’s previous ventures in single-play RPGs, Faaast Penguin is an online only cross-play game, letting all your friends join the fun regardless of game system. Unfortunately, it can take a while to find a game. While the maximum number of players per game is 40, a lot of the time I was lucky to get 20. Still, it has a fun gameplay loop. Daily challenges reward items and currency to be used in the in-game store as well as a battle pass, incentivizing players to come back every day. 

 

The controls and the camera can be really slow and changing the sensitivity in the settings menu doesn’t change much. It's easy to get mad at the game, but that can admittedly lead to some enjoyment if you are playing with friends. Unfortunately, Faaast Penguin can also be very flashy and overstimulating visually and auditorily. While reducing volume can help with the overwhelming audio, that still doesn't fix the flashing images that may be an issue for people who suffer from epilepsy. The game also fails to provide an appropriate warning for the overstimulating imagery.

 

 

However, once you do get past the aforementioned overstimulation, Faaast Penguin has a very wacky and charming aesthetic with great island designs. The character designs are also simple, but effective. Flat colours and stubby proportions give the penguins a cartoony vibe that lends itself well to the game’s funnier antics.

 

The game’s maps feature unique themes and set pieces, including islands in the sky, jungle trees, and resort beaches. They are also filled with various 3D obstacles. The bright colours, along with these themed elements, contribute to the feeling of nostalgia for older racing games. While visually appealing, the fast pace of the game makes it difficult to fully appreciate these design elements.

 

 

While Faaast Penguin shows promise, the game has flaws that are hard to overlook. But if you can look past those flaws, Faaast Penguin is enjoyable in small bursts. I wish the game had been given just a little more time in the oven to make it a proper buffet, rather than an average appetiser. I couldn't see myself sinking much of my energy into it for too long without getting a headache, especially when playing alone.

---

Faaast Penguin was reviewed by Darcy Brown using a free copy for PlayStation 5