Review of Senna Forever: Horizon Chase Turbo written by Roos Heilig
The spirit of Ayrton Senna lives on in motorsport and his amazing racecraft which resulted in 3 championships, driving for Toleman, Lotus as well as the winning McLaren team. This legacy is now immortalised in the Horizon Chase Turbo expansion park, brought to you by Aquiris and part of their successful retro racing game that complements neatly with Senna’s heyday. Just like the talented Brazilian, this game is all about raw talent as well as having natural race instincts once you take it to Senna Forever’s vast availability of tracks. Leave the pitstops, vehicle R&D and memorising complex steering wheel configurations; because as Senna once said, “being second is the first of the ones to lose”. So get into the drivers seat, get into battle with 19 others and ensure that you do not leave a gap.
Check out the trailer here.
Choose between two modes (Career Mode and World Championship) in Senna Forever and embark on a journey that mirrors his march towards 3 World Drivers’ Championships (WDC). For the latter, you have to compete in three different stages with varying numbers of races for said respective categories. Let it be known that as the stages progress, getting those podium finishes will not be a walk in the park (but that never stopped Ayrton Senna, despite losing out on the 1989 WDC to Alain Prost in controversial fashion. If you prefer a storyline based gameplay and are eager to learn more about Ayrton Senna, the Career Mode is that perfect opportunity to do so. From his early career drives to achieving success, it also allows you to possibly become a Senna fan after completing this game.
Speaking of which, there are certain elements that personally endeared me while playing Senna Forever aside from its retro racing concept and mechanics (which was done to perfection, especially for those who grew up playing such games on Sega and Nintendo), Aquiris did a stellar job in memoralising Ayrton Senna by showcasing stories behind certain races such as the 1984 Monaco GP which cemented his ability to navigate through the rain. In addition, the car liveries were replicated closely to represent Senna’s various teams throughout his career and mid-race quotes were a nice touch. Gameplay-wise, you have the option to choose between three enhancements pre-race and completing objectives for an added bonus. What is a retro racing game without on-track power boosts? Use them to your advantage and avoid getting bumped by other cars in the process, there is only one mode here; Speed.
Senna Forever is available as an expansion pack and playable together with the Horizon Chase Turbo game, an amazing standalone game with various modes to choose from as well. Learn more about both titles here and other Aquiris titles through their website. Part of the proceeds from this game will go to the Ayrton Senna Institute, allowing opportunities for Brazilian kids through education.
This review is written by Roos Heilig.
