4PGP FourPlayer GP is a horrible name, but you can’t fault 3goo for detailing what the game is without any sort of synopsis. If you’re currently in the pits and still figuring it out, this is an F1-themed racing game for up to four people. Funny that, huh? Is it any good? Yep!
This game gives off lots of mobile vibes, what with the title and its simplicity. If you want a campaign, it’s there. Time trial? Quick race? You got it. The game is instantly playable, and the only stalling will come from you and what car you decide on, as the menus are slicker than the tyres. Simply pick the mode you want to race in and tap up and down based on the players involved.
I’m almost already at my limit on what to write about with the game, as there are no additional frills but a reasonable amount of thrills. 4PGP sits somewhere in the middle between high-octane speeds and driving a golf cart around a parking lot, in the middle-ish, but fast. An arcade experience through and through, it plays like Virtua Racing only with stabilisers, and Mario Kart without the combat and charm. Charm coming from the characters, mind – that’s unfair to the big-headed helmet drivers steering these things.
There are no boosts, power-ups, or tinkering with engines, though it is worthwhile stopping in the pits for a change of tyres. I seldom do this, but keen to actually have a proper race with the family, the four-player mode that features in the game is excellent. Now, I’m not going to say something sexist like everyone in my household can’t drive (three of them being female), but my wife and eldest daughter weren’t really bothered by it. My youngest daughter gave me a run for my money multiple times.
Firstly, the stats in the cars are basic. Acceleration, top speed and handling. Two of them are somewhat redundant, as all the cars launch like a rocket, and handling is excellent for all cars on any track. No spin-outs or overcompensating on the brakes, though collisions can throw you off – not with the AI, but whoever you’re playing with locally. There’s lots of rivalry when playing with the fam. Anyway, I gave her a chance by continually picking cars with a lower top speed, thinking I could play as usual, but there’s a chance she might catch up and give her some hope. I was wrong.
First, because 4PGP is incredibly user-friendly, she seldom went off the tracks, and second, the stats make a difference as I was driving impeccably, but her top speed outpaced mine, and she beat me on multiple rounds. Fine, I can be an adult about this. Time to pick the same car. This went better as we were going roughly neck and neck. However, her decision to stop off at the pits was laughable as the game is too arcade-like to matter. Still, on the final lap, my tyres burnt out, the handling changed, and she beat me. Multiple times with the same mistake.
What I’m trying to say is that 4PGP is very accessible, very family-friendly, and surprisingly, a lot of fun. There are no licensed vehicles, no super duper cutscenes, power-ups, or fandom, but what there is is a bona fide racing game for up to four players, and quite frankly, everything is there in the title. Again, emphasis on how surprising this was.
Having just read this to my daughter, she laughed and said there was a boost and she was using it all the time…
