Endless running games have been around for a long time. Despite the genre being so well established, innovation has been scarce. It’s really hard to find something new and a gimmick that actually works. However, it is clear that the genre works and manages to grab the interest of a nice chunk of people. Over the last years, the genre has grown in popularity, specially thanks to the mobile games market exploding. Even though Endless running game have not been common on consoles, this boom in popularity helped bring them to consoles. Today, we’re covering Tri6: Infinite, an endless running game that manages to add a unique twist to the formula. We’ll see if that’s enough to make the game worth it. Time for our Tri6: Infinite Stadia Review!
Arcade fun, tedious progression
Developed and published by Clockwork Origins, Tri6: Infinite has a really simple gameplay premise. Keep going as far as possible in the procedurally generated levels and rack-up as many points as possible. This gameplay loop is engaging and fun enough, and brings a competitive aspect to the Stadia community. Alongside games like Centipede and Yars: Recharged, it’s great to see pure arcade-y titles making its way to the platform.
As previously stated, the main goal of the game is to last the maximum amount of time possible in randomly generated levels. To do so, we’ll have to drive around a circuit with randomly placed obstacles. Controls are fine, and racing is quite fun. The obstacles are varied, and the game becomes harder the longest we last. From time to time, other racers will join our game to try to get rid of us, so we’ll have to watch out for their traps too. Alongside obstacles, there are a set of items and upgrades that will help us. Speed boosts, shields, mines… quite a varied assort of items at our disposal that we’ll have to grab while racing. Also, there are side-objectives to complete that grand extra points and continues.
To keep things fresh, Tri6: Infinite has some unlockables. New vehicles, upgrades, items… there is something for each category. This helps make the game stand out more and make increase the playtime. However, it is really tedious and grindy. To unlock stuff, you’ll need credits, which can be grabbed while racing. This is fine, after all, games of the same genre have similar methods to keep progression fresh. Still, the amounts of credits needed are quite high, requiring hours of playtime just to unlock a couple of items. Some players will be glad to see so many unlockable items and have fun earning them, Others, however, will find the process tedious.
Fine presentation, good performance
Visually, the game is rather unique, taking some inspiration from movies like Tron. The racing track is futuristic, just like the vehicles and obstacles. It’s fine, and it works well with the whole vibe the game is going for. That said, it feels repetitive. With the title being an endless runner, running for the same hallway with pretty much the same textures, starts to feel boring. Some variety in the levels would’ve been appreciated. At least changing the surroundings between playthroughs. That said, performance is great. The soundtrack consists of fast-paced techno tracks. Barely memorable, but it works fine for the type of game it is.
Thankfully, the game runs at 60 fps and doesn’t have any major problems maintaining that. For such a competitive game where precise movement matters a lot, that’s really important. Also, there are global leaderboards across all platforms. For this reason, the game requires a Clockwork Origins account to keep track of everything. There’s also local split screen, so up to four players can race each other and have fun with all the upgrades and items.
Conclusion
While falling short in some aspects, Tri6: Infinite is a decent endless-runner with a unique twist. Racing and dodging obstacles for the maximum time possible with provide hours of fun to those that enjoy racing games. A great amount of unlockable items that some might find too tedious and slow to unlock. Presentation is also hit or miss, and can become boring after hours of playing. Having said all that, Tri6: Infinite is a great addition to the Stadia platform. Thanks to its low price and being a Pro game, more people will be able to give it a go and see for themselves if they like it.
Tri6: Infinite is available on the Stadia Store for $7.99 USD. In addition, make sure to check out our review of Elemental Wars 2, by the same developers.
Tri6: Infinite
Summary
Tri6: Infinite brings the popular endless-running genre to Stadia, with a unique racing twist. Classic arcade fun that will give hours of playtime to some people, and become a tad boring to others.
