PAW Patrol: Grand Prix

PAW Patrol: Grand Prix, from developer 3D Clouds and publisher Outright Games, is every Paw Patrol fan’s opportunity to pit their favorite characters against one another in a fast-paced mission to win the Pup Cup.

From the moment you start the game, you have access to the main cast, including Chase, Syke and Marshall, but you can also race your way to unlocking other beloved characters such as Zuma and Tracker. You can compete against up to 3 other players, and you’ll have to use not just sheer speed but also cunning to keep yourself ahead on the track.

Gameplay

PAW Patrol: Grand Prix does its best to appease both its young target audience and the older family members who will inevitably be asked to join in on the fun.
For very young players who want to see their favorite characters in action and feel like they’re have an impact on what's happening on screen, the game offers an auto-drive mode. This mode allows the player to hold the controller and press the required buttons to utilize character specific abilities as well as any power ups, while the game AI controls the driving mechanics.

For an audience more accustomed to kart racing games, PAW Patrol:Grand Prix offers an experience not dissimilar to Crash Team Racing, with distinct characters and vehicles, a good sense of speed and acceleration, unique abilities and straightforward controls. While the game’s controls don’t handle as smoothly as some of its more popular competitors on the market, it provides an enjoyable kart racing experience nonetheless.

Power-ups can be utilized as soon as they are picked up on the race track, while character specific abilities must be charged up by picking up pup-treats. Additionally, as expected from a title within the kart racing genre, the game offers three distinct environments to play in, 11 unique tracks and an up to 4-player split screen option.

PAW Patrol: Grand Prix facilitates hours of uncomplicated family fun, perfect for a relaxing evening, or the third day of a noisy, child heavy holiday gathering.

Visuals

Fans of the PAW Patrol series will recognize the brightly colored and lush environments from their favorite episodes. The game graphics remain true to the style of the animated series, providing a smooth transition into the game, especially for a younger audience.

Additionally, PAW Patrol: Grand Prix stays true to the visuals of its predecessors, such as PAW Patrol Mighty Pups: Save Adventure Bay, with a few minor improvements that make it look shinier and better suited for a new generation of consoles.

Customization

In addition to the unlockable characters, PAW Patrol: Grand Prix also offers the opportunity to unlock various cosmetics for the pups and their distinct vehicles. There a total of 20 different hats/headgear options for the characters and 20 different stickers for the vehicles. The color schemes of the vehicles can also be altered, providing a varying range of customization options.

Conclusion

This is definitely a great feature of the game as it not only allows players to express themselves in innovative and interesting ways but also provides extra rewards to strive for outside of winning the Pup Cup.

Pros

• Colorful cast of characters
• Accessible to a younger audience
• Fun for the whole family

Cons

• Vehicle handling can be a little stiff
• Lacks gameplay variety