Gear.Club Unlimited 3 First Impressions – New Racing Game is a Ton of Fun
Gear.Club Unlimited 3 comes to the Nintendo Switch 2 in just a few days, and it promises to be full of adrenaline-pumping racing, along with some strategic car buying. So, what is the game like? Is the racing a heart-stopping thrill ride, or is it a calming Sunday drive? Let’s take a look at my first impressions of the game so far.
About Gear.Club Unlimited 3
Developed by Eden Games, Gear.Club Unlimited 3 releases for the Nintendo Switch 2 on February 19th, with plans to release the game on other systems in the near future. While I haven’t played the other games in the Gear.Club Unlimited series, you don’t need to have played any of the other games in order to jump into this game.
From the beginning, you can play Story Mode and Free Play. I decided to try Story Mode first. You’re a rookie driver in France, and you’re trying out to be the Gear.Club’s racing representative for their new branch in Japan. Of course, in order to get to Japan, you need to prove yourself by racing. The first race is pretty simple – you have to finish in the top six – but after that, you need to finish in at least second place, then you need to beat a veteran racer in a one-on-one race.
If you’re used to chaotic Switch 2 racers like Mario Kart World or Kirby Air Riders, you’ll have to readjust your racing reflexes for this game. Here, it’s more about driving skill than pure speed. The game awards you points for driving safely, while it takes points off for ramming into walls or going off course. After a race, the points are converted into money, and you might be awarded money, or you might have to pay money to cover car damages. Money can later be used in the garage to purchase new cars.
Fun Racing and Features
The game’s graphics are beautiful, giving you a sense of driving through the countryside. While I enjoy chaotic, heart-pumping racing games, the more methodical racing in Gear.Club Unlimited 3 brings a sense of serenity. There is also an in-game radio that lets you choose between different catchy tunes, letting you customize the atmosphere.
It’s also thrilling to overtake other racers without running into them. When you receive points for getting “perfect sections,” it makes you feel like a good driver, not just a good racer. Of course, when you lose points for ramming into stuff (as I did many times), you also might find yourself groaning out loud, but that will be at your own bad skills, not at the game itself. While it can be difficult to go around turns, the racing controls are largely solid, so you’ll feel like it’s your fault when you mess up.
When you finally get to Japan, you get to go to the garage and buy your own cars. Of course, you’ll only have enough money for one car at the beginning, but the game apparently has over forty cars, meaning that you’ll be doing a lot of racing to earn enough money to buy them all. You can also customize the cars however you want.
There Will Be More To Come
I wanted to keep playing Gear.Club Unlimited 3, even when it was getting late. The one-on-one race had me biting my lip in tenseness as I tried over and over to win, then when I finally did win, a big grin crossed my face. I will definitely keep on playing Gear.Club Unlimited 3, and so far, I absolutely recommend it for any racing fans. Gear.Club Unlimited 3 comes out on February 19th, and it can be purchased for the Switch 2 for $49.99.
