Horizon Chase Turbo: Senna Forever review

Adding an extra F1-flavoured layer onto an already sumptuous retro treat, Senna Forever is one of the best-value, feelgood DLC packages you could wish for. Horizon Chase Turbo remains a killer arcade racer even after three years, its one that I often return to for a turbocharged blast. With the full licenced endorsement of the late, great Brazilian F1 legend, Senna Forever adds the enticing prospect of Formula 1 driving to an already ace game.

What this means is the fastest vehicles yet in the HCT universe, a new cockpit first person view, and two new game modes to enjoy. There is also the addition of a light strategy element to consider during your races. Before each race you are given the option to select between tires that give a handling buff, or a larger fuel tank and nitrous injection.

The handling option is best employed when the adverse weather conditions could affect your performance, or if you are racing around a track with more twists and turns than normal. In situations where there are more straights and the opportunity to maximise speed, then the latter option is the one.

You get to enjoy two modes in Horizon Chase Turbo: Senna Forever. There’s a Career mode with five chapters that touches on key moments in Ayrton’s own path to F1 immortality – and a World Championship where you can unlock a huge array of different vehicles, and play as one of the many in-game teams. The vehicles are all varied in terms of performance and it is fun finding one which best suits your driving style. Throughout the game are also a number of instantly recognisable real-life tracks that are brought to life in classic Horizon Turbo style.

The cockpit view in Horizon Chase Turbo: Senna Forever takes some getting used to and is only available in the DLC but gives a really different feel and reminded me of classic arcade title Super Monaco GP, one of the first games I ever obtained on the Mega Drive. The game still plays like it always did, but the F1 stylings, tracks and strategies do enough to make it feel fresh and new. I found it incredibly fun to play, and it also spurred me on to revisit the rest of the core game once I had worked through the milestones in the top-drawer Career mode.

Despite being incredible reasonably price-wise, it is also great to hear that part of the profits made from this excellent slice of downloadable content will be given to the Ayrton Senna Institute, a humanitarian organisation set up by the family of the GP legend to benefit disadvantaged young people in his homeland. This great add-on, and this altruism, both add to the startling legacy of one of the most beloved sportsmen of his era.