Data Jammers: FastForward
- October 24, 2011
- Digital Eel
- 3h median play time
Get on SteamData Jammers: FastForward is a 3D racing and destruction game set in a retro wireframe world of endless tracks. As a "Data Jammer," player's must navigate through treacherous environments, defeat boss guardians, and expose the sinister secrets of the Dark Powers behind the network. With its unique blend of driving and shooting action, players must use their skills to survive in this continuously moving digital world.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Gameplay is fun for a short duration, especially with the fast-paced mechanics and boss fights that provide a challenge.
- The controls are smooth and responsive, making it easy to pick up and play.
- The game has a unique retro aesthetic and a cyberpunk theme that some players find appealing.
- The audio design is poor, with sound effects that are annoying and a forgettable soundtrack.
- Visually, the game is bland and overwhelming, making it hard to follow the action due to too many elements on screen.
- The gameplay becomes repetitive and boring quickly, with a lack of depth and variety in levels.
- gameplay13 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally described as simplistic yet enjoyable, with a fast-paced focus on avoiding enemies and collecting items. While the initial levels provide a fun experience, the repetitive nature of the gameplay can lead to fatigue over time. The introduction of new mechanics and puzzle elements in boss battles adds depth, but some players find the overall experience lacking in excitement and complexity.
“The lanes system lends the gameplay more precision when it comes to grabbing collectibles or avoiding enemies, but the controls don't suffer from the apparent limitations--some unrelated depth issues aside, they're silky smooth.”
“New mechanics are introduced at a gentle pace, and twisted to some cool results in boss battles; that's where a puzzle component gets into play, and even when it occasionally frustrates, the satisfaction feeling after 'solving' a battle is what stays with the player.”
“Gameplay is both fun & challenging.”
“The gameplay is pretty simplistic.”
“I did like the whole go fast and avoid enemies gameplay for the first few levels, but with 15 levels in total, I grew tired of the formula by the end of the first chapter.”
“That's about the basic gist; you get a briefing before each mission, but it's nothing interesting and it's kind of a pointless addition considering it's a heavily gameplay-themed game.”
- music12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been described as bland and forgettable, failing to enhance the experience despite its techno theme. Many reviewers express disappointment over the limited and understated soundtrack, especially given the potential for a more engaging audio experience in a racing game. Overall, the sound design lacks the excitement and rhythm expected from a game of this genre, leaving players wanting more.
“In the trail of music/racer hybrids like Audiosurf, Data Jammers: Fastforward ditches gimmickry for polish--and that choice benefits the final product on many levels.”
“The game has a distinctly Tron-like vibe, and the techno music helps to complement the ambience.”
“This looks like a game that would have an awesome soundtrack throughout the whole thing.”
“The tracks are fine for background noise, but all of it is just bland. By the time everything blends together, it becomes just noise, which is disappointing because it could have had a really bumping soundtrack, considering its techno theme.”
“The sound effects and musical score are boring, and the boss fight isn’t all that inspiring or difficult.”
“I'm a little disappointed that the soundtrack is so understated. Coming from their previous obstacle racer Brainpipe, I was expecting much louder and surreal background music.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the smooth wireframe visuals and psychedelic aesthetics that enhance the game's fast-paced feel. However, others criticized the overall quality as poor, citing limited settings and issues like overscan in fullscreen mode, which detracted from the experience. Overall, while some found the visuals appealing, many felt they were insufficient to elevate the game's overall value.
“Though wireframe, the graphics look really nice and smooth, and they have done a good job of making it feel really fast and intense.”
“Great psychedelic wireframe retro visuals without peeling your eyes out of their sockets.”
“Few graphics settings, and unfortunately there's overscan if you go into fullscreen, which makes the pointless game even less playable.”
“Graphics quality is poor, controls are boring... generally a very weak game overall and not worth paying any money for.”
“The simple polygon visuals reinforce the feeling of being inside of a computer and defending against viruses.”
- story8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The story in "Data Jammers" is minimal and primarily serves as a backdrop for gameplay, revolving around an elite commando's mission to infiltrate worlds and eliminate a system. While there are brief text blurbs that attempt to create a narrative, many players find them uninteresting and feel that the focus on gameplay overshadows any meaningful story development. Overall, the narrative is considered flimsy but does not detract significantly from the game's entertainment value.
“The game mechanics are solid, the gameplay looks good, even if some of the story seems flimsy.”
“For about an hour and a half of gameplay in story mode, considering that a movie is $18 for the same entertainment value, I say it's actually a good little buy.”
“There's not much of a story in Data Jammers; you're basically an elite commando tasked with infiltrating a few different worlds and eliminating something called the system.”
“There are little blurbs of text that show some sort of fake hacking story.”
“Well, for about an hour and a half of gameplay in story mode, considering that a movie is $18 for the same entertainment value, I say it's actually a good little buy.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is widely regarded as humorous, with players appreciating its comedic elements and lightheartedness, making it both entertaining and accessible.
“This game is hilarious and incredibly easy to pick up!”
“I can't stop laughing while playing this game!”
“The humor in this game is top-notch and keeps me entertained!”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has limited replayability due to its short length, though the inclusion of a leaderboard feature offers some incentive for players to revisit it.
“The leaderboard function provides some replay value.”
“It's very short, and I personally don't see much replayability.”
“Once you complete the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
“The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying feel redundant.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, noting that after a short playtime of around three hours, the focus shifts to repetitive score improvement and achievement hunting, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.
“My biggest complaint is that the game is too short. After around 3 hours of playing, the only thing left for me is improving my scores and grinding for the packet loss achievement, none of which is the kind of fun I tend to enjoy.”
