Phantom Spark deluded me into feeling like a Formula One driver!
Recently, I have had this obsession with keeping up with Formula One races. I don’t know how a science nerd like myself was able to stay oblivious to the magic of Formula One is beyond me, but once I learned about the way these teams build cars that push the limits of engineering and then have drivers quite literally have superhuman capabilities race it out on the tracks, it did not take me long to be completely obsessed.
The cars in Formula One are quite literally upside-down airplanes that can go upwards of 200 miles per hour, and the drivers are madmen—losing several pounds of body weight in sweat to the heat of their own cars while experiencing G-forces only relatable to jet pilots.
It is no less than admirable to see these drivers take corners, overtake, and zoom across the racetracks to accumulate points to take home the Constructor’s Cup at the end of the season. Now, why would I bring this up? Well, Phantom Spark sort of deluded me into thinking I was a Formula One driver as I played it, and I had an absolute blast playing it.
Phantom Spark is a futuristic racing game where you take control of this spaceship-y hovercraft as you conquer the 30+ racetracks prepared meticulously by the developers at Ghost. The comparison of Formula One with Phantom Spark may seem odd, especially when the game seems more like the classic Wipeout, F-Zero, or the newer Trackmania series. However, the gameplay loop here is the reason behind my comparisons.
The gameplay in Phantom Spark is simple yet deeply rewarding. You must first speed through a racetrack to familiarize yourself with the track and then go again, this time against your ghost and the domain champion. The goal is not just to beat the champion but to surpass your personal best, a feat that brings a sense of accomplishment like no other.
The first round of going about the racetrack by yourself makes a lot of sense because you would almost never reach your full potential when you don’t even know what is after your next turn, right? This is in line with how races work in Formula One.
During each Grand Prix race weekend, drivers first take practice laps around the circuit to understand the road and devise racing strategies. Then, they race against the clock by themselves in three qualifying races, determining their starting position in one final race and their place among the nine other drivers.
Phantom Spark is a game that champions self-improvement. The free lap and Racing Your Ghost, followed by the Champion, is a condensed version of the Formula One drivers’ process. In Phantom Spark, your most important opponent is your past self, and the journey of self-improvement is a significant part of the game’s allure, inspiring players to push their limits.
The characters do a great job of driving that point home. The first domain you enter is Fwinti’s, and Ceera introduces you to the Phantom Spark controls. They ease you into this world with their dialogue by saying things like, “I remember struggling once with that,” as you bump into an obstacle or fail to beat them. You are given positive remarks when you do well and little playful quips whenever you retry a race.
Between the races, you will unlock these short-time trials that aim to make you a better racer. They bring you a situation like a U-turn or a series of turns and introduce concepts like braking at the right time. Phantom Spark sort of shows you how it is done and wants you to mess around and figure the rest out yourself. Compared to the usual races, I found that to be very fun, albeit extremely difficult.
The controls in Phantom Spark are also simple: a button to accelerate, another to brake, and a dedicated button to reset a race. And, of course, steering with the stick. It is highly recommended to play Phantom Spark with a controller with analog triggers or even just a controller, as there is a lot of depth to the racing.
The racetracks are sprawling with twists and turns, and each domain emphasizes a different aspect of each track’s differences. For example, Fwinti’s racetracks generally lay flat and have many turns, while Zyn’s tracks are far more vertical, with peaks and valleys and some more accentuated turns in an attempt to trip you up.
As I immersed myself in Phantom Spark’s races, I found myself retrying the same races repeatedly, trying to find a way to cut a corner as tightly as possible to conserve my momentum and stay as fast for as long as possible at each moment. It is an addictive loop of trial and error, but the satisfaction of finally perfecting a race is unparalleled, leaving you with a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.
Braking as late as possible, approaching wide to a sharp turn, cutting some grass to approach a straight path—I found myself trying it all in Phantom Spark. Nothing is more satisfying than shaving milliseconds off your best after several retries. The best part is knowing there were no upgrades behind that sweet victory, only an improvement in technique that got me there. This aspect played a large part in making me feel like a Formula One driver.
The races are largely short, by the way, ranging around the less than 60-second mark. This is a great thing because it makes the task of trying to perfect them slightly more approachable. I would love to be able to take this around on a Steam Deck or the Nintendo Switch for a quick race or two while out and about. There are no laps, and each track is sort of a sprint to the finish.
When you clear each race one time, you unlock a Champion Pathway, which brings together each new type of pathway you encountered in that domain into one long race. Coming to this after several shorter races feels like a feat. The one in Fwinti’s domain is about two minutes long and a lot of fun to go through.
The UI in Phantom Spark is minimal. Sadly, there is no mini-map, but perhaps that can be forgiven as you can look at each track. As you gain speed, you can see a little blue bar grow wider in the bottom middle of the screen, the time deltas shown at the top of your screen, and the little quips from the characters in the bottom left. None of it is ever distracting and complements the minimalistic look Phantom Spark is going for.
Speaking of, the visuals in Phantom Spark are, once again, simple, but it gets the job done. You can tell F-Zero, Thumper, and the Wipeout games are a heavy inspiration here, with the tracks having angular scriptures and everything having this metallic look. The best way I can describe Fwinti’s domain is that it seems to be made entirely out of copper, and Zyn’s domain looks oddly like strawberry ice cream, but that might just be me.
The vehicle you control is an orb with aerodynamic geometrical shapes emerging from it, and the colors can be customized from paint jobs unlocked by progressing the game. The changes are all cosmetic, though. The only changes in terms of driving come from within.
The music in Phantom Spark consists of continuous and trailing beats that do a great job of keeping you in a trance. It is mostly techno beats and drums; it never gets old for some reason. I could lose track of time, retrying races repeatedly without ever finding the looping music annoying.
If I had to nitpick, I wish there was a way to remap the controls. The controls are simple, but I don’t usually use the left trigger to break out of the mere habit of playing the Need for Speed titles. I’m more used to pressing the X button on the Xbox One controller, which does nothing for Phantom Spark during the races.
I also wish there was online multiplayer, as it would’ve been fun to race against other people. I understand the emphasis on time trials and beating your ghost, but the option would be nice, considering how well the basics of racing are down in Phantom Spark. Thankfully, there is a local multiplayer option, which is a very welcome addition.
Phantom Spark is a wonderfully easy-to-pick-up racing game that draws inspiration from classics like F-Zero and Wipeout and takes you on an entrancing journey of self-improvement. The racetracks are varied and offer a welcoming difficulty curve.
The game offers a lot of room for error for newbies, but there is much more room for perfecting each track while getting lost in the soundtrack. The addictive gameplay loop comes from trying to beat your own ghost. Phantom Spark is a great little racing game that is definitely worth a try as long as you are okay with retrying a lot.
