4PGP is the latest racing game to come along with a straightforward mandate: Provide players with speedy arcade racing action, fast-paced and unfettered by unnecessary bells and whistles.
With its emphasis on pure racing action and local multiplayer options, how does the game measure up to its goals? Our review of 4PGP aims to answer exactly that question, finding a game that’s ready to answer the needs of racing fans so long as expectations are in line with what it’s actually capable of providing.
The Good:
- Smooth and enjoyable arcade racing
- Races that are easy to get into, but challenging to master
The Bad:
- Offers straightforward racing and little else
- Most tracks lack meaningful visual variety
Review Details:
- Reviewed on: PC
- Platforms available: PC, PlayStation 5
- Official release date: June 11, 2026
An F1 body with an arcade heart
While 4PGP brings a presentation that’s in line with Formula 1 and open-wheel racing more generally, there isn’t much in the way of technical nuance or planning involved in the game. 4PGP is all about keeping the accelerator pressed for as long as possible with some turbo usage sprinkled on top, and seeing how things shake out from there.
Given the full emphasis on racing action, it’s important that the racing feels nice and tight, and 4PGP certainly succeeds on that front. New players have the opportunity to roll around at lower speeds to adjust to the game, while increased difficulties will bring higher speeds and more demanding opposition.
Managing those speeds and besting those opponents means keeping one’s speed up whenever possible, only letting off or even braking when it’s absolutely necessary in order to navigate tight turns and vehicle traffic. Though it’s really more the former that’s ever at issue here; other drivers simply bounce off of you, typically with minimal disruption to either car.
Importantly, racing in 4PGP does feel good. Taking a hairpin turn smoothly is just as satisfying as it should be, as is accelerating out of it and back up to top speed. For players looking for these feelings, and for the experience of snappy arcade racing in an open-wheel style, 4PGP delivers.
It’s good that it does, because there’s very little otherwise included in the game’s package. There is no career mode, just a series of quick circuits that combine three tracks together and beckon players to try topping their podiums.
Races do have a bit more strategy to them than simply going as quickly as possible. Drafting off of leading cars is possible. Players also have access to a turbo gauge that boosts speed as it depletes, and must manage this meter in addition to wheels that degrade over the course of a race. When the wheels hit the red, the lost grip becomes prohibitive to effective racing.
Turbo meter and wheel quality can both be recovered by taking to a lower-speed pit lane located near the start of each race. A well-timed button press maximizes these top-ups.
Deciding if and when to slow one’s speed in exchange for pitting and recovery can create some tactical nuance, but it’s a relatively minor thing, at least until attempting the game’s expert mode that ups the lap count from three to five and demands a mid-race pit stop.
As the game’s name indicates, local multiplayer allows for up to four players to take to the roads simultaneously. Our review of 4PGP found that two-player local play is probably the smoothest option, resulting in a vertical split screen. It’s good fun, provided you have another player on hand who’s also interested in this sort of racing experience.
Presentation not prioritized
Where the game feels more bare-bones is in its presentation quality. 4PGP looks just good enough to not be distracting when racing through its tracks at high speeds, but a closer inspection often reveals scant detail.
What’s more at issue is how similar the tracks all look and feel. There’s very little separating one geographic racing location from the next. The most notable exception to this is the Azure Coast track, which is clearly inspired by the famous Circuit de Monaco, home of F1’s Monaco GP. But even then, some of the featured background textures are distracting in their low quality.
The cars do sound good as the rev up and burn around 4PGP’s tracks. Music is minimal and grows repetitive, with the same blurting rock snippet playing towards every race’s end. It’s likely better without.
The Bottom Line: 4PGP provides a good arcade racing experience at a reasonable price that should satisfy genre fans, so long as they’re not expecting much beyond the on-track action.
Score: 7.5/10
