Officially announced back in 2019, Fling to the Finish looks to be a frenzied cooperative racing title from new developer Splitside Games. The team is partnering with Daedalic Entertainment to help publish the upcoming experience, which aims to be an entertaining party game with a twist.
Instead of competitors individually racing to a finish line, teams of two players are tethered together by a rope and must use one controller to maneuver their characters to the finish. In the words of the developer, it's "sort of like Mario Kart if it were a three-legged race." During a presentation attended by Game Rant, an array of new details concerning Fling to the Finish were revealed, including the number of courses it will feature, different game types that will crop up, and what obstacles will stand in each team's way.
Spread over 12 diverse courses, the racing game's rules are simple. Each duo of tethered characters must navigate over, around, and through an array of obstacles to reach the finish line, coordinating their movements to avoid being knocked off the course. Teams can also stick to surfaces to navigate tracks, forcing them to collaborate as they gradually ascend steep walls or hop onto moving obstacles. Meanwhile, the tether itself becomes crucial to reaching the finish line, as players can use it to slide down poles or pull levers.
Maps will have more than just obstacles to contend with though, as players can acquire different weapons from boxes as they navigate the course. During the presentation, several of these abilities were shown off, including a power-up that turns a team's tether into a laser – allowing them to attack their competitors – and balloons that can be used to soar above the track. There are also special obstacles that require the activation of a lever or switch to overcome, with Splitside Games noting they make for a great equalizer when one team has a major lead on another.
In terms of how players can enjoy Fling to the Finish, there will be both local and online multiplayer, with the latter allowing up to 4 teams to play at once. Those four teams can be filled by individual players controlling both sides of the controller or 8 players each controlling half of the controller. There will also be 6 modes to choose from, with the studio teasing one game type that will attach a bomb to each team's tether. Another mode known as "invasion" was also hinted at, with the devs claiming it pits teams against aliens as they battle to take home the gold. Fling to the Finish looks to be a supremely fun party game that players can hopefully get their hands on later this year.
Fling to the Finish is slated to release this year for PC.