Bar After Bar Review (PC)

Peak, Only Up Rush, and a squeeze of Trials Fusion have collectively merged to distill the perfect cask of rage-inducing tipples in a bizarrely intoxicating co-op sim in which five reckless wheelmen desperately and drunkenly attempt to pursue a seat at the summit of a gargantuan mountain. Blind drunk and socially inept, OneMan Tim illuminates a simple question: how far can the intoxicated village idiot travel before spilling their organs out in a fit of spirit-induced rage? Not far at all, apparently.

Bar After Bar, which, as the title laughingly implies, serves its own under-the-counter brand of liquor in the multiplayer space, has finally stumbled into the mainstream, not with the intent to slide its own zero-percent beverage into the cabinet, but to prove that tequila can make a difference when consumed with a pinch of asphalt, ice, and a rubber-laced mixer. Like RV There Yet? or How to Fish, it looks to blend and produce a well-oiled cocktail of high-octane antics that can keep you stomach churning and your spirits at an all-time high. The question is, does it make for a pleasant tasting experience, or does it leave a bitter taste on the tip of your tongue and make you want to crash out, both mentally and physically? Let’s talk about it.

Driving under the influence of alcohol is a bit of a sore subject, and not necessarily something that we would condone in the slightest. Bar After Bar ought to be seen as an exception, though. Like RV There Yet? and its absurd infatuation with cigarettes, you know that nicotine is bad for you, yet when push comes to shove, you willingly embrace it, not because you want to, but because it’s the only remedy that will bring you closer to your final destination. Bar After Bar isn’t all that different, in that it frontlines alcohol to ferry you to and from the checkpoints. Aboard a vehicle, you have  a simple task to complete: to daringly pivot and weave through a mountain range, and to brew and distribute various beverages to lighten the spirits, so to speak.

While consuming gallons of white rum and cola is an important part of Bar After Bar, it isn’t a necessity. See, the general purpose of the game is a little more bone-headed, in that you don’t need to drink yourself silly to control the wheel. Rather, the game invites you to cozy up with your friends, mix various spirits from the front seat of your car, and band together to ascend a ruthless world of obstacles and deadly ice-encrusted canyons. Of course, you can hurl your homemade juju at your companions—an act that, true to the power of hard liquor, can alter their driving behavior and manipulate their perception of reality, naturally. That said, it isn’t a mandatory thing here. Mixology is an effective way to break the ice, but it isn’t a fuel source that can bring you closer to the summit. Go figure.

Bar After Bar is just as much of a Trials-like obstacle course as it is a beginner’s guide to mixology. For the most part, the game sees you taking on irritatingly complex environmental hazards aboard a vehicle that, thanks to physics, is an absolute nightmare to control. With alcohol, you can spearhead new ideas and alter the gameplay, with rum, tequila, and gin acting as your primary weapons for the excursion. For example, if you create and distribute a cocktail—a Pina Colada, let’s say—then you can, in theory, force the receipt to operate with a new perspective. The screen can go all fuzzy, and the colors can merge into a nauseatingly bright streak of overtly bright patterns. But of course, you get the idea. Alcohol is bad, but it’s also the one thing that brings you closer together as a team of like-minded die-hards.

Needless to say that there is a bold rage game here that knows all too well how to tickle your tastebuds, deplete your confidence, and drive you a little crazy all at the same time. Driving, for example, is a headache, as is the act of skirting along the edges of a slippery slope in a shoddy 4×4 at an alarming speed. The only thing that doesn’t feel like a thorn in your side is the mixology aspect. See, the game itself offers you a trove of recipes to brew, with vast ingredients all becoming available as you gradually make your desperate ascent to the apex of the mountain. As you complete various obstacles, you unlock more ingredients, and with them, more opportunities to rectify the sober spirit. It’s a simple concept that doesn’t sound all that great on paper. With four friends, however, it’s surprisingly entertaining to watch unfold from the sidelines. That is, of course, until it’s you who’s consuming the last quart of vodka.

It is worth pointing out that, like most gimmicks, Bar After Bar does have its limitations. Although it is fun to blitz through at first, it does gradually lose its appeal as you progress through the mountain and trial the on-board concoctions. As with most multiplayer games, though, it’s all about the company you keep, as well as the side quests that you create to tell a broader story. Alone, it’s a little dull and repetitive. With the right squad under your wing, though, it can be an easy way to lose a handful of hours.

Of course, this is a game that you would have seen several times before during your aimless exploits across the platforming space. Conceptually, it’s all rather simple. The mixology aspect, while basic in its own right, adds an extra layer to the experience — and that’s a great perk. That said, Bar After Bar is still a textbook platforming game with a light gimmick. It probably won’t score any awards for originality, but it will certainly keep you entertained for a short while. It’ll also leave you with the worst kind of hangover, too. Who doesn’t love a headache?

Verdict

Bar After Bar mixes rage-inducing platforming with a dash of party-based mixology to create a challenging, albeit visually intoxicating experience that, while still gimmicky and lacking in substance, is a lot of fun to knock back alongside a couple of like-minded friends. Oh, it’s still a bit of a bitter pill to swallow, and it’s an easy way to conjure a post-hangover headache, but it’s also an enjoyable ice-breaking experience that makes day drinking sound like a good idea, weirdly.

If you’re all for the idea of blending shots of white rum with Trials-like obstacle courses, then you will more than likely enjoy gargling questionable spirits from behind the on-board bar in Bar After Bar. Of course, I wouldn’t recommend tackling the ascent alone, as it is, well, a little depressing. With three or four friends, however, it is a feat that is a lot easier to conquer, as is it one that you’ll want to subject yourself to time and time again — just not sober.