Ultimate Sheep Raccoon Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 & PC)

Honestly, I’m unsure if I’m truly enjoying the chaos of flailing through a makeshift obstacle course in a fit of souped-up rage, or if I’m smiling through gritted teeth with a deep hatred for just about everything that these so-called “friends” have installed to prevent me from reaching the finish line. The truth is, I’m just hitting random buttons and relying on dumb luck to navigate the atrocities of a high-speed circuit. Here, there is no “winning” strategy, only idiotic thinking and prayers, a broken bike and a rag doll track that makes no sense whatsoever. Am I enjoying it? I’m not not enjoying it, if you catch my drift.

The thing is, with Ultimate Chicken Horse, the first rag doll romper from developer Clever Endeavor, you didn’t need to be an expert in the field to earn points and belittle your friends; you just needed to figure out how to time a jump and execute a well-oiled trap. In Ultimate Sheep Raccoon, however, there’s a lot more for you to stow beneath your belt, most of which is not only a pain in the backside to master, but annoyingly pointless and without the proper effects. Don’t get me wrong, I can see what Clever Endeavor wanted to do with the sequel, but I can’t for the life of me decide if it’s a step in the right direction, or if it has taken two steps back without realizing that the vanilla version had no faults, to begin with.

Of course, I’m all for the idea of finessing a formula to unlock new opportunities. And yet, the bitter irony is, even with a swathe of new tracks, abilities, and modes of play, the sequel sadly falls just below the standard set by its predecessor. Does it have the potential to surpass the prequel? Absolutely, but not without a lot of technical adjustments and a second lease of life. As it stands, though, Ultimate Sheep Raccoon isn’t the haymaker of high-octane racing; it’s the illustration of a sequel that wants to be the superior. Unfortunately, with lackluster level design and a ton of nonsensical bits and pieces that have no proper place in the DNA of an otherwise formidable bloodstream, it just doesn’t do enough to hit the nail on the head.

Ride or Die…Repeatedly

The concept is more or less the same as Ultimate Chicken Horse: players duke it out in online or local multiplayer bouts of quick, sloppy, and oftentimes unbeatable races, with each player having access to a webbing of items that they can use to manipulate the course and forge barriers to prevent their opponents from progressing through to that all-important finish line. It’s the same gig, complete with a lot of the same gameplay mechanics, track types and vessels. This chapter, however, makes an effort to amplify several of those core features to host even more prompts and curveballs, tricks and takedowns.

While I won’t dispute the fact that Ultimate Sheep Raccoon houses some fantastic ideas, I will say that, at least in comparison with its prequel, it does fall short in more ways than one. For example, the general controls and trick mechanics aren’t quite as touch-and-go as the first chapter, and they do require a bit more of a hands-on approach to understand. There are also several seemingly redundant commands that either prevent you from flowing through the course or simply cause certain races to grind to a complete halt.

The levels are another matter. See, where you would typically find a lot of replay value in Ultimate Chicken Horse with a wealth of genuinely enjoyable levels and options to finesse the track formula, Ultimate Sheep Raccoon sadly doesn’t capture that same quality. To say that it harbors poor stages just wouldn’t be true, though when saddled next to the previous collection, they just don’t stand out all that much, with a lack of polish and original material being the main downfall for its overall composition.

A Far Cry From “Ultimate”

Thankfully, there is still a good game to work through here. Well, if you’re new to Clever Endeavor’s artwork, then you’ll probably be more likely to enjoy dipping your toes into the high-octane panels of this unruly romper. For those who spent a handful of hours in the prequel, however, it’s awfully difficult to discard the fact that, presentation-wise, Ultimate Sheep Raccoon feels more like a step backward than a step forward for the series. Add the fact that it houses some rather unfortunate teething issues, and sadly, you have got quite the inferior installment on your hands.

With all of the above said, I’m willing to give Clever Endeavor the benefit of the doubt and hold out for a few updates. If, say, the creases can be ironed out and the levels can be adjusted to feel more comfortable and fluid, then I will happily venture back to the saddle to duke it out for a second inning. Granted, I’ll continue to view it as a setback for the series, but that isn’t to say that it won’t eventually pull something substantial out of the bag. Fingers crossed, anyway.

Verdict

Ultimate Sheep Raccoon wants to be the mouthpiece for the series, but sadly comes across as a lackluster imitation with all bark and no real bite. With fairly forgettable stages and a general lack of entertainment value, it fails to capitalize on its prequel’s strengths with a substantial follow-up that houses more finesse and replay potential. This isn’t to say that it’s a bad game; it’s merely that it fails to emerge from the outer shadow of its predecessor, with mechanics and ideas that disappointingly fall short in grace and simplicity.

It almost pains me to admit it, but the truth is, Ultimate Chicken Horse knew how to flaunt a simple drop-in multiplayer experience that could be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of skill. Yet, Ultimate Sheep Raccoon tries to insert a little too much into the pot to create a concoction that, frankly, doesn’t necessarily need any alterations or additional ingredients to be good. Maybe it’s just me, or maybe it’s the case of wishing that it was of a similar nature as its prequel. It isn’t, though, and that oddly pains me to recognize.

Let it be said that, if you do enjoy quick-fire PvP battlers with comical twists, then you’ll probably still enjoy romping through this banquet of track-based curveballs. If you’re looking for another version of Ultimate Chicken Horse, however, then you might be better off sticking to your guns and keeping your coat hung up in the original coop.