GTA Online's retro throwback Adversary Mode, Tiny Racers, has just been released to much fanfare and... not a lot of applause. However, Rockstar also dropped a line in the announcement post that might prove to be infinitely more interesting than the Mode itself.
But first, let's talk Tiny Racers. The bird's eye view vehicular deathmatch game mode sought to play on the heartstrings of nostalgic players who still look back at the heyday of the original Grand Theft Auto and GTA 2 with rose-tinted glasses. However, with the perspective being the only common factor, the retro sensibilities wear thin.
That wouldn't be an issue at all if the mode would stand on its own merits, and from a technical standpoint, it very well could. However, Tiny Racers falls victim to the goodwill of the developers. This is a mode that was quite clearly designed with the concept that even if they could, the players wouldn't intentionally break it, but would rather seek to gain as much fun as possible.
Simply put, Tiny Racers is simultaneously too easy and too difficult. Thanks to the power-ups, the victor is determined by luck rather than skill. Whoever happens to nick a bomb first will probably win, and each match is over way way too soon. Players have taken to the internet to voice their concern and disappointment.
Alas, not every Adversary Mode can be a Deadline or a Power Play. Fan reception notwithstanding, Rockstar has announced that the Mode will offer double RP and cash for an indeterminate period of time, so if you have a few buddies who you know won't abuse the bomb, this mode can actually be fun.
There are seven maps in total, however the differences are marginal. The other power-ups are pretty intuitive and mix things up from a gameplay standpoint in genuinely creative ways. There's one that will turn you into a Shotaro with an active light trail, for example. It's ironic that the simplest, most basic of the power-ups is the one that's the most powerful — to the detriment of the game itself.
Say what you will about the gameplay, but Tiny Racers is impressive on the visual side. It's still GTA 5, so don't take this as it's a graphical improvement. However, how it uses the game's visuals is the truly impressive part. The courses are based on the stunt tracks from Cunning Stunts, meaning they're narrow and suspended mid-air (ultimately an odd decision — if evoking the retro GTA games was the goal, why not play at street level?).









