Moto Rush Reborn Switch Review

Moto Rush Reborn Switch Review
Version Reviewed: Nintendo Switch 

If you have ever played a game like Grand Theft Auto V, you have probably spent a bit of time weaving through highway traffic, trying to escape the law or outrun other players. It is an exhilarating experience, although your run can end in an instant if a car suddenly cuts into your lane. Moto Rush Reborn takes that specific thrill and turns it into the entire premise. Instead of a side activity, the focus here is on high-speed traffic dodging, with a range of moves and obstacles inspired by endless runners like Subway Surfers. What’s it like? Put on your helmet, keep the throttle down, and get ready to Akira slide as we review Moto Rush Reborn on Nintendo Switch.

Moto Rush Reborn by Baltoro Games does not throw a heavy narrative at you from the start, but it does set up a light and intriguing premise. You are a motorbike rider tearing through a neon-lit futuristic Tokyo, racing against the odds to overcome a strange possession. After crashing during a race, you come across a demon-possessed engine that grants speed beyond your wildest dreams. The catch is that you now need to collect demonic symbols to regain control and overcome its influence. The story unfolds gradually as you play. These symbols are earned by collecting them during runs, beating specific times, achieving near misses, and avoiding crashes. Each one unlocks a panel of a manga, slowly revealing how you ended up in this situation. It is an interesting setup, but ultimately, the real fun is what happens on the road.

Moto Rush Reborn wastes no time throwing you into the fast lane and putting your reflexes to the test. You race along busy highways, weaving through traffic to rack up near misses, sliding under barriers, launching off jumps, pulling wheelies to boost speed, and trying to slow things down just enough to survive tighter sections. You will also crash… a lot. Because of the game’s fast pace, failure rarely feels frustrating. You are quickly respawned at the last checkpoint, which keeps the momentum going and makes it easy to jump straight back in for another attempt. It captures the addictive loop of Subway Surfers, but with a more structured, level-based approach.

Each stage introduces new mechanics or twists, such as ducking instead of sliding through low-clearance sections, smashing through glass barriers, or dodging pylons in an underground car park. Just as you start to feel comfortable, the game throws something new at you, keeping you on your toes. Completionists will find plenty to chase here, replaying levels to unlock every demonic sigil by beating target times, minimising crashes, and chaining near misses. For me, the later levels proved quite challenging. Staying on the bike became the main goal, and collecting everything quickly took a back seat to simply reaching the finish line.Handling is very responsive, though there is a noticeable movement penalty when performing wheelies or slides, which makes last-second dodges even more exciting. Slipping through a narrow gap or perfectly timing a slide feels genuinely satisfying, and those small moments go a long way in making each run feel rewarding.

Moto Rush Reborn uses a slick cel-shaded art style to bring its neon-lit Tokyo highways to life, and life moves fast here. There is a strong sense of familiarity across many of the levels, with some environments feeling a little samey, but the game does break things up at times. Sections that take you through construction zones or more Chinatown-inspired areas help add some variety and give the world a bit more character. Even when the environments feel a little plain, the game does a great job of building immersion through its minimalist UI. Your speed is displayed directly on the bike, while a small timer sits in the top right and a crash counter in the top left. It keeps the screen mostly clear, letting you focus on the action ahead, and it works really well, especially given how fast-paced everything is. That sense of speed still comes through nicely in handheld mode, and the clean presentation really shines on the smaller screen. It is a simple approach, but an effective one.

Performance is solid for the most part. During my time with the game, I only encountered one notable issue. In a section where a helicopter or drone shines a spotlight on you, performance dropped significantly after a crash, dipping to around 15 frames per second for a few seconds each time I replayed that segment. It was a strange, repeatable hiccup, though it did not have a major impact on the overall experience. It is worth noting in case similar issues appear elsewhere, but outside of that moment, the game runs smoothly and keeps up with its fast pace.

For my bike riders looking into accessibility, there are no accessibility options to speak of here, so as always, I recommend doing a bit more research to see if Moto Rush Reborn suits your needs. At just under $20 AUD, Moto Rush Reborn provides several hours of quick arcade fun that can be hard to put down. Despite the environments feeling somewhat repetitive, the gameplay never really feels the same. It is fast and frantic fun that sees you slipping between traffic, and encouraging you to find all of the demonic seals to save your soul. Moto Rush Reborn is a great little filler between the huge AAA titles we have seen this month, and if you like games like Subway Surfers, you will have a blast with it.

So, What’s it Like? Moto Rush Reborn is like Excitebike crossed with Subway Surfers.

In the interest of full disclosure, a review copy was provided by the publisher, but this doesn’t influence my score.

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