This year, September 4 presents a formidable challenge for independent game developers. The reason is the highly anticipated launch of Hollow Knight: Silksong, a title poised to be one of the largest indie releases of the year. Consequently, numerous other indie games have chosen to postpone their launches, aiming to avoid being overshadowed by the overwhelming buzz surrounding Silksong.
Defying this trend, Daedalic Entertainment and Splitside Games, the publisher and developer behind the co-op racing party game Fling to the Finish, announced its console release for September 4. Their press release humorously acknowledged the concurrent launch, stating, “Arriving same day as THAT metroidvania.” Despite the shared date, Fling to the Finish appears to occupy a distinct genre, unlikely to compete directly with Silksong.
Fling to the Finish draws parallels to titles like Human: Fall Flat, where players control pairs of spherical, cartoon-like characters tethered together. The objective involves navigating diverse obstacle courses, collaborating to avoid impeding your partner, all while competing against other teams. Beyond a basic platforming element, the target demographics for Fling to the Finish and Silksong are vastly different, suggesting minimal impact of Silksong`s launch on the co-op racer`s console debut.
The game offers a variety of play modes, including solo, online multiplayer, local split-screen, and both local and online co-op, with full cross-play support across platforms. For those seeking a truly unique, and potentially argumentative, experience with friends, a “share a controller” local co-op mode is also available.
Fling to the Finish will be released on September 4 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. The PC version is already available.