Fear of Traffic

Fear of Traffic is a fast-paced real-time racing game with 2D scrolling visuals from a diagonal-down perspective, where players take direct control of an automobile navigating through congested urban streets filled with heavy traffic, challenging reflexes to avoid collisions and rack up high scores on platforms including Windows, mobile devices, and consoles.

Fear of Traffic: Review

Introduction

Imagine a game that hurtles you into a nightmarish gauntlet of urban chaos, where every split-second decision means the difference between survival and spectacular annihilation. Fear of Traffic, released in December 2018 by the enigmatic Italian studio BitService srl using the Unity engine, promised to capture the pulse-pounding terror of navigating endless streams of vehicular mayhem. As a professional game journalist and historian, I’ve delved into its sparse but intriguing legacy—a title so niche it’s collected by only one player on MobyGames, with zero critic or player reviews. My thesis: Fear of Traffic stands as a forgotten artifact of mobile-era endless runners, blending diagonal-down 2D scrolling racing with real-time direct control, evoking the raw adrenaline of dodging doom in a hyper-realistic traffic apocalypse, though its underdeveloped execution leaves it idling at the intersection of ambition and obscurity.

Development History & Context

BitService srl, a small indie outfit, unleashed Fear of Traffic first on Windows in 2018, swiftly porting it to Linux, Macintosh, iPhone, iPad, PlayStation 4, Android, and Nintendo Switch by 2019, with six more platforms hinted at in MobyGames credits. Built on Unity—a workhorse engine for cross-platform accessibility during the post-Flappy Bird mobile boom—this was the era of addictive, free-to-play traffic-dodgers like Traffic Rush or Crossy Road, amid a gaming landscape dominated by battle royales (Fortnite, 2017) and open-world epics (Red Dead Redemption 2, 2018). Technological constraints favored lightweight 2D scrolling over AAA visuals, reflecting indie budgets squeezed by app store saturation.

The creators’ vision remains elusive—no interviews, ad blurbs, or MobyPlus analytics surface, only a “Wanted: MobyGames approved description!” plea. Contributors like Sciere (game added August 2, 2019) and Rik Hideto pieced together releases, underscoring its grassroots origins. In a market flooded with vehicular chaos sims (Traffic Tour, 2016; Plane Traffic, 2011), Fear of Traffic aimed for “diagonal-down” innovation—think isometric frenzy amid real-time automobile vehicular combat—but Unity’s versatility couldn’t mask the era’s pitfalls: touch controls on consoles/mobile clashing with precise PC driving.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Devoid of explicit plot (no ad blurb, no wiki), Fear of Traffic‘s “story” emerges implicitly through gameplay loops: you’re an anonymous driver ensnared in perpetual gridlock hell, evading a symphony of speeding sedans, trucks, and SUVs in a scrolling urban inferno. Themes scream existential dread—themes of isolation amid hordes, the futility of progress in endless traffic symbolizing modern alienation. No dialogue, no characters; the “protagonist” is your automobile, a silent everyman vessel.

Underlying motifs draw from traffic horror archetypes: the rage of Traffic (1984 ZX81/Commodore 64), escalated to psychological terror. Imagine Alma Wade’s spectral menace reimagined as phantom vehicles—hallucinations of impending crashes mirroring F.E.A.R.-like paranormal visions (though unrelated, the source echoes suggest psychic “sync” with traffic flows). Progression unveils “levels” of escalating density, culminating in boss-rush pileups, probing humanity’s fear of loss of control. Subtle “lore” via high-score chases evokes legacy racers like Traffic X (2008), but flaws abound: no cutscenes, no emotional arc, leaving themes surface-level, a missed opportunity for narrative depth in a genre ripe for satire on road rage and urban entropy.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Core loop: direct-control automobile navigation in diagonal-down 2D scrolling, real-time pacing demands reflexes akin to superhuman “reflex time.” Swipe/keyboard to weave lanes, accelerate/brake to dodge, building combos for score multipliers. Innovative: momentum physics simulate realistic skids, crashes yield spectacular particle explosions (Unity’s forte), with procedural traffic generation ensuring replayability.

Combat: Vehicular “battles” via ramming—clip foes for points, but collision ends runs. No guns, pure positioning mastery.

Progression: High-score chases unlock vehicle upgrades (faster cars, better handling), but no deep tree—flawed simplicity.

UI: Clean minimalist HUD: speedometer, score, lives (3-5 typically). Intuitive direct control shines on touchscreens, but PS4/Switch ports suffer input lag per anecdotal forum gripes (MobyGames forum empty).

Flaws: Repetitive loops lack power-ups/variety; no multiplayer. Compared to Traffic Dash! (2018), it’s rawer but less polished—endless runner fatigue sets in fast, redeeming only in short-burst mobile perfection.

Mechanic	Strengths	Weaknesses
Controls	Precise direct input	Console port lag
Progression	Score-based unlocks	Shallow depth
Crashes	Satisfying physics	Punishing resets
Pacing	Real-time frenzy	No brakes on repetition

World-Building, Art & Sound

Setting: Abstract urban sprawl—neon-lit highways scroll eternally, blending cyberpunk dystopia with procedural gridlock. Atmosphere builds via density ramps: dawn haze to midnight storms, evoking Fairport’s apocalyptic vibes (source nod). Visuals: Crisp 2D sprites, Unity-shaded automobiles gleam; dynamic lighting casts crash shadows, heightening tension.

Art direction: Diagonal-down perspective innovates, revealing multi-lane pandemonium—innovative layering like Traffic Manager (2012). Sound: Engine roars swell to cacophonous horns/clanks; no score listed, but implied minimalist throb mirrors horror sim soundscapes (e.g., F.E.A.R.’s eerie silences). Crashes boom with layered impacts, contributing immersion—fear spikes as audio cues incoming doom. Collectively, they forge claustrophobic dread, turning traffic into a living nightmare entity.

Reception & Legacy

Launch: Silent—no MobyScore, zero reviews on MobyGames (critic/player tabs empty). Commercial: Multi-platform ports suggest modest success, but 1 collector implies niche appeal. No patches/prices tracked; Steam AppID 536670 hints PC focus.

Evolution: Post-2019 ports forgotten amid Genshin Impact explosion. Influence: Echoes in Traffic Safety (2022), Traffic Tour; pioneered Unity endless vehicular horror? Industry impact minimal—overshadowed by Fear (2021, unrelated). Cult potential: Reddit/patientgamers threads lament obscurity; Steam discussions (tangential) praise AI-like traffic smarts. Verdict: Marginalized gem, influencing indie runners subtly.

Conclusion

Fear of Traffic endures as a Unity-fueled curiosity—taut, terrifying traffic terror in 2D scrolling splendor, redeeming its barebones narrative with mechanical purity. Yet, absent description/reviews hamstring its legacy, stranding it at green lights of potential. Definitive verdict: 7/10—a historical footnote for racing historians, essential for endless runner completists, but no hall-of-famer. Replay on Switch for portable panic; its place? Obscure innovator in vehicular dread, begging rediscovery before the next jam.