This is no demo. It's a fully functioning game that lacks a bit of polish. Pass on it if you don't like racing through gorgeous environments at 60 FPS.
Sound Effects Is it just me, or are there almost no sound effects in this game? Shouldn't there be a rushing of engines or something? I turned of the music and then ... almost dead silence except for the odd pulse when accelerating.
I like the game, but it is a bit rough around the edges. The core racing is there with the smooth graphics and controls. But the game does need a few more things to build it out. 1) Sound effects--While the music is great, the sound of engines and rushing wind would definitely help. The game feels fast, but it needs the sound effects. 2) I agree with Carlos-Sz that the game could use a mini-map, and if anything it would give me a sense of where I am and even where the opponent is at. It doesn't need to be elaborate but at the least, it would show where the next checkpoint is. 3) You may want to spruce up the menu and the intro boxes for each of the race courses. This is really for cosmetics but it would certainly add more polish. 4) While it's good to have an array of vehicles to choose from, perhaps some should be unlocked as you unlock islands. And, have each of the vehicles equipped with different attributes (speed, handling, etc.). I think the game is challenging but at the same, you want players to earn certain things. In general, I think this is a good racer, but it needs a few things to round it out to appeal to a larger audience. You have the graphics and animation engine. You just need to work on the other parts of the package to reach the larger audience and potentially further differentiate your racer from others.
Well it looks like i might be buying this along side Asphalt 5 and a few other games.. gah, money seems to disappear these days
The green bar is the basic thrust. I guess, with the auto-accelerate it only really means anything when you press the 'brake' which is really more of a "turn off the auto-thrust" button. Thrust was, for a long time, tied to the back/forward tilt access, it made a lot more sense then but very few people could get round even the most basic track. I considered removing the green bar completely when I moved to auto-thrust and brake but it's still sort of useful in the few places where you need to slow down. The yellow bar is boost. It builds up over time, you lose some for missing a gate, you gain some for going through a gate cleanly. It's available for use once it's half charged (when it flashes brighter), saving up for full boost and holding the button down until it's all gone uses boost more efficiently. You start in last place. The structure of the race is straight out of some very old arcade racers.
I still have to get past the fourth track, though I've found the shortcut (just need to avoid making mistakes!).
I'm fairly certain that it's possible to beat level 4 by running round the outside of the level with the boost held down. It's way faster to find a more direct route of course
Maybe not right round the outside. You need to cut a few corners on the way out. It's much easier than finding the optimal route anyway. That said, level 4 is the only one I managed to keep the best time on during testing so I'm possibly not the best judge.
I hope not everyone is stuck on level 4. It is possible to come third by holding the boost and cutting a few simple corners rather than exploring the fiddly bits in the middle of the level but if you do take the time to explore it's actually very easy to get Gold. There is a hidden free-camera mode that would help with route planning if anyone is interested.
For me it still feels like I'm the one screwing up, rather than feeling like the level is unfair or broken. So far I've made it to third place before screwing up on the last lap. I know that'll I'll beat it eventually -- I just need to have more than 5 minutes at a time to play!
Congrats Glenn! Hi, only just had the time to try the first 4 tracks, and you are right, you need to cut a few corners but only when you have a small outcrop that's out of the main cluster, and otherwise when you have the gate in your line of sight. It's really not that hard, once you've been around the islands a few times youll find your bearings and know when to turn. It's finding the fastest line through the center that's hard, I don't think I've got that one yet! I love the new dirt/aged textures of the crafts, going to take my time to improve each track's best time. The physics never cease to amaze me, there's nothing quite like it, and it looks gorgeous. I'm sure if I could have a look under my ekranoplan there wouldn't be much paint on it left! For anyone who liked the sense of speed of iSR and enjoys realistic behaviour in a racing game that rewards good "driving" or flying, this is one not to miss. Back to playing some more after I've seen your video DK!
