Reckless Racing

Publisher: Pixelbite Games; Cost: $0.99



If the words "drift", "rally", and "arcade action" make your heart beat faster, then Reckless Racing by Pixelbite Games is for you.

Gameplay

Pixelbite have done a great job of finding that sweet spot in the middle of what I like to call "the margin of fun-ness." The controls here are responsive and vary between cars, giving you plenty of different combinations to play with and challenges. I found the default set up of the steering controls to be a bit close to each other (fat fingers?) but Reckless Racing not only offers you FIVE different steering options, but they've also provided you the ability to customize your own steering configuration! I was flabbergasted when I saw the option.



The player is offered the chance to position the buttons wherever they like. +1 Pixelbite!

Single Player mode

Single Player mode offers 2 levels of difficulty: Beginner and Advanced. The difference between these modes is the handling of the car, with Beginner mode allowing for a lower learning curve and Advanced offering all the drift and sliding of a rally car. In Single Player mode, the player can race on ten "original" tracks (some have to be unlocked) and 4 "extra" ones. There are 3 types of races: "Dirt Rally" - a 3 or 4 lap race against computer opponents, "hot Lap" - a race against yourself, where you race against your own best time (represented by a ghost car), and "Delivery" - a time-based challenge where you have to pick up items and deliver them, making as many deliveries as possible within a limited time. These alone will keep you busy for a while and hone your skills for the main course: Multiplayer mode.

Multiplayer mode



I wasn't expecting much from Multiplayer mode, but I was pleasantly surprised. So much so, I spent a good hour and a half playing against opponents from as far as Europe and Asia. Polarbite has set up 3 dedicated game servers where you can join a race or start your own. Despite some lag issues, some jumpiness (especially when cars are really close to each other) and getting my butt kicked, it was awesome and well-executed. There are online leaderboards to keep the competition fierce around the world and a simple chat function which allows players to slag each other off or congratulate one another.

Conclusion

Reckless Racing is an awesome arcade-style drift racing game. The controls are good, and despite some issues I had with button placement, it's customizable! Both Single Player and Multiplayer options will keep you playing for a long time. It's only a buck, so why are you still reading this?

AppApps Rating

Game Play:
Smooth slippery, slidy arcade-style drift racing, configurable controls

Graphics:
Great 3D and camera movement!