A plethora of racing games this month, and today is a Hotshot Racing review that covers the PS4 and the Switch. There have been so many of them released in full or in the Early Access stage that have been so good; it feels like September is the month of the racer.
Back in the day (here we go), my friends and I would be ‘that crowd’ that used to hang around the local arcade practically every night with no money. If it weren’t the pool table, we’d be at Daytona USA, and perhaps one of us had a couple of quid to pay for another player.
The arcade simplicity and rush of hearing ‘Day-toh-naaa’ each time you’d put some shrapnel in, but without money the next best bet was a console game, and the closest arcade experience was Virtua Racing on the 32X (least I think it was).
Hotshot Racing Review
Developers Lucky Mountain Games and Sumo Nottingham have done a good job in developing this arcade racer for PC and consoles, and Curve Digital complete the lineup, publishing the game.
Choose from a range of cars based on your mood; speed or drifting comes to mind. As for speed, it’s incredibly swift, without an ounce of slowdown on either the PS4 or Switch. There are also eight players to choose from in low polygon glory, each with their motivations for racing and decorative style.
After you complete one of the four Grand Prix Championships, you’ll get a little end sequence finishing up their story. It was a nice bit of variety to a typical racer, but each successive win plays the same conclusion, so after you’ve seen it once, you’ll skip it.
If You Wanna Come Collide With Me
The Grand Prix has three difficulty settings, with normal being the entry-level. I’d say that this setting is just about right. The AI is quite aggressive, and there was enough challenge that I wouldn’t always be in the lead, I’d have to earn it.
Now, here’s my biggest beef with the game: collision detection. When chasing, you can plough through the other drivers without consequence. You don’t spin them out, nor do you incur a time penalty or anything similar, so you can’t fluke your way through by ramming.
However… this doesn’t apply when you’re on the receiving end. All of the races I lost, a.k.a without a podium finish, resulted from being clipped from behind. If you’re hit, you almost spin out, often hitting the sides and having to catch up. Worse if you have to reverse and straighten back up.
You can make a brief comeback when clipped, as your car comes equipped with nitro and is not open for abuse. As you might expect, it refills with style, so streamline behind an opponent or pull off a cool drift. You’ll find the nitro replenishes, and if you plan it well, you can sneak in a cheeky boost over the finish line. I honestly couldn’t tell you how many times I have used that strategy successfully.
Now All We Need Is A Handful Of Coins
Hotshot Racing is a game that feels like reliving the past very well. I could imagine playing this or watching friends play while the moths ate away at my pockets as a kid, and while I could say that a younger me would be blown away with this ‘arcade perfect’ game, I can say it now, too.
In terms of modes, aside from the typical arcade and time trial variations, there’s a Cops & Robbers mode and Drive or Explode (an elimination mode), and these are playable locally and online. There’s a leaderboard, too, if you’re that good.
Replay value is for both single-player and multiplayer. As mentioned, you can unlock new skins and customisations, but they’re pretty basic and only cosmetic. I found that I had accumulated so much money as I didn’t need to spend it. I wasn’t saving for a rainy day; there just wasn’t the incentive.
Instead, the incentive for playing Hotshot Racing is the gameplay, which has to be the highest compliment. It’s not about grinding to unlock a new car, suspension or body kit or even getting the best time to win a new track – it’s all available to play now without any nonsense, and on that basis, it’s a hit.
Hotshot Racing Review Summary
This is one for arcade racing fans and casual gamers, too, as Hotshot Racing is so simplistic to play, in a good way. The collisions let down a winning streak, but if you want to relive the days of the arcade or know what it felt like, get Hotshot Racing and turn up the sub. The neighbours will thank you for it.
