Hello you gorgeous gamers, and welcome back to another Everything You Need to Know on Pure Play TV, and this time we’re talking about Hotshot Racing.
Hotshot Racing is just a few days away from release, so to help get you prepped for some brilliant arcade action, here’s everything you need to know about the game.
It Used to Be Called Racing Apex
Hotshot Racing was first announced in 2016 as Racing Apex. The game’s developer, Lucky Mountain Games, originally pitched the game on Kickstarter as a retro-style combat racing game. The original version was to include vehicular combat with the game’s cars having gun mounts. The combat would have been a little similar to the classic Vigilante 8, but that version of the game is no more.
It’s in Good Hands
In 2018, Lucky Mountain Games teamed up with Sumo Digital and completely overhauled the game. Bringing in Sumo Digital was a wise move as the Sheffield headquartered studio has extensive experience in racing games, having worked on a number of big-name racing properties, including Outrun, one of the inspirations behind Hotshot Racing.
Sumo Digital has also worked on Sega Arcade Rally Online, Forza Horizon 2, and Sega All-Stars Racing, to name just a few of the racing games the developer has behind it. It’s safe to say, then, that Sumo Digital knows what works in a racing game, and, er, the less said about Crackdown 3, the better.
It’s Gonna Look and Run Great… In Single Player
Hotshot Racing will look great no matter where you play it, whether it’s on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, or PC – it’s a damn good looking game. Though, having said that, if you can’t connect with the old-school polygonal art style, that’s on you.
The game will run great, too, offering 60fps across all platforms. But, there is a catch. It’s only 60fps in single-player. If you take the game into split-screen, the frame rate drops to 30. This isn’t unheard of, and even the most popular arcade racer known to man, dog, and god- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – does exactly the same thing. Still, good to know. 5 secs
It’s Old School But Super Modern
Hotshot Racing is obviously inspired by the great classics, but it’s not a dinosaur stuck in the past. It takes what we loved about the old arcade racers, and incorporates modern sensibilities. For one, there’s online multiplayer which will keep the leaderboard chasers busy for hours on end. Then there’s offline multiplayer, with support for up to four players on one screen. Proper old-school 4-player split-screen! Every game mode can be played with a buddy sitting next to you, so you don’t have to do it all on your lonesome.
Game Modes Galore
Hotshot Racing will ship with a full single-player Grand Prix, as well as Time Trials. These are the more traditional game modes with arcade-style checkpoints and a constantly ticking timer. For a change of pace, you can try out the ‘Cops and Robbers’ game mode, where players can either take on the role of cop or robber, with the goal being to chase or evade capture. Again, this is available in multiplayer too.
The other game mode is ‘Drive or Explode’, and it tasks players with maintaining the speed set by the game. The twist is that it increases every so often, and if you dip below that speed, your health bar depletes until you’re a fiery wreck on the roadside. Last man, woman, or child, standing, wins.
It’s an Economical Package
While I’m under embargo until September 8th, I can say that I’ve played the game and I’m excited to share my full review with you. Until then, all I can really say is that the asking price is very fair. It’s a cheap-and-cheerful release at just $19.99/£15.99/€19.99, and you get a lot of bang for your currency. 16 routes, each with mirrored versions, as well as a dozen characters with their own vehicles that can be upgraded. Plus, the longevity that comes from online multiplayer and split-screen means you’re basically going to be stealing this game. You dirty thief.
The price isn’t the only small thing either. The game’s file size is impressively small, coming in at just over 4.5GB on PS4, and that’s after a couple of updates. Other platforms may vary, but not by much. Perfect if your hard drive is looking a bit crowded.
When Is It Out and How Can I Buy It?
Hotshot Racing will drift onto PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on September 10th, 2020. It’s a digital-only release for now, so you’ll need to make sure you’ve got the hard drive space for it, which shouldn’t be difficult considering the game’s small footprint.
Pre-orders are available on Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, with pre-orders granting the buyer a 20% discount. Not bad, eh?
When Can We Read/Watch Your Review?
Our review is under embargo until 4pm BST / 5pm CEST / 8am EDT / 11am PDT on September 8th, 2020. We’ll have the main written review on Pure PlayStation, and the video review available on Pure Play TV.
And that’s what you need to know about Hotshot Racing. Be sure to check back in later this week for our full written review, as well as the video.
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