Bang Bang Racing is a new fast-paced, top-down racing game from developers Digital Reality, creators of diesel-punk shooter Sine Mora. The game is a very simplistic racing game but at the same time can quickly become a highly addictive one. It can be played by almost anyone with only a few controls to learn before you can get into the racing and very quickly look like a pro. The game comes at a low release price (only 800 Microsoft points on the Xbox Live Arcade) and is aimed at all of the family, with a rating of E for Everyone.
The idea behind the game is very simple; it is a traditional racing game with races such as time trials and eliminations alongside the standard races. Most of the races involve eight cars including your own competing around small but challenging tracks with only the timing of your breaks and nitro boosts to help you achieve your victories. The tracks in the game are generally quick to complete, mostly lasting no more than about four minutes in a five lap race, but are surprisingly challenging. In some cases it can seem like you have driven on more curves than you have straights in a race, but there is a good variety of shapes and sizes to keep you on your toes. The game is very easy to control and play.
Usually with this form of racing game with a top-down viewpoint on your car it can be very difficult to judge where you are going, how hard to brake or when to turn a corner. Digital Reality seem to have done well in Bang Bang Racing on this point as the camera is accurate and does not move too fast or strangely for you to follow your path. This, combined with the aspect of a simple system for controlling the car, makes the game a great experience which can quickly become quite addictive. The game also has a multiplayer option which means that you can compete with others and makes the game a great choice for a family activity. The game is aimed at families and easily fulfils this. Alongside this there is a career mode which includes four championships which can be completed and unlocked in the separate championship mode to play again. In the career mode the player can unlock more tracks and cars to play in the other game modes, and in the case of the cars use in their career to further progress. The game seems to work on a system that the higher the position you finish in the more you unlock in that race, which is a fairly traditional system in terms of racing games.
You are able to unlock a selection of cars in which to race, each with different advantages in different situations, for example good handling or improved boosting. The main problem however with selecting your car is that there are no statistics by which to compare and contrast the vehicles, such as accelerations, handling or top speeds. Admittedly all of the cars appear to handle very similarly so your selection is not crucially based on statistics, but it does just seem like a missing element to the game. It is perhaps a move by the developers to help the game fit the family audience by ensuring fairness, but for older players or fans of racing games this may seem a strange aspect not to be included. The advantageous attribute of the vehicle you choose is the only real means by which to differentiate between them. There are different types of car to be raced in the game based on the championship you are racing in, including rally cars, hot rods and formula one-style cars. This adds a little bit of variety to the game and each group has different tracks to be raced on, maintaining a challenging element throughout. This setup also test the players ability to adapt to the car and track they are racing on, thus keeping the game interesting and adding to the fact that it can be quite addictive after a while.
The graphics in the game are very good, as appears to be a trend in Digital Reality’s games. The tracks, cars and background scenery are bright, well designed and pleasant to look at. Sine Mora, another of the developer’s games, also carried this design of simplicity alongside excellent graphics. If they were to go ahead and make a larger release in the future it would no doubt be just as impressive! To make a simple and cheap car racing game such as this look as good as it does the developers are either slightly mad, massively perfectionist or very generous in what it offers the gaming community. In any of these cases, it can’t be said that this is disappointing and hopefully they will keep up the trend in their future developments. The sounds in Bang Bang Racing are also good, with accurate sounding effects for the vehicles and where necessary background sounds.
Bang Bang Racing is a very simple game but one which can bring a surprising amount of enjoyment despite this. The game looks excellent and sounds accurate proving once again that it’s developers know that these are factors which really count in the industry. A great game for all of the family Bang Bang Racing would be a great choice for the kids and an enjoyable game to play for everyone. The price is very reasonable for a new release on and the game does not claim to be anything more than what it delivers; always a good show of honesty from those who made it. The only real criticism of the game that can be fairly made is that it is so simple when the developers are clearly capable of achieving so much more. Hopefully their next release will be something very special, and they are certainly ones to watch…
Gameplay
Simple but effective; the game is great to play for all the family, is exciting and can very quickly become addictive. Some may find it to be too simple.
Graphics
Visually excellent given the simplicity and the cost of the game; seemingly a trend in the developments of Digital Reality.
Sounds
Good quality sound effects for cars and other background noises or objects.
Overall
For it’s price, not a lot more could be asked of this game. It is exactly what it says on the tin; fun for all the family. The game looks great and is a nice bit of fun! 4/5
Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.
