Racing games are a genre that goes back decades in the video game industry, but something seems missing in many recent games. Many racing games have become simulation experiences and even Mario Kart World has gone the open world route. Sometimes we just need a game that is a simple arcade experience that does not try to be something massive, and that is where Victory Heat Rally comes in.
Victory Heat Rally is an indie racing game that will remind you of both classic Mario Kart and Sega’s classic arcade game Power Drift, both in terms of visuals and gameplay. The retro aesthetic looks amazing, and yet it manages to make polygonal graphics look like a classic style. That is not all though, as the framerate is perfect, with almost no loading times and not stuttering of any kind.
Victory Heat Rally is all about drifting as a mechanic, which calls to mind the aforementioned classic titles, but with a more potent boost system. This is not difficult to get the hang of, and the result is a fun time that never feels like a chore to play. Victory Heat Rally wants to be a throwback to the classic pick up and play racing games, and it does a very good job of that.
Victory Heat Rally‘ has a few modes, including a lengthy career mode, which has a vast amount of things to do and unlock, but for multiplayer there is an issue. There is a local splitscreen multiplayer mode, but not online mode which is a bit surprising to be honest. The career mode is definitely enough to hold the game together on its own, even with lengthy unskippable cutscenes, but it would have been nice to go online with others. Other modes include a quick race and a race against the clock, but these serve more as a quick diversion than anything else.
The soundtrack is decent but nothing super memorable, and works fine for the game. I have seen some criticism for the music as bad and ill-fitting, but this is not the case. The soundtrack works fine even if it does not reach the height of some classic Sega racing games. I do feel more care was given to the visuals than the music, but when the visuals look as great as they do, that is going to be a fair tradeoff.
I will be fully honest, I was very disappointed by the lack of online multiplayer for Victory Heat Rally, but aside from that, there are not many other major complaints about the game. The developers wanted to make a throwback to Sega and Nintendo’s classic racers and they did. This is a pick up and play racing game that knows full well what it is, and what gamers want from it. Yes, it does not sound as great as the classics, but it still gives you that classic feel in terms of looks and gameplay.
Honestly, I would rather play Victory Heat Rally than many modern racing games and that is the highest compliment I can give. This is a game that knows how to answer a gamer’s hunger for a nostalgic experience and make it great. Now if only online play could be added.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
