Racingo

Racing is part of human nature, given the fact that we’ve doing it ever since horses were tamed, or even before that, using our feet. However, technology allows us to do it even better, and at much higher speeds, thanks to the vehicles we have built in modern days. Hence, there are hundreds of competitions around the world that reward the fastest driver, pilot or rider.

Racingo is an arcade racing game that aims to show us how the sport is going to look in the future, maybe a few centuries from now when the cars are going to be floating instead of using wheels. Granted, the experience feels very cheap and unpolished, even for an indie game, so it might leave you with a bleak opinion of the future, at least if you strive to take it seriously.

To begin with, you cannot choose your vehicle, since there’s only one type and everyone has the same amount of power at their disposal. The tracks have no safety rails or anything of the sort, so it’s important to slow down whenever you approach a turn, lest you find yourself out of the track and exploding for no reason. Other than that, it’s all about being the first one to the finish line.

Although the cars are basically floating above the ground and not making any contact with the track, it’s still very difficult to make a turn, as if something is resisting. Drag is not the answer, because the speeds are not nearly great enough for that to matter. Hence, it’s quite annoying to be held back by nothing but a silly gameplay choice. Thankfully, at least you can jump and cut some of the corners, although it takes some practice to do so.

As for the graphics, they are simple as they can get as well, although that’s the last thing that matters in this case. Each track looks more or less the same, except of course for the static backgrounds that have very little impact on the game. The sounds are boring as well, and the effects are quite dull and disappointing.

Even if it starts with a pretty neat idea, the controls and the repetitive gameplay make Racingo pretty difficult to stomach for more than a few minutes. Thus, it needs more variety and better physics to keep you entertained over long periods of time.