Real World Racing Demo

Back when 3D was just science-fiction and sprites were considered the quintessential visual element, the top-down perspective was more than common in racing games, since it worked quite well, given the circumstances. However, technology evolved and the gimmick would have been forgotten, if it weren’t for a few games here and there keeping the memory alive.

Real World Racing is a top-down racing game in which you get to relive the glorious days of the arcade, but with a touch of new-age technology added for flavor and to keep the new generation from complaining too much. The real trick behind the game is that it uses satellite imagery in order to render the tracks, which means that you get to drive through cities like London, Berlin or Paris and admire the local landmarks as you go head-to-head with the other drivers.

The environments are not just flat satellite pictures, on the other hand, since a lot of work went into making them appear three-dimensional, thanks to the clever use of post-processing effects. The water is animated, there are moving trains and airplanes, as well as a small crowd here and there to cheer for the racers. All of these elements should work well together in order to provide you with an entertaining experience.

Beside the tracks, a hefty collection of vehicles is available as well, spread into different classes, depending on their power and various other attributes. More can be unlocked as you win races in the career mode, together with different deliveries that can be applied to customize your rides. Speaking of which, the handling is supposedly modeled after the real parameters of the cars, although they feel very arcadey when you actually get to steer them around.

The difficulty level can pose a few problems along the way, especially when it comes to the various challenges that arise during the career mode. The races themselves are not so difficult, although the AI is a perfectionist and you can definitely not rely on a possible mistake. It might also take you a while to get accustomed to the controls and the disorienting environments, since your vehicle is sometimes obstructed by trees, shadows or overlapping buildings.

Real World Racing makes a good case for itself, although there are some rough edges that could use some smoothing out. The developers are constantly working on it, however, so there is a lot of new content you can acquire, as well as plenty of updates and patches to address various issues.