Shapeshift Racer

Procedural environments are the next big thing in video games, because they should technically allow for infinite amounts of content in sandbox games. In fact, this is already the case in a few games out there, such as Minecraft, or the upcoming No Man’s Sky. On the other hand, that doesn’t mean it’s all figured out yet, because there’s a lot left to discover and improve in the field.

Shapeshift Racer is a simple game designed for Ludum Dare, in which your main goal is to keep the pedal to the metal for as long as possible, while also trying not to hit any obstacles on your way. There are no other missions or responsibilities to worry about, although the game does get pretty stressful after a point, given the fact that the speed increases at a constant rate.

The obstacles you have to watch out for are actually just cubes and poles coming out of the track, and they seem to appear and disappear from thin air, albeit gradually. A single collision is enough to end your race, so it’s mandatory that you pay close attention to the road ahead and try to avoid keeping the same course for too long, unless you want your car to be shattered.

Given the fact that there’s nothing you can do but swerve left or right, the controls are very intuitive as well, since you only need the appropriate directional keys in order to maneuver the car. However, this can get pretty boring after a while, especially since there comes a point when it’s impossible to avoid the obstacles because the speed is too great.

Speaking of boredom, the track and the environment are quite dull as well, since it all seems to be taking place in some sort of tunnel that’s infinitely long and without any turns at all. The car is basic and unimpressive too, although it shouldn’t really matter, since you’ll be much busier trying to avoid the obstacles and keep up with what’s coming next.

All things considered, Shapeshift Racer is only fun for a couple of minutes, after which it gets pretty repetitive and boring. However, it could certainly be made a lot better with more work, especially if more features are added.