Roadclub Demo

Since you can have a lot of fun with cars, racing games are insanely popular regardless of platform or time period. However, graphics have a big role to play in the genre, because racing fans usually ask for top-notch graphics engines to make the cars look and feel as realistic as possible. On the other hand, if the rest of the gameplay is amazing, it might just not matter as much in the end.

Roadclub is about as classic as it can get in the genre, given the fact that it uses a top-down 2D perspective when it comes to graphics and interface. There is no cockpit view, the cars are small and barely discernible from each other, and the environments are quite restrained and not very spectacular. The amount of fun you can have is what matters, however, since when you strip the racing genre down to its bare bones, speed and competition are the only things that make a difference.

The game provides you with a unique career mode, which allows you to advance from league to league as you manage to keep winning races. Hence, just like in soccer or basketball, each driver is ranked according to his wins and losses and placed on a leaderboard. If you manage to reach the top of your league, you can advance to the next one next season, where better competitors await you.

Depending on how realistic you want to make the experience, the game provides you with two different modes, both of which have their ups and downs. Hence, you can either play in the arcade mode and not really worry about cornering and the laws of physics, or choose simulation and try to get more friendly with the brakes, because things get much more difficult to handle.

As far as the graphics go, you should not expect anything more than sprites, minimal animations, and the occasional particle effect to make the race feel more real. A nice soundtrack plays in the background as well, although it’s not special enough to be memorable. Thankfully, the gameplay and the controls are pretty smooth, so you won’t have any problems when it comes to the technical aspect of the game.

Overall, Roadclub could have provided a bit more when it comes to cars and tracks, especially since they are much easier to create and include. On the other hand, you do get a pretty powerful editor as well, so you can certainly take it upon yourself to expand the experience and create more content to enjoy.