Overview – developed and published by NETK2GAMES, Rally Arcade Classics is a throwback to the glory days of arcade rally racing, which appears to take inspiration from SEGA Rally Championship, Colin McRae and more. Experience fast paced racing from several eras of the past, with a variety of courses spread across 4 different countries. This title is available for Steam, with a link to the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank NET2KGAMES for providing the copy of Rally Arcade Classics that was used for this piece, via the Keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review. There is no real plot or narrative for this release, so I will be going directly into discussing the gameplay.
Gameplay – Rally Arcade Classics is an old school style racing game, taking inspiration from arcade racers of the past. Race across four different countries, inspired by real world locations, with cars based on models from the 70s up to the early 2000’s. The challenges of this game are split into several different game modes, but before the player is able to get behind the wheel, they will need to prove themself.
When the game starts up for the first time, the player will need to earn a license to be able to take to the roads. There is a total of 6 license types for players to obtain, with the lowest being rank C and the highest being S2. To earn the first license, the player needs to complete 10 test challenges. These challenges are quick races, with 3 time targets, split into gold, silver and bronze. To earn the license, the player needs to earn at least bronze in all tests.
Once the rank C license has been earned, the game opens up and the other game modes will be available to challenge. In total, including the License mode, there are a total of six game types that the player can select from. First up is the Tour mode, which is split into individual chapters, with a different category of car to use. Inside the different categories of Tour mode, there are four types of event that will be available for players to challenge.
The events in the tour mode are as follows:
- Time Attack – race to the goal as fast as possible, with three targets for player to try and beat.
- VS – race head to head with another driver, trying to reach the goal ahead of your opponent. Get to the finish first to get Gold, with silver and bronze for being a close runner up.
- Drift Challenge – score points by drifting around corners to earn points, with higher scores earned for chaining together drifts. Get the best score possible to hit the three target scores.
- Race – take on four other opponents in challenging races, trying to reach the finish ahead of the pack. Earn scores based on the final position at the end of the race.
In each event, there are multiple race challenges, with a total of 15 stars to earn. These stars are added to the player total, going towards unlocking new events, chapters and license exams. By completing Tour events, the player will also earn credits that can be used to unlock new cars. The player starts off with one car, which is a good beginner vehicle, but it is a good idea to check out the different cars that can be unlocked for that rank.
To progress through the Tour Mode, as well as unlocking access to the higher rankings of license, the player needs to earn stars. The stars are tied to the ratings, with three for gold, two for silver and one for bronze. When enough stars have been earned, the player will be able to challenge the next license. By upgrading the license, the player will be able to unlock new chapters of Tour. The stars and licenses will also unlock more content for players.
The other modes that players can access are Arcade, Rally, Chrono and Events. The Arcade mode is split into car types, with sets of races tied to a car. Each Arcade challenge has four stages, with 14 rivals to overtake, with a time limit for each stage. If players are able to beat all four stages and get to the goal in first place, a special variant of the stage car will be unlocked. These arcade challenges require stars to unlock.
The Rally mode is split into four countries, each with their own car categories and difficulty rating. The easy Rally stages have the player race through 4 stages, medium has 6 stages and hard contains 11 race stages. During the course of a Rally challenge, the player must get the fastest time possible, with times combined together after each race. At the end of the rally, the player has their total time added up, with a ranking at the end.
To be able to race in the different groups in Rally mode, the player needs to unlock cars for that group. The most common way to unlock the cars is by playing the Tour mode, but to get ahead with progression, the player can purchase cars using accumulated credits. This system allows players to approach the different stages at their own pace. At the end of a set of Rally stages, the player will earn credits, which can go towards unlocking new cars.
Then there is the Chrono mode, which is a free play style of mode. In this mode, the player is able to freely select the setting, course, car and more to be just have fun with it. This allows players to try out cars and tracks, making this perfect for players to practice in the areas that they may struggle. All of the best times are added to the local leaderboard, which can be good for local players who want to challenge themselves and friends.
The last mode is Events, which are split into weekly and monthly events. This is an online game mode, where all players across the world are given the same track, car and weather for the challenge. The best times are added to the online leaderboards, making for a solid competitive option for those who enjoy climbing the rankings. The challenges use the same event types as the Tour mode, with VS, Drift, Race and Time Attack.
The last thing to discuss is the general online connectivity of the game. For the different challenges in Tour and License, there are online leaderboards for each. The best time that the player gets will be added to the ranking if connected, showing the top times and the current player position. This gives an additional competitive element to the game, increasing the replay value by pushing players to keep racing and get up the rankings.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to cover the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – the control system for this release works well, with controller/wheel support as well as traditional keyboard inputs. After trying the different input methods, both the controller and keyboard option are intuitive, offering a solid gameplay experience. My personal preference for these types of game is the Keyboard, with the controls split across the keyboard. This works well for all players, with a range of control options.
Difficulty – this is a fairly balanced game in terms of gameplay challenge, as the targets for the Tour and License races are manageable. Some of the gold targets for Time Attack and Drift can seem high, but with a little practice, they can be obtained after a few attempts. The most challenging part of the game is the dedicated weekly and monthly events, which feature much higher targets, complex race tracks and powerful cars.
Presentation – the visual aspects of this release are a little bit mixed, with car models and environments that look excellent in motion. Then there are the additional assets, like the spectators, which have a low budget look. The overall visual performance is solid, with no framerate issues and a range of camera angles to use. The sound is decent, with a varied soundtrack that plays during menus and races. The effects are good, with nice engine sounds and co-driver calls.
Final Thoughts – I am an enjoyer of old school arcade style racing games, which this game scratches that itch. The gameplay reminded me of SEGA Rally Championship, with the co-driver calls and the imitation cars, which were a nostalgic throwback. I like the tutorial system that challenges you before you start, with the License system being a nice touch to the game. The racing is intuitive, but can be a little wonky when it comes to handling at times.
There is a lot of content on offer in a rather modest package, with a good amount of replay value, with the leaderboards and events that appear. The general gameplay experience is a lot of fun, giving players after that old school style of play that arcade style hit. My favourite aspect of this release is the cars, which are based on classic vehicles like the Toyota Celica and Lancia Delta. These elements make this an easy recommendation for racing fans.
In the end, I give Rally Arcade Classics a final score of 4/5. This is a decent nostalgia fuelled arcade style racing game, offering a good mix of race types, leaderboard systems and vehicles based on the racing classics of the past. All of the elements come together to make a solid old school racer. If you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to the game will be below.
Link to Steam version (HERE)
W.Kohaku Media 