Bang Bang Racing (XBLA): "A Flashy Arcade Racing Game"

There are only a handful of XBLA game developers out there that really grab, and hold my attention with what they release. Digital Reality just so happens to be one of those said developers. While I've actually only played, and reviewed two of there titles (Skydrift & Sine Mora) those two games were so impressive that I ended up recommending them to my readers. When I caught word of "Bang Bang Racing", their latest XBLA title I hoped that the trend of excellence would continue. What I ended up finding was a flashy arcade racer that didn't play as well as I'd hoped. There were some elements that just didn't seem to work in the game's favor, and as a result kept me from enjoying the game to it's fullest. As I give the details of the game in my review I will try my best to explain what I mean, so sit back, relax, and prepare for the truth as told by yours truly ...

When it comes to delivering eye candy on the highest level possible "Bang Bang Racing" does a most excellent job. The game's environments/tracks are beautifully rendered in a whimsical sort of way. The actual selection of racing vehicles also follow this visual trend of 'Micro Machine' style racing design. As you play through the three available modes (Career, Championship, Free Play) you'll find yourself lost to the vivid colors, special effects, and engaging soundtrack. As you delve deeper into the game though you'll begin to realize that all is not fair, and that winning becomes more of a luck issue than a matter of skill. Gaining a constant, and significant lead on the other cars/players in the race is a near impossible feat. You'll be in the lead one second, and the next second you'll be trailing in far last place. This is the reality you'll face when playing "Bang Bang Racing", and it's one that will likely scare away many potential buyers of the game (assuming they tried the demo).

When it comes down to content 'Digital Reality' doesn't cut the gamer short. In "Bang Bang Racing" you'll find three modes of gameplay, two of which can be enjoyed by up to four players, locally. The first mode on the list is "Career". Career mode is divided up into four racing "stages" that basically include four different sets/types of race cars, and tracks. Within each given stage there are 5 different vehicles that each have a distinct advantage over the other. Some cars are better in the steering, or boost department while others can withstand more damage. Picking the appropriate car for each track will give you an advantage, but not by much. Aside from the enhanced maneuvering, and endurance capabilities each car also has 8 paint jobs that can be unlocked by earning points in each of the game's modes. Points do play a role in this game, but in the end their mostly only good for ranking on the leaderboard or for unlocking paint jobs as I mentioned earlier.

The next game mode on the list is "Championship", and it's exactly as it sounds. The races in this mode are more competitive in nature, and will pit you up against some serious competition as you try to go for the gold. Unlike 'Career' you'll find that 'Championship' doesn't feature the time trials, or elimination races. Instead it focuses more on the 'standard' race type, and has the player racing multiple tracks for each car class/stage. As you play ' Championship' you'll find that the arcade style obstacles (speed cones, dirt/sand, oil drums, oil puddles, water puddles) are still there. These features actually stay true to all the available modes of play. In a way it makes the races more edgy, and fun.

The final mode you'll find in the main menu list is "Free Play". I'm sure most of you who play racing games have encountered similar modes of play in other racing titles, but I'll give you the lowdown regardless. In 'Free Play' you are given several setup options (Mode, Tracks, Class, Laps, AI) which you can tweak to your liking. In this mode you can actually share the experience with up to three other friends locally, or go about it alone. In essence 'Free Play' is the equivalent of playing a quick match in a fighting game, and is meant more for fun. There are no rewards given, and ultimately the only thing you'll really get out of playing 'Free Play' is some practice, or friendly competition amongst friends. One thing you'll need to keep in mind is that in order to access the various car classes, paint jobs, and unlockable tracks you'll need to have unlocked them via the other two modes.

After spending as much time with "Bang Bang Racing" as I could stand I came to the conclusion that it was a little lacking in overall quality. I give it to 'Digital Reality' that they made a very cool looking game that played well, but the competitive side of the game seriously seemed unfair to me. As I played through the career/championship modes I became frustrated at the fact that I was unable to gain a significant advantage in any of the races regardless of what car I chose to race with. Like I mentioned in the intro paragraph of this review, gaining a constant, and significant lead is nearly impossible. There's pretty much no room for error in any of the races. As far as the AI opponents go the "Normal" AI racers posed a more significant threat than they should have been. When it comes to achievements the challenge continues on. I ended up checking out the 12 available achievements during my playthrough, and found that the were rather difficult to earn. After first seeing this game on Youtube my initial impressions were that it would be something anyone could pick up in play, but in the end I found it to be geared more towards the hardcore gamers. If you do not mind a challenging arcade racer, and don't mind a cute appearance then you might actually enjoy this game. As for me I didn't find it to be that fun.