iRacing Studios announced a new arcade game called iRacing Arcade, so I saw the demo on Steam and decided to give it a go. It’s now downloaded and fired up —let’s see what this game has to offer.
In the demo, you are limited to one track, starting out with a two-lap qualifying round followed by a six-lap race amongst 12 other racers in a mini 911. Luckily for me, getting close to another race car in qualifying turns it into a ghost car to prevent collisions without slowing you down. I also found out quickly about any off-track driving, you receive an instant, temporary forced slowdown period as your punishment.
So, no wall-bouncing or corner-cutting will work in this game. After qualifying, the game offers a nice preview of the starting grid before the race begins.
3-2-1, Go!
Unfortunately, the first qualifying run was a flop, and my first race wasn’t much better, but it’s not the game; it’s the driver. You will start the race from your qualifying position, which was 12th, so I have some work to do.
I ended up in a disappointing third place in qualifying, which doesn’t sound too bad, but I was also testing the game in amateur mode.
I had to get the hang of using a gamepad again, but you can use a wheel or the keyboard if you choose. I took advantage of the first time playing iRacing Arcade to gain racing experience so I can put the pedal to the metal in the next race.
Okay, now I’ve got the hang of it. In the second race, I ran my two qualifying laps and qualified on the pole. Three, two, one, I hit the gas and drove into turn one, securing the lead before they make a run on me.
Despite my disappointing first race, I held onto the race lead the entire game, crossed the start/finish line, felt overwhelmingly satisfied with my race victory, drove into victory lane, and celebrated with my Gold trophy amongst the next two finishers.
In Closing
After a few runs, I find that the game offers an immersive sim-racing experience. It’s geared more toward entry-level racing for younger racers, or for those who don’t want to invest in a full racing setup. When released, the game will offer online multiplayer with up to 11 competitors worldwide.
If you are into arcade-style racing, the iRacing Arcade game delivers a fun, enjoyable experience for all ages. Unfortunately, the demo only offers a glimpse of what the full game has in store. Leaving me wishing that the demo offered a bit more, like pit stops and maybe another track, but it’s enough to spark my interest.
The iRacing Arcade releases on December 2nd, but take a test run by downloading the demo on Steam and see what you think.
