Horror Racing

Posted on October 26th, 2009. Written by Trevor.

I’m sure you can’t have failed to notice the increase in horror / Halloween games that have been pouring into the AppStore recently. Whilst most of these will be played a few times over the next week or two, they will then be abandoned and probably never played again. However, do not even think about including the recent release of Horror Racing in that category.

Developed by NEWFX Games and published by Chillingo, Horror Racing is a top down arcade racer that will keep you coming back for more.

With 15 tracks to blast around and a total of 7 characters (5 are available to begin with, and the other 2 need to be unlocked via the Championship mode). The characters available all have different stats and you have the option to upgrade your vehicle as you earn money and progress through the game.

Along with the Championship mode, there is also quick race and a skirmish road, which mainly focuses on blasting the hell out of the other cars rather than actually racing. There are plenty of power ups to be found as you tear around the various tracks.

Controls are handled with an on-screen steering wheel, which does take a little getting used to, but basically, which ever way the little green arrow is pointing, that’s the direction you’re going to travel. Once you get used to this control method, which shouldn’t take too long, the game is actually a lot of fun, and the recent update enables you to switch the side that the wheel is one, thus rectifying the only real complaint that the game received when it was first released. Along with the steering wheel, you also have a selection of buttons on the other side of the screen which you can use to deploy the various weapons you have amassed during play.

As you can see from the screenshots the environments in which you race are rendered well and the tracks are well designed with plenty of power ups, ramps and tight corners to negotiate meaning you may find you spend more time on two wheels as apposed to all four, which is always a fun thing.

With an adjustable difficulty setting (easy, medium or hard) even the most casual of game players should find this game enjoyable and given the number of playable characters and upgrades available there is definitely plenty or replay value within this great little racer.

If you’ve ever played any of the top down racer games back on the 16bit consoles, this game will provide you with a blast of nostalgic gameplay, and if you didn’t, well, this game is just a blast. There is also a Lite version available so there really is no reason not to give this a go. I’d hate for this game to be swallowed up within that mass of Halloween themed games, it deserves more. So get out there and start Racing.