It's Called Project:Racer

It has been a long time since I Beta'ed a game and this will be the first time I have done so on a mobile app.

I was lucky enough this past week to find out there was a racing game in development and they were searching for folks to try their progress out and leave feedback. Challenge accepted! Over the past few years, I have "cut my teeth" on some well know mobile titles, such as some from the Need for Speed series (Most Wanted, Shift and No Limits), Real Racing 3 and I believe I gave few from the Asphalt series a try (can't remember which ones specifically, I was disappointed in some of the gameplay and just purged my memory of those episodes).

Needless to say, I bring experience and expectations to this latest venture.

Today was the official launch for Beta Testing and even though I requested to join the Facebook Beta Testing Group just a short while ago, I was still accepted in and received the download link for the APK file, installed the game and checked things out.

Have a look at the following video, captured on my Huawei P30 Lite, showing the various menu/gameplay options, loading screens/cinematics and gameplay from three different perspectives....

Despite being in "fullscreen mode," the Android triangle circle square are clearly visible.

So, what do I like about this early Beta version? I shall start from the top down.

I love the overcast sky and hope it eventually leads into weather effects, or at least variable, atmospheric conditions. Not all races take place under sunshine and clear, blue skies. The mini-map, timings and metrics are easy enough to read, so I would just leave those alone.

The track is exceptionally rendered. I know it's Suzuka International Racing Course (they don't say this) in the Mie Prefecture (yes, I know it says that part) from Japan, I have seen other interpretations of this place in other games and I like the version here. The buildings, fence-lines and barriers, the grass, all of it was very well done. Even the main road-course is textured to be believable.

The car is an unlicensed, mild mashup of a few recognizable track stars, however, the defining shape and essence of the Porsche GT2/Ruf RTRis very apparent. Once again, very well rendered and I look forward to improvements and later additions.

Now, there is only one thing I don't particularly like about this stage of the game, cornering.

Although there a few ways to customize the racing experience in terms of how to drive the car, I stuck with auto acceleration/auto-braking, based on my Real Racing 3 habits. For Project:Racer, this turning into a gamble with 50/50 odds. The best way I can describe what I was subjected to was a front wheel drive car, trying to turn a corner, with bald tires on wet pavement. The over-steer and loss of traction was horrendous and it took a few races to get a better feel for mitigating it, but never truly eliminating it.

So, other than one major point of contention (for me anyways), I think this title is off to a very good start indeed.

If you are curious about the game, check out the Project:Racer on Instagram here or their Facebook page there, or request to join the Closed Beta Tester Group here.