Cars 3: Driven to Win

Cars 3: Driven to Win is a kart style racer developed in the fashion of the Cars 3 movie. With a series of race types, tracks and cars to choose form, this is a blast of a game that is suitable for all ages. Clean your grill and prepare to bring the heat in this stylised racer by Avalanche Software.

Gameplay

There is a surprisingly decent amount of gameplay in this title. At first glace you might think it’s a simple “Copy and Paste” kart racer but it does have a little more fluidity than that. There is a selection of game modes and characters to choose from. Furthermore, the controls are tight and responsive and there are a great number of tricks that you can do to push yourself closer to first place. You can do flips, drift and go on two wheels in an interestingly animated fashion but these aren’t just for looks, they can help you slide through gaps and overtake opponents in situations that you can’t get in a normal game.

Game Modes

Like Mario Kart 64, Sonic R, Crash Team Racing or any of the litany of other kart racer games from other franchises, Cars: 3 Driven to Win possesses a few different game modes, some of which are way better than others. I feel it important to tell you that if you are after a blow by blow of the entire movie of Cars 3 but in game form, you won’t find it here. After the animated opening, there is no real story to be seen. The real value of this game comes through its game modes, Race, Battle race, Takedown, stunt showcase, best lap challenge, playground and then master level events.

The shining stars in these game modes is battle race that is much more akin to the Kart style formula with weapons and items to pick up and the takedown mode which is actually more reminiscent of the Burnout games, something I found to be very a welcome inclusion.

A quiet but valuable part of the game is the incredible number of challenges it has available. It wants you go to through the missions and retry them, doing different things each time to collect the specific challenge that might be attributed to that track.

Cars 3

There is a lot in this game that has been taken directly form the Cars 3 movie, from the characters and animation style to the world and tracks that the players inhabit. The players are able to make a selection of 22 characters that you are able to unlock through challenges. Fun fact, you aren’t actually stuck with the characters are they are shown in the movie or the game at the start, they have some customisability. This may seem like a small thing but it goes a great length to helping you make the game feel unique and interesting.

Pros:

• Characters customizability
• Great game modes

Cons:

• Very boring track design
• No story mode.