Dirt Track Racing: Sprint Cars
a game by | Ratbag Pty, Ltd. |
Platform: | PC (2000) |
Editor Rating: | 8/10, based on 1 review, 2 reviews are shown |
User Rating: | 8.0/10 - 6 votes |
Rate this game: | |
See also: | Racing Games, DIRT Racing |
Racing cars around an off road track is hardly an outlandish concept. In fact, its been around since the infancy of gaming. Yet time and time again, offroad racing continues to be reinvented and reimagined year on year in the video game industry. Dirt Track Racing was another example of a game trying to offer a new version of off-road action. This game would offer a stock car, Nascar-esque sort of format and although it was quite dull, it was made very well. Now the series is back again with more vehicles and tracks that offer more than just an oval loop. We are of course talking about Dirt Track Racing: Sprint Cars.
This game plays very similarly to the original Dirt Track Racing. However, outside of the series, this game plays like titles such as Gran Turismo, Dirt 5, Colin McRae Rally and Motorstorm. This game aims to enhance the experience of the predecessor and provide a more varied and fun experience.
However, is the game a wild ride or does it need to pop into the shop for a tune up? We find out in our review of Dirt Track Racing: Sprint Cars.
High Octane Racing
In this title, you have access to four different types of sprint car, which can only be described as weird looking dune buggies. They may look a little suspect but you soon forget about this when you take to the track. Thanks to the strong racing engine this game uses, the cars will handle as they should. The overpowered Merril buggies feel wobbly and unstable. Whereas the slower cars are able to breeze around corners, hugging the inside line. It’s a joy to get the hang of each vehicle and you soon realise the ideal buggy for you.
Then with regards to the new tracks on offer, not to mention the new licenced drivers, this affords the game a new layer of authenticity. Plus, the new tracks make the game less of a slog. Each offers new twists and turns and tactical cornering that the previous title simply didn’t have. Also, the environments that surround the track are also well rendered, all culminating to offer a captivating dirt track racing experience.
Go For Glory
The game also has a story mode that will see you compete in ten increasingly difficult races. Each require you to compete in practice laps, heats, qualifying and the full race, meaning that by the end, you will know the track in question inside and out. It’s a truly immersive racing experience and it means that even with just ten tracks, it feels like more than enough. A simple trick from the developer but one that is very effective.
It is also appreciated that the player can customise their cars, tuning to provide better performance. This is a pretty common racing game feature but the level of depth one can go into during tuning is very impressive. We would say that only the likes of Gran Turismo would outshine this title in the detail department. However, to be even mentioned in the same vein as this title is an honor in itself.
The Verdict
Overall, Dirt Track Racing: Sprint Cars provides a much more intense and fun experience than its predecessor. It offers varied car types, great tracks to race on, authentic licensed drivers, a great tuning custom mode and a season mode that allows players to race for glory.
We will admit that the season mode could have been fleshed out more and we would have appreciated more distinctive car models but as a whole, this game is an impressive dirt racing sim and one that fans should try.
Pros:
- Very impressive tuning options
- Much more varied tracks when compared to predecessor
- Includes a season mode
Cons:
- Could have included more distinctive car models
- Season mode could have been further fleshed out
Download Dirt Track Racing: Sprint Cars
System requirements:
- PC compatible
- Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Game Reviews
Two lor the price of one from Take 2, which should be no reflection on the quality of these games, generously provided for our review in their actual boxes.
The first does what it says on the box, providing mud-based racing in an anticlockwise fashion, with only the occasional figure of eight track deviating from the oval trend. Its Sprint Cars cousin does much the same thing, supplanting the road cars of the original with custom-made buggies.
Cheap and cheerful these games may be, but they're certainly far from unplayable, and there are worse driving games available. A lot of left turns are involved, but there is a modicum of perverse pleasure in grinding out a career, picking up sponsorship and attempting to reach the upper echelons of redneck racing.