Quick, fun, and full of racing.
Racing games are not as prevalent as they once were, but the genre is still being kept alive in the gaming world. Indie titles are filling in the gaps more and more, which is a good thing as racing games will always hold a special place in my heart, especially the more arcade like experiences. I prefer speed and thrills over simulation. Did you ever play Pro AM Racing or games of its type? Well, prepare to experience a racing game with a similar flavor.
Table Top VROOM
For those unfamiliar with racing games like Mantis Burn Racing, they are different in regards to the perspective in which racing takes place in most games. Instead of being behind the wheel or car, the action takes place from an isometric, from the sky viewpoint and static camera angles. This can be a bit different from most racers but it really feels like an entirely different style of racing when it comes to taking those turns and racing successfully. I hadn’t played a racing game like this in a good while, so it took a little period of adjustment before I was able to turn corners and drift around like a pro.
MSRP: $14.99
Price I’d Pay: $9.99
Multiplayer: 8 online, 4 local
How long to beat: 4+ hours
The game is broken down into various seasons of races, between two race maps, that progressively get harder and harder. Some involve time attacks, other racers are about being in the lead as the AI players are progressively knocked out of the race. Yes, it’s a bit disappointing to say that there is only an outdoors, dirt like environment and a city. That’s it. There are variations in the race tracks in those environments but for the most part expect a few changes and mirror matches. I’d have liked to see more variation in tracks personally, but what is there is still fun and doesn’t dampen the thrill of getting through those corners, or taking new shortcuts.
Visually the game has a very plain look. The environments are more interesting than the cars for me personally. While it’s not a complete visual stunner, it’s suitable for the camera angle and style Mantis Burn Racing is going for. Little details like fences breaking into pieces or the dirt particle trails the cars leave behind when drifting always felt super satisfying for me. I did feel the soundtrack was extremely repetitive and disappointing, so much that it began to actually get to me and I had to turn it off. It’s not horrible by any means, but it just repeats over and over and I never felt it added to the game in the way some soundtracks do.
Arcade fun
As I sit here and think about my time with Mantic Burning Racing, I do so with a little bit of mixed feelings. On one hand, it’s extremely fun, easy to play, and hard to master. The progression of gaining gears and XP to upgrade cars is fun and addicting. The online portion seems like it would be a blast to play, but sadly there has never been any players I’m able to find online at the same time, a shame though there is also local play if friends are visiting. Just the lack of variation in visuals for tracks and the repeating soundtrack really put a damper on my otherwise fun time. Still, Mantis Burn Racing is worth the time for arcade racing fans.
Favorite moment: The perfect drift, barely getting in front of the 1st position to cross the finish line.
Worst moment: The soundtrack… I had to mute it.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
