art of rally

86%
Game Brain Score Based on 3,075 reviews
  • graphics
  • music
  • gameplay
art of rally Game Cover
From its incredible soundtrack to its unbelievably fun gameplay and striking visuals, art of rally is a genuine contender for 2020’s best racer.
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"Art of Rally" is a top-down racing game inspired by the golden era of rally. Compete in Career mode across 78 stages in various locations with a variety of vintage cars. Master different driving modes and take on daily and weekly challenges to hone your skills and move up the leaderboards. The Australia DLC adds six new tracks, four cars, and new music, among other features.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

86%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,075 reviews
graphics500 positive mentions
optimization22 negative mentions
  • Cool graphics and a unique art style that enhances the overall experience.
  • Challenging yet rewarding driving mechanics that require skill and practice to master.
  • Great soundtrack that complements the gameplay and creates a relaxing atmosphere.
  • Performance issues, including stuttering and lag, even on high-end systems.
  • Inconsistent physics and handling that can feel floaty and unresponsive at times.
  • Lack of a co-driver or pace notes, making it difficult to anticipate turns and navigate courses effectively.
  • graphics871 mentions

    The graphics of "Art of Rally" are widely praised for their charming low-poly aesthetic and vibrant color palette, which create a visually appealing experience that complements the game's nostalgic rally theme. Reviewers appreciate the minimalist design, which, while simple, effectively showcases beautiful lighting and atmospheric effects, enhancing the overall gameplay. Despite some performance issues on higher settings, the graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing to a relaxing yet engaging driving experience.

    • “The ultra clean graphics really let the lighting effects shine (pun intended) and driving in these environments is hypnotic.”
    • “The graphics are gorgeous and the stages are very well designed, the music rocks too.”
    • “The visuals in this game are a triumph.”
    • “This game was very disappointing; the trailer looks cool, but the controls are really slow and boring, and the graphics and camera angle seem much worse than what the trailer leads you to believe.”
    • “The graphics seemed whimsical and minimalistic on screenshots, but they’re more accurately described as bad.”
    • “Despite the simplicity of its graphics, the game performance is horrible.”
  • music690 mentions

    The music in "art of rally" is widely praised for its exceptional synthwave soundtrack, which perfectly complements the game's aesthetic and enhances the overall driving experience. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to create a relaxing yet engaging atmosphere, making it a standout feature that many players enjoy even outside of gameplay. Overall, the combination of beautiful visuals and a captivating soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's charm and appeal.

    • “The music seamlessly weaves into the gameplay, creating an immersive experience that's both thrilling and euphoric.”
    • “The soundtrack is incredible, the graphics are smooth and fun, the car designs and sounds are great, but the physics just makes no sense to me.”
    • “The art style and music are simply amazing, creating a perfect atmosphere for a relaxing yet engaging driving experience.”
    • “Music is awful, and leaderboards don't work.”
    • “The physics are weird, the music is boring.”
    • “But for a game that's relying on its aesthetics and soundtrack to sell itself as a light and accessible arcade racer, it just feels like it fails at what it's supposed to be doing.”
  • gameplay326 mentions

    The gameplay of "Art of Rally" is widely praised for its unique driving mechanics, which blend accessibility with depth, making it enjoyable for both casual players and hardcore racing fans. Players appreciate the beautiful low-poly graphics and immersive soundtrack, although some report performance issues and a steep learning curve. Overall, the game offers a satisfying and rewarding experience, with a variety of tracks and cars that keep players engaged, despite some criticisms regarding repetitive level design and occasional technical glitches.

    • “Fantastic gameplay and car feel; they all feel unique with a good difficulty range on the stages themselves.”
    • “The gameplay is satisfying to master, and there are plenty of maps to keep the rallies interesting.”
    • “The driving mechanics strike a balance between realistic, fun, and fluid, while the art style is as beautiful as it is simple and clean.”
    • “There are some inconsistencies in game mechanics, and performance suffers the longer a session goes on, but overall I am having a lot of fun playing this.”
    • “The worst part for me was that the game started running at ~5 fps each time after ~1 hour of gameplay (on RTX 4080), which made the game unplayable and basically killed the current race.”
    • “However, the gameplay is very flawed.”
  • optimization95 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering, frame drops, and inconsistent performance over longer play sessions. While some users noted improvements after updates and found it playable on decent hardware, others expressed disappointment given the game's relatively simple graphics. There is a consensus that further optimization is needed to enhance the overall experience, especially for those with lower-end systems.

    • “The low-poly art style is both beautiful and functional, allowing for smooth and consistent performance even on lower-end hardware.”
    • “I really like this game, and the recent update has resulted in much improved performance.”
    • “The atmosphere, visuals, controls, sound, music, and performance is all perfect and combine together to make an experience that is absolutely seamless and genuinely fulfills its name by going beyond being just a game and entering the realm of a work of art.”
    • “I had performance issues from the beginning; I always hoped for an update, but it looks like we have to live with this.”
    • “The game performance is quite disappointing considering that this is a low-poly game, but it supports 21:9 display aspect ratio well.”
    • “This game is in desperate need of optimization as I (and judging from other community posts, not only AMD) and many others are experiencing massive lag spikes almost every 2 to 3 seconds, making this game frustrating.”
  • humor40 mentions

    The humor in the game is a standout feature, characterized by witty car descriptions, amusing names, and playful references that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the blend of humor and factual information in the vehicle blurbs, which add charm and personality to the game. The lighthearted approach, combined with a vibrant art style and engaging gameplay, makes it a delightful and entertaining experience for both casual and dedicated rally fans.

    • “Hilariously fun little game, looks like a mobile phone game, drives like a simulator, love it.”
    • “Regardless of that, the vehicle descriptions are hilarious and filled with references.”
    • “The game doesn't take itself too seriously either, with several car names and descriptions being fairly humorous (such as the Volvo 'Turbo Brick').”
  • story40 mentions

    The game's story is minimal, primarily serving as a backdrop for the racing experience rather than a central focus. Players progress through various stages that reflect the evolution of rallying, unlocking cars inspired by real-world models, but many reviewers note that the narrative is short and not overly engaging. Overall, the game emphasizes gameplay mechanics and the thrill of racing over a deep storyline, appealing to those who prefer a more relaxed, arcade-style experience.

    • “This game tells the story of each car nicely in the description of every vehicle.”
    • “A gorgeous tribute to the story of rally racing and the men and women who took on its challenge.”
    • “Unlocking the cars in career mode tells an interesting story - and they all handle significantly differently.”
    • “This game has no story.”
    • “The story is kinda short, especially considering there's no reason to play the game past that point.”
    • “There's no story, just a bunch of different classes of cars which all handle differently and you merely have to finish the rally to unlock the next one.”
  • atmosphere36 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful art style, stunning graphics, and immersive soundtracks, creating a relaxing yet engaging experience. Players appreciate the attention to detail in the environments, lighting, and ambient sounds, which enhance the overall enjoyment of the racing experience. Despite some minor technical issues, the game's unique aesthetic and chill vibe contribute to its appeal, making it a memorable and enjoyable title in the racing genre.

    • “The atmosphere of each stage is phenomenal; the lighting, colors, dirt, and tarmac enhance the entire experience.”
    • “Beautiful graphics, lovely sound, music, and a great overall atmosphere make this an awesome racing game.”
    • “The visuals and soundtrack really work together well and create a very chill atmosphere.”
    • “For some reason, the trees took a while to load on the snowy levels, causing some lag and breaking the atmosphere.”
    • “This somewhat ruined the atmosphere.”
    • “Turn off the crowds not only for a performance boost but, in my opinion, better atmosphere.”
  • replayability22 mentions

    The game boasts high replayability, with players praising the variety of cars and maps that encourage repeated play to achieve better times and complete challenges. Many users highlight the potential for endless improvement and mastery, particularly through time trials and leaderboard competition, making it a worthwhile investment for those who enjoy driving games. Overall, the combination of content, skill progression, and competitive elements contributes to its strong replay value.

    • “With 4WD, FWD, RWD, as well as front, mid, and rear engine cars, the choice in car makes each map very replayable, trying to get gold in every career group and better times in the time trials.”
    • “Amazing that it was made by a team of basically one person, and the amount of content and replayability, coupled with the fact that it's only $25 (or even cheaper on sale), makes for one hell of a steal.”
    • “The replayability makes this game totally worth the 20€, if you plan on improving your times in the long run.”
    • “I suspect in order to find replayability past 100 or so hours in this game, you will also want to find something fun to focus on, like going for records or mastering all the cars in the game (of which there are many).”
    • “This may limit the game's replayability for some players.”
    • “There is some replay value too as you need to complete the rallies without using all your restarts to unlock bonus liveries.”
  • stability20 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while it runs well on platforms like the Steam Deck and generally performs smoothly, players report occasional lags, freezes, and minor bugs, particularly when transitioning between different countries in the game. Visual glitches and issues such as menu freezing and car spawning problems are noted, but they do not significantly detract from the overall experience. Recent updates have addressed some performance hiccups, leading to a more stable gameplay experience.

    • “Runs great on Steam Deck with the Vulkan rendering option turned on.”
    • “It looks fantastic, runs great, tons of content, and a steady flow of updates.”
    • “It's a solid game, not buggy and pretty realistic.”
    • “Even with 144+ fps, 40% CPU load, 30% GPU load, and 40 GB free RAM, you can experience significant lags and game freezes after changing countries in the game.”
    • “For example, if you go from stages in Sardinia, Germany, or Japan to stages in Finland, Sweden, or Indonesia, there will be lags and freezes.”
    • “There were a lot of minor bugs, mostly menu freezing, weird car spawn positions, and visual glitches.”
  • grinding14 mentions

    Players have noted that the grinding aspect of the game can be excessively tedious, particularly due to achievements requiring completion of numerous stages and long hours of repetitive racing. Many found the career mode lengthy and unenjoyable, with some achievements demanding significant additional grinding that detracted from the overall experience. While dedicated fans of rally racing may appreciate the challenge, the lack of engaging content and the grind-heavy nature of the game make it less appealing for casual players.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A few of the achievements can be quite grindy, which sucked a bit of the fun out of the game.”
    • “There isn't enough content to play more than 30 hours while that achievement might take an additional 30 hours of tedious grinding on top of the 25-30 hours of base game content.”
    • “The problem for me is that the career mode is long and grindy. I found myself later on not enjoying the seemingly repetitive races: rushing through the stages just to move on to the next one and then the next one – it became a chore to work through.”
  • emotional12 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, recalling nostalgic moments and the thrill of racing, reminiscent of childhood experiences. The game's challenges evoke feelings of heartbreak and determination, while its wholesome elements and tributes enhance the overall emotional impact, making it a memorable and engaging experience. Overall, it combines fun and nostalgia, creating a deep emotional resonance with players.

    • “Yes, I had a 100% game loss due to this, heartbreaking stuff, but to be honest, I didn't mind the excuse to go through it all again, this time mastering the 1st trophy in all career mode.”
    • “It's hard to describe, but playing this game made me feel like I was 7 years old again, sat on the carpet in front of my granddad, watching rally with him.”
    • “I especially love the rather emotional tributes here and there, like the 'Toivonen' on the bottom of the Delta S4 when you roll it over, for example.”
  • monetization6 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is highly praised, with players appreciating the absence of microtransactions and DLCs, which contributes to a solid gaming experience. The game features numerous unlockable cars and skins, along with mod support, enhancing its value without any scummy practices. Overall, players feel that the game offers great content and atmosphere without the burden of in-game purchases.

    • “Not to mention, no scummy practices when it comes to DLC or microtransactions, just a damn solid game. The Kenya update was an extremely nice welcome, and I hear there's even more coming with a location in Indonesia where I live. Can't wait!”
    • “No microtransactions, nice music, amazing racing physics (even better than most racing games), and they added legendary cars without paying for the licensing fees.”
    • “I especially appreciate the number of unlockable cars and skins in the game (with mod support) and no microtransactions in sight!”
    • “The sponsor's advertisements: the brand names are just so damned awesome.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

79% average critic score

Buy art of rally

Play time

13hMedian play time
16hAverage play time
5-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 19 analyzed playthroughs

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