Circuit Superstars
- October 11, 2021
- Original Fire Games
- 6h median play time
"Circuit Superstars" is a top-down racer game celebrating various motorsports, focusing on providing a fun and challenging driving experience. With a range of cars and tracks, players can enjoy the nuanced handling and racing lines, while additional features like fuel usage and tire degradation add to the realism. This game aims to cater to both casual and dedicated racing fans, offering a high skill ceiling to keep players engaged for the long haul.
Reviews
- The driving mechanics are fun and challenging, requiring skill and precision.
- The graphics are charming and visually appealing, reminiscent of classic top-down racers.
- The game features a variety of cars and tracks, with pit stop strategies adding depth to the racing experience.
- The AI is inconsistent, often driving on rails and lacking awareness of the player's position, leading to frustrating collisions.
- Online multiplayer is lacking, with few players available and no option for private lobbies, making it difficult to race with friends.
- The game lacks a save feature for championships, requiring players to complete all races in one sitting, which can be tedious.
- graphics352 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant, cartoonish art style that combines charm with detail, creating a visually appealing experience. Players appreciate the smooth performance and the game's ability to run well on various resolutions, while the aesthetic is often compared to nostalgic titles, blending modern graphics with a retro feel. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's fun and engaging atmosphere, despite some critiques regarding the physics and gameplay balance.
“The vibrant visuals and distinct car classes, encompassing everything from 60s-era formula racers to modern GT machines, keep things visually interesting.”
“Absolutely gorgeous graphics and very impressive mechanics.”
“The graphics are bright and cartoonish, yet deep and detailed.”
“The graphics are great but the physics are so bad that I can't recommend it to anyone who's seeking a fun racing experience.”
“Overall, the game looks nice, and has potential (I'm very hopeful!) but that's about it - the lack of polish in every area other than visuals is... painful.”
“While the graphics are charming, you're totally unable to configure the camera (like zoom, angle and position).”
- gameplay228 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its fun, addictive mechanics and solid driving controls, offering a blend of realism and arcade elements that make it accessible yet challenging to master. Players appreciate the depth of the driving mechanics, including tire wear and fuel management, which add strategic layers to races. However, some criticisms arise regarding the AI difficulty balance, lack of online lobbies, and a desire for more progression and customization options, which could enhance replayability.
“The driving gameplay is surprisingly deep and it's very rewarding to learn the tracks and improve lap times.”
“Gameplay is awesome, easy to learn - hard to master, ticking all the boxes for quick but tense racing.”
“The mechanics of driving are great, the graphics are nice, so far from what I have seen there isn't a ton of stuff in the game so far, but it has great potential.”
“Overall repetitive gameplay and annoying races; on higher difficulty, the grind to master every corner of every circuit is a boring idea to me because, let me tell you - the AI doesn't make mistakes and you will.”
“Game is brilliant in physics and graphics, but lacks in gameplay; it gets boring pretty fast.”
“Although the game feels somewhat realistic at first, using real driving techniques doesn't reward you with faster laps, and the devs are overly concerned with making it fair for keyboard players, so they implement mechanics to make analog steering, gas, and brake less effective.”
- music52 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the catchy 80's synth dance/funk/pop menu music, which is considered a highlight. However, several users noted the lack of in-game music, suggesting that players might prefer to listen to their own soundtracks or podcasts instead. Overall, while the aesthetic and sound effects are well-received, the limited soundtrack during gameplay has left some players wanting more.
“Very appealing art style combines with great music to make it a fun and approachable package.”
“The art style is gorgeous, the music is pumping and addictive, it's on point.”
“Charming visuals and music mean it's one you can pull out for a couch party and no one will groan about racing, brings to mind the old Micro Machines games but without the nonsense.”
“- soundtrack... practically non-existent.”
“Amazing arcade racer with realistic physics and fun style of graphics. Great to play at a party or with friends. I only have one complaint: please, dear developers, turn down the music in the main menu. In my opinion, even the lowest setting is still too loud; I felt I was losing my hearing as I was setting up my awesome character. Other than that, great game!”
“Not much music, but the menu music is that kind of 80's synth dance/funk/pop you'd generally want in the background of a sunny racing game.”
- optimization40 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 45 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with users reporting significant stuttering issues across various settings and hardware configurations, particularly in network gameplay and full-screen modes. While some players note decent performance on lower-end systems, persistent bugs and poor optimization for specific resolutions (like 32:9) detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game continues to receive updates, indicating ongoing developer support.
“I am dead sure this game will improve my performance in other titles like Dirt Rally and Assetto Corsa/Competizione because this game teaches you racing lines like none other.”
“Runs smoothly on toasters.”
“+ decent performance even on lesser-packed computers.”
“Full screen optimization is terrible (for AMD).”
“Performance is pretty stuttery even on low settings.”
“Oh and also really weirdly optimized; it makes my GPU fan go into overdrive even in the game menus.”
- stability26 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 54 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while it runs well on platforms like the Steam Deck and is mostly bug-free for many players, there are notable issues such as a buggy replay feature, multiplayer delays, and occasional micro-freezes. As it is in early access, players expect some instability, but many feel that the game has great potential despite these challenges.
“Fantastic feeling driving; each car handles uniquely, and you can genuinely feel the effects of tire degradation and lower weight as you burn fuel. The game looks gorgeous and runs great.”
“The game is quite fun and feels mostly bug-free despite it being in early access.”
“Game is now pretty much bug-free from what I've seen, and a lot of fun with a bunch of friends.”
“Replay feature seems buggy.”
“But it's super buggy.”
“Buggy mess right now.”
- humor20 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in this racing game is highlighted by its lighthearted approach, with players enjoying the amusing aspects of crashes and the uniformity of muscle cars. Many reviewers appreciate the game's comedic charm and the supportive community, noting that even poor performance can lead to funny moments. Overall, the game is described as a fun and entertaining experience, making it accessible and enjoyable for players of all skill levels.
“This is the best circuit arcade hilarious racer game there is.”
“Very funny, great game.”
“I will say I'm not a huge fan of oversteering in this game (damn the muscle cars. Damn them.) but I think that comes down to personal preference; cute and easy to get into even if you're not good at it, because being bad at it is, frankly, funny.”
- replayability18 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game offers a solid foundation for replayability through features like custom race events and private lobbies, appealing to casual racers. However, some players feel that the limited number of tracks and lack of upgrades diminish long-term engagement, suggesting that more content or user-generated options could enhance replay value significantly. Overall, while there is potential for replayability, it currently varies among players based on their expectations and preferences.
“You can even craft your own custom race events and tournaments, adding a layer of replayability that will keep you coming back for more.”
“Great casual racer with tons of replay value.”
“I am particularly excited for the inclusion of private lobbies as it will provide the endless replayability I enjoy from Wreckfest and similar titles.”
“While the driving feels fluid, and the mechanics are solid, the lack of economy or upgrades makes replayability shallow for me.”
“There aren't enough tracks for replayability; the company needs to make double or triple the current amount, or make it possible for players to create tracks on their own and open the Steam Workshop. For now, it's just not worth the current cost.”
“It would also be great to have more options for racing in the Grand Prix mode, but I can understand that the replay value of the game is geared toward the online aspect.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game manageable and enjoyable, thanks to a good variety of cars and tracks that keep the experience fresh. While there is a limited amount of content (around 6 hours) before players may feel the need to grind for improvement, the low skill ceiling and casual gameplay make it appealing for those who prefer a more relaxed gaming experience without extensive tuning or management. Overall, the game strikes a balance that avoids the grind feeling tedious or overwhelming.
“You have enough variety of cars and tracks to make it feel interesting and not grinding or grueling.”
“There are around 12 cups and 13 cars, which means that you will have around 6 hours of content until you start grinding to be a good player.”
“There's no progression; you get better the more you play, of course, but the skill ceiling is not high enough to justify the grinding.”
“Teeth-grinding bumper-to-bumper action (lighthearted, of course, it's an arcade TD racer for crying out loud).”
- story10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional story mode, which has disappointed some players. However, many appreciate the developers' attention to detail in gameplay mechanics, such as tire wear and fuel consumption, which adds depth to the experience despite the absence of a narrative.
“And then I found out that there is no story mode either.”
“Story: n/a”
“Story – n/a”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised, with each track offering a distinct ambiance that enhances the overall experience. The first-class graphics and unique handling profiles for each car contribute to an immersive and engaging environment.
“Each car has a unique handling profile, each track has a unique atmosphere, and there are so many of them.”
“Graphics, feeling, and atmosphere are first class.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its wholesome and nostalgic qualities, making it family-friendly and accessible. Players appreciate its ability to evoke warm feelings while providing a balance of simplicity in learning and depth in mastery.
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect has drawn criticism for featuring cars in trailers and advertisements that are not actually available in the game, leading to disappointment among players.
“Some cars in the trailers and advertising aren't in the game, go figure.”