DethKarz

About

DethKarz is a single player racing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Beam Software and was released on August 21, 2020. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Reminiscent of Twisted Metal, DethCarz pits players against each other with 25th century battle cars. The game features a total of four different environments, split up into 12 tracks.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 40 reviews

atmosphere3 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

Dethkarz offers a nostalgic and exhilarating combat racing experience, capturing the essence of classic racing games with its engaging gameplay and unique battle mechanics.
The game features smooth controls and a dynamic soundtrack that enhances the adrenaline-pumping atmosphere, making it an immersive experience for players.
Despite its age, the graphics and track design have held up well, providing a fun and challenging racing environment that appeals to both new players and those revisiting it from their childhood.

The game suffers from various technical issues, including freezing on startup, graphical glitches, and inconsistent AI behavior, which can detract from the overall experience.
Players may find the championship mode frustrating due to the inability to exit during a season and the limited number of retries, making it challenging to progress.
The dated graphics and some design choices, such as the lack of modern controller support and the simplistic weapon mechanics, may not appeal to those unfamiliar with older games.

graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, reflecting its late 90s origins, yet they still hold up reasonably well with a unique futuristic aesthetic. While some users noted occasional frame drops and glitches, the overall visual design, including the tracks and vehicles, remains appealing, especially for fans of the genre. Newer players may struggle with the outdated visuals, but nostalgic fans are likely to appreciate the game's charm and solid gameplay mechanics.
- “Incredible game for its time; when you consider this game was made in the late 90s, you realize that it had solid graphics for a game back then. The driving mechanics are still fairly comfortable even in modern terms.”
- “And as for those tracks and the visuals in general; they've held up rather well with a futuristic yet grounded aesthetic that has aged better than an attempt at realism would have.”
- “Frame drops aren’t common, but when they occur, they can lead to incredibly disorienting teleportation (I only noticed this occurring on red planet - medium with the graphical settings maxed out).”
- “- graphics glitches.”
- “Yes, the graphics are dated, but the gameplay is as tight as ever and it stands out as that rarity of rarities: a combat racing game where the emphasis is on the racing instead of the combat.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The gameplay of Dethkarz is characterized by its fast-paced racing combined with battle mechanics, requiring some initial adaptation due to floaty vehicle controls and old-school drifting. Despite its dated graphics, the game offers smooth controls and an immersive experience, emphasizing racing over combat, which keeps players engaged. While there are minor issues with ports and AI difficulty, the overall gameplay remains enjoyable and nostalgic, especially for fans of classic racing games.
- “The heart of Dethkarz lies in its fast-paced and intense racing gameplay.”
- “Smooth controls and gameplay make it an immersive experience that will keep players hooked for hours.”
- “Yes, the graphics are dated, but the gameplay is as tight as ever and it stands out as that rarity of rarities: a combat racing game where the emphasis is on the racing instead of the combat.”
- “Takes time to adapt to that kind of racing game, but it's a cool experience of racing with battle mechanics.”
- “The vehicles are quite floaty, but in a way that complements and contributes to the overall feel of the game. It has some old-school drifting mechanics, but you get used to them after the first few laps.”
- “As far as ports go, this is a pretty standard one with my main issues being no widescreen and the controller support being a bit lacking.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The game's music has been praised for its energetic and dynamic soundtrack, featuring eight distinct tracks that enhance the gameplay experience. Players appreciate the upbeat electronic vibes that complement the adrenaline-pumping atmosphere, with many noting the music's seamless integration into the game. Additionally, there is potential for modding music and textures, making it an appealing aspect for creative players.
- “Awesome vibes in the map design and the soundtrack goes incredibly hard.”
- “The game also features a dynamic soundtrack that adds to the adrenaline-pumping atmosphere.”
- “There are a total of eight musical tracks the game switches between depending on the circuit, plus a credits track, replay track, and main menu theme.”
- “It seems like all of the models use various proprietary file types (e.g. .track, .x, .walls, etc.), however the textures are mainly bitmap and targa files, and the music is entirely comprised of.”
- “The music is wicked.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's stability is marred by frequent graphics glitches during races and occasional slowdowns when maxing out view distance. Additionally, players may experience freezing issues related to sticky buttons in Windows, which can disrupt gameplay. Overall, while the game runs well, these stability concerns detract from the experience.
- “Runs great; it has all the slowdowns I remember at the exact same locations when maxing out the view distance. The physics are still fun, the upbeat electronic music still fits the game, and the tracks flow as great as I remember.”
- “There are graphics glitches throughout the game.”
- “Almost every single race experiences glitches at least once.”
- “The only solution I found for the button issues is to disable sticky keys in Windows, or else you'll get a warning in the background that freezes the game until you address it.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by a dynamic soundtrack that intensifies the adrenaline-pumping experience, contributing significantly to the overall immersion.
- “The game features a dynamic soundtrack that adds to the adrenaline-pumping atmosphere.”
- “The immersive world design creates a captivating atmosphere that draws you in.”
- “The haunting visuals and sound effects combine to create an unforgettable atmosphere.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game has been criticized for poor performance, particularly on RDNA2 hardware, with significant slowdowns reported. Users noted that it previously performed well on Wine/Linux and older Windows versions, highlighting a regression in optimization for current systems.
- “Poor performance with heavy slowdowns. This is unacceptable on an RDNA2 machine. It always worked really well under Wine/Linux and on Windows XP/7 machines.”
- “The optimization is severely lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “I experienced significant lag and performance issues, which detracted from the overall gaming experience.”