Hot Lap Racing

About

Hot Lap Racing is a single player and multiplayer arcade racing game. It was developed by Zero Games Studios and was released on July 16, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Hot Lap Racing" is a thrilling "simcade" racing game featuring a dynamic physics engine and over 50 licensed and customizable cars from various motorsport classes and eras. Compete in over 70 track layouts spanning GT to Formula 1, including real-world circuits like Zolder and Salzburgring. Embark on a career as a young driver, challenge real champions, or race against friends and online opponents in this immersive motorsport experience.

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64%

Audience ScoreBased on 47 reviews

optimization8 positive mentions

graphics6 negative mentions

The game features a great selection of cars and tracks, including licensed vehicles, which is impressive for a smaller development team.
The sense of speed is well-executed, providing an exhilarating racing experience that feels reminiscent of classic arcade racers.
The local multiplayer mode allows for fun couch racing with friends, which is a rare feature in modern racing games.

The AI is poorly designed, often crashing into players and causing chaotic race conditions, making it frustrating to compete against.
Graphically, the game is subpar, with environments and assets that look outdated, reminiscent of PS2-era graphics.
The handling feels inconsistent across different car classes, leading to a lack of control and immersion during races.

graphics
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
75%
15%
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized, with many reviewers noting that the overall visual quality resembles that of early 2000s titles, particularly in the environments and tree designs, which are described as low-quality sprites. While some car models and menu art are appreciated, the general consensus is that significant graphical improvements are needed to enhance the gaming experience, as many players find the current visuals disturbing and below the standards of even simpler games like Roblox.
- “The game is mainly built for the Nintendo Switch, but despite that, I don't mind the graphics of the game.”
- “If the game were to receive graphical improvements, the trees would absolutely change the look of the game for the better.”
- “Please improve the graphics or saw lines... super fun now after the last update.”
- “Graphics are generally poor, environments look straight out of the PS2 era even if the car models and cockpits are pretty good.”
- “The trees are mainly just low quality sprites and whilst serviceable, dent the graphical fidelity of the game much more than one would think.”
- “The visuals make my eyes burn (for lack of a more detailed explanation) and the camera makes every car feel uncontrollable.”
optimization
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
42%
16%
The game's optimization on the Nintendo Switch is inconsistent, with smooth performance on some tracks but significant frame drops on others, indicating a need for further improvements. Players have noted that while the visuals are decent, a more stylized approach could have enhanced performance. Additionally, there are calls for better optimization on the Steam Deck, highlighting the game's potential as a premier racing title on both platforms.
- “The game can run smoothly on some tracks and have significant frame drops on others; bots don't affect the frame rate too much, and the game visually looks decent.”
- “Optimizations would be great as this game was mainly targeted as a premier Switch racer.”
- “Despite being such a small team, Zero Games Studios has brought new cars, features, content, bug fixes, gameplay fixes, and performance fixes in only two updates.”
- “Like, instead of going for some cool stylization that might have helped with performance on the Switch, we get realism puke.”
- “Despite being such a small team, zero games studios have brought new cars, features, content, bug fixes, gameplay fixes, and performance fixes in only two updates.”
- “Steam Deck performance could be improved.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
12%
38%
The music in the game is generally praised as a decent soundtrack, with many users highlighting it as an understated yet impactful element. Overall, the soundtrack is described as great, contributing positively to the gaming experience.
- “The soundtrack is an understated banger.”
- “The music is great.”
- “Good music.”
- “Soundtrack is an understated banger.”
- “Decent soundtrack though.”
- “Decent soundtrack though.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game largely stems from the absurdly poor performance of the AI, which is described as comically bad, akin to "getting lapped in a 4 lap race." Players find amusement in the AI's tendency to hilariously mishandle situations, particularly with the V10 F1 car's frequent mishaps on curbs.
- “The AI is absurdly awful, like 'getting lapped in a 4-lap race' awful, but it's funny to watch.”
- “In particular, the V10 F1 car in T4 has a massive likelihood to trip over any curb you look at even slightly funny.”
gameplay
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express skepticism about the quality of the gameplay, suggesting that it seems inadequate and questioning whether it has undergone proper testing.
- “Hard to believe it has passed gameplay testing.”
- “Hard to believe it has passed gameplay testing.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The "story mode" of the game is consistently described as fun, indicating that players find the narrative engaging and enjoyable.