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Hotshot Racing

Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
Hotshot Racing Game Cover
73%Game Brain Score
graphics, gameplay
optimization, story
75% User Score Based on 1,157 reviews
Critic Score 74%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

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Hotshot Racing Game Cover

About

Hotshot Racing is a single player and multiplayer arcade racing game. It was developed by Sumo Digital Ltd and was released on August 13, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Hotshot Racing" is a charming arcade-style racer with bright, colorful graphics and a retro feel. It offers split-screen local and online multiplayer, as well as a variety of single-player modes. The game focuses on fast-paced action, drifting, and boosting, with a unique "drive or die" mechanic that adds an extra layer of excitement to each race.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Hotshot Racing screenshot
Hotshot Racing screenshot
Hotshot Racing screenshot
Hotshot Racing screenshot
Hotshot Racing screenshot
Hotshot Racing screenshot
Hotshot Racing screenshot
Hotshot Racing screenshot
Hotshot Racing screenshot
Hotshot Racing screenshot
Hotshot Racing screenshot
+7
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75%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,157 reviews
graphics92 positive mentions
optimization16 negative mentions
  • The game captures the nostalgic feel of classic arcade racers like Daytona USA and Virtua Racing, with vibrant visuals and a fun soundtrack.
  • Drifting mechanics are well-implemented, providing a satisfying gameplay experience that emphasizes skill and control.
  • The character variety and customization options add depth, allowing players to choose different cars that suit their racing style.
  • The AI is overly aggressive and relies heavily on rubber-banding, making races feel frustrating and unfair at times.
  • The game lacks sufficient content, with only a limited number of tracks and modes, leading to a short overall playtime.
  • Always-online DRM restricts offline play, which can be a significant drawback for players wanting to enjoy the game without an internet connection.
  • graphics
    249 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant, retro aesthetic that evokes nostalgia for classic arcade racers like Virtua Racing and Daytona USA. Reviewers appreciate the low-poly art style and colorful environments, noting that the visuals are well-executed and engaging, although some mention a lack of depth in graphical settings and occasional performance issues. Overall, the game's graphics are seen as a standout feature that enhances the arcade racing experience.

    • “The game is graphically gorgeous, representing the absolute pinnacle of low-poly, color-blocked 3D modeling.”
    • “Hotshot Racing goes for a very similar aesthetic to Sega's Model 1 arcade titles like Virtua Racing and Wing War and does a great job at emulating that style.”
    • “This game has great graphics that capture the Virtua Racing style feel perfectly, and the music is okay, but this game would be much better without the rubber banding.”
    • “Impresses at first glance because of its graphics, but turns boring quickly.”
    • “Bottom line: once you stop admiring the graphics, this game lacks the polish to make you want to come back and play more.”
    • “Graphics and presentation of this game feels like a lifeless, ugly and cliched modern throwback to virtua racer and 90s arcade racers.”
  • gameplay
    209 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Hotshot Racing is characterized by its addictive, arcade-style mechanics, featuring a polished drift-and-boost system that evokes nostalgia for classic racing games. While the driving controls are tight and responsive, the experience is marred by frustrating AI rubber-banding and a lack of depth in track design, leading to a repetitive gameplay loop. Overall, it offers thrilling racing moments but may leave players wanting more variety and challenge.

    • “The gameplay is thrillingly addictive with precision controls, adrenaline-fueled cornering at blisteringly breakneck speeds, explosive action, a wealth of alternative game modes, funky music, and crisp sound design.”
    • “It has the perfected mechanics and drift of two decades worth of effort to make a glorious drifting system that feels great in both regular driving and boosting.”
    • “The gameplay here is fantastic and solidifies the old feeling of arcade racers from the 90s.”
    • “Don't expect online gameplay with randoms because servers are dead.”
    • “There's a lot of conflicting ideas hampering gameplay.”
    • “In short, Hotshot Racing looks amazing at first glance because of its retro graphics but turns tedious quickly thanks to a variety of gameplay decisions.”
  • music
    186 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its upbeat and nostalgic arcade feel, while others find it repetitive and forgettable. Many appreciate the energetic soundtrack that enhances the racing experience, though some suggest it could benefit from more variety and catchiness. Overall, while the music fits the game's aesthetic, opinions vary on its memorability and quality.

    • “The music is great and I will definitely be listening to the songs when I drive.”
    • “The soundtrack is a complete banger especially with the occasional Waterflame track squeezed in there.”
    • “Interesting, colorful tracks, fun characters and exciting gameplay, all topped with an energetic, pumping soundtrack.”
    • “Music is forgettable & not very good in general, I recommend using your own playlist instead.”
    • “The music sounds like something designed by someone without any training in music.”
    • “Overall really boring, music is grating.”
  • optimization
    62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing occasional frame drops, micro stuttering, and performance inconsistencies, particularly on higher settings. While some users report smooth gameplay, others note that the lack of performance-affecting car customizations and issues with specific hardware configurations contribute to a less-than-ideal experience. Players suggest that the developers need to address these optimization concerns to enhance overall performance and gameplay enjoyment.

    • “The online mode runs smoothly and has all the essential features available, including player-hosted servers with race management options.”
    • “Performance-wise, I run this game on the highest graphics settings and it maintains 60fps, although there are occasional micro stutters that can be a bit annoying.”
    • “This is an independent developer, and they may not have the resources to check for optimization issues on every hardware configuration, so player feedback will be crucial for improvements.”
    • “Game looks like fun, but really bad stuttering at 1080p and 1440p using 5700xt; developers need to get this sorted before I will give it another go.”
    • “My main problem with the game right now is how poorly optimized it feels on my PC.”
    • “One true drawback that I hope improves in this game is its performance; it just drops some frames when you really don't need it to.”
  • story
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story aspect is generally seen as lacking depth, with many players expressing a desire for a more developed narrative or campaign mode to enhance engagement. While some characters have backstories and unique cutscenes, the overall storytelling is minimal, focusing more on arcade racing mechanics than on a cohesive narrative experience. Players appreciate the voice work and character personalities but feel that the absence of a substantial story mode limits the game's long-term appeal.

    • “Gripping story line along with well-developed characters sets this racing game above the rest while a unique retro design breathes life into a far too often hyper-realistic genre.”
    • “Racers come with their own backstory, giving a normally non-included reason for their will to win, and even giving each character a special cutscene when winning a grand prix.”
    • “All of the characters have a backstory of sorts.”
    • “Needs a story mode, pursuit mode or something to keep you playing since multiplayer is dead.”
    • “No story, no free roam in between, no traffic on the road; the drifting feels as good as a drifting-only game but it's being used to race instead of just collecting points.”
    • “Sure you can go play online and stuff, but if you're looking for a long story mode that will take you some time to complete, don't expect that here unless you suck at racing games, I guess?”
  • grinding
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and time-consuming, particularly when it comes to unlocking cars and upgrades. Critics note that the need for extensive grinding detracts from the overall enjoyment, making the gameplay feel more like a chore than a fun experience. Additionally, the imbalanced meta game and aggressive AI contribute to the frustration associated with grinding.

    • “It can be a bit grindy sometimes, but the rewards make it worth it.”
    • “The game feels a bit grindy at times, yet it adds to the overall experience.”
    • “While it can be a bit grindy, the sense of progression keeps me engaged.”
    • “In short, Hotshot Racing looks amazing at first glance because of its retro graphics but turns tedious quickly thanks to a variety of gameplay decisions.”
    • “Most of it is farming and grinding for unlocks, and money to buy unlocks.”
    • “However, there's lots of grinding involved, the meta game is imbalanced, and a little more lore could have been added.”
  • humor
    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players enjoying the quirky character personalities, amusing voiceovers, and hilarious race moments, particularly during chaotic photo finishes. However, some critiques point out that certain aspects of the humor can feel clichéd or overly reliant on stereotypes. Overall, the game successfully blends fun gameplay with comedic elements, leading to memorable and laugh-out-loud experiences.

    • “This has led to some downright hilarious races, with quite literal photo finishes.”
    • “The voice overs from the in-game characters are funny at times, especially Xing.”
    • “Each character has a funny cut scene for their Grand Prix wins.”
  • stability
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is notably poor, with users reporting frequent glitches, crashes, and performance issues such as stuttering and freezing, even on high-refresh-rate monitors. Many players have encountered bugs in both single-player and online modes, including unresponsive menus and network errors. Given that the publisher considers the game 'finished', there are concerns that these issues will remain unaddressed.

    • “The bad: within under an hour of play, I encountered 3 glitches: the first was a frozen screen that crashed to desktop, the second was when an AI racer rammed me into a wall, I became 'welded to it' and could not re-join the race, the third was a network error that kicked me from the party.”
    • “You would think that a simple looking game such as this would offer silky smooth frame rates on my 144Hz 1080p monitor, but no, for some reason the game randomly stutters and freezes constantly throughout a race.”
    • “Menus are very buggy; for example, pressing down will not cycle through an entire menu, but pressing up works fine, resulting in erratic navigation.”
  • replayability
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game offers a solid level of replayability, particularly for those who enjoy competition and customization, with many players finding it fun and engaging. However, some reviewers noted that the experience may diminish without friends or online multiplayer options, suggesting that solo play might not sustain interest for long. The combination of challenges and an "easy to learn, hard to master" approach contributes to its replay value.

    • “It is insanely fun and has so much replay value.”
    • “Although it is as simple of a racer as you may think it is, the replayability of Hotshot Racing is there more than I expected, and the driving feels very good.”
    • “The long list of challenges and customization makes replayability ever more satisfying.”
    • “There is some decent replayability, but without friends or online PvP, this isn't going to hold anyone over for long.”
    • “You can play a quick play mode which may add some replayability for you, but that's really it.”
    • “This is an 'easy to learn, hard to master' kind of game, so you can get a lot of replay value out of it if you are interested in competing.”
  • monetization
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its monetization model, being effectively a free-to-play experience without microtransactions or ads, which enhances the overall enjoyment. However, it requires an internet connection to launch, though it can be played offline afterward. Overall, players appreciate the lack of intrusive monetization tactics, contributing to a positive gaming experience.

    • “On offer, it's practically a free-to-play racing game without all the microtransactions.”
    • “I disliked that it won't even run without internet, but there are no ads, and after running, if we turn off the internet, it also works.”
    • “Super cool if you like arcade racing games, well-made controls, no bugs after a few hours, and no in-game purchases that destroy the game.”
  • atmosphere
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its vibrant and diverse track designs, which showcase unique regional settings like volcanoes, casinos, and temples, enhancing the racing experience. While the overall ambiance and accompanying music contribute positively to the gameplay, some players feel that frequent AI collisions can detract from the immersive atmosphere. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a strong point, elevating the game's appeal.

    • “All the tracks add their own flair and set pieces and show off the regional location it's based in, giving drivers the chance to race through volcanoes, casinos, castles, a junkyard, a city, temples, etc. The tracks themselves have great atmospheres and have great turns and straightaways for boosting and slipstreaming opponents.”
    • “Sublime atmosphere and design, often accompanied with great music.”
    • “That's why it's so close to Horizon Chase with better graphics, better atmosphere, smoother gameplay.”
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74%Critics’ scoreBased on 3 critic reviews
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4h Median play time
5h Average play time
3-10h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Hotshot Racing is a arcade racing game.

Hotshot Racing is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 5 hours playing Hotshot Racing.

Hotshot Racing was released on August 13, 2020.

Hotshot Racing was developed by Sumo Digital Ltd.

Hotshot Racing has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its optimization.

Hotshot Racing is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Xenon Racer, Slipstream, Horizon Chase Turbo, Inertial Drift, Old School Rally and others.