Karting Superstars
- September 13, 2023
- Original Fire Games
Get on Steam"Karting Superstars" is a racing game that captures the excitement and competition of karting, with a variety of single and multiplayer game modes. The game features tactile physics, kart and driver customization, and up to 12-player online multiplayer. With 6 tracks and 1
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game features excellent handling and physics, making it enjoyable for both casual and competitive racing.
- Visually appealing with a charming art style, the game runs smoothly even on lower-end hardware, providing a great experience.
- The game has significant potential for future updates, with players expressing excitement for additional content and features.
- Currently lacks sufficient content, with few tracks and limited kart options, leading to a repetitive experience.
- The AI behavior is often frustrating, with reports of aggressive and unrealistic driving patterns that detract from the racing experience.
- Multiplayer functionality is lacking, with many players noting a dead online community and no collision detection in races.
- gameplay26 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is praised for its excellent mechanics, controls, and overall feel, making it accessible yet deep for players. The arcade-sim style racing features engaging elements like tire degradation and track development, encouraging players to improve their times. However, some mechanics, such as the handling of curves, have been criticized for lacking realism, and there are concerns about the limited content available at launch.
“The game mechanics, the feel, the controls—everything feels great.”
“This game is an arcade-sim style racer, so it's very easy to pick up and play but has some cool depth to its mechanics and racing.”
“Circuit Superstars looks like a cartoonish, lightweight affair, but the tire degradation and track development mechanics (you'll see where other cars have laid down rubber on previous laps and you get a grip advantage by staying on that line) are what keep you coming back to see if you can white-knuckle a slightly better track time.”
“I bought the game thinking it would be fun and it really is, the problem is the use of mechanics, touching the outside wheels on the side of the curve so that the car points better.”
“This is a type of mechanic that doesn't work in real life and should be corrected in the game, as it makes the experience more fun.”
“Yes, the camera angle is different, and the mechanics and physics have likely improved for this release, but still, for €15.74 (on sale at launch), it's not enough.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as colorful and visually appealing, reminiscent of Mario Kart, making it enjoyable for multiplayer racing. Players appreciate the game's performance, achieving high frame rates even on older hardware, and commend the developers for prioritizing smooth gameplay over graphical fidelity. While the art style is well-received, some users express a desire for additional content, such as more circuits, especially given its early access status.
“Graphically it's colorful, a bit like Mario Kart. It's early access, so we can excuse a lack of content, but a few additional circuits would be nice.”
“In terms of visuals and graphics, my PC is quite old (1060 GT) and I get over 100 frames in 1440p.”
“I really like the art style, and it looks great on my Steam Deck.”
“Graphically, it's colorful, a bit like Mario Kart. It's early access, so we can excuse a lack of content, but a few additional circuits would be nice.”
“In terms of visuals and graphics, my PC is quite old (GT 1060), and I get over 100 frames in 1440p.”
“I really appreciate devs still building games for high frame gameplay over graphical fidelity.”
- story8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Users express a desire for a more structured story mode, such as progressing through a regional championship, as the current side quests feel repetitive and lack meaningful progression. Many find the tasks, like hitting pylons or completing penalty-free laps, to be pointless and frustrating, detracting from the overall narrative experience.
“The side quests feel pointless to me personally.”
“Hit 3 pylons, which often results in a penalty, but another quest may want you to run a penalty-free lap.”
“But if you do hit 3 pylons, all you get is another quest to hit even more.”
- stability7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's stability is mixed; while some users report frequent freezes and crashes, others have had a smooth experience on devices like the Steam Deck and Ally, noting good performance and battery efficiency. However, issues with bugs and dead online servers have also been highlighted.
“The game runs great on my Steam Deck.”
“The game runs great on my Ally as well and doesn't hard drain my battery, giving me extended play options.”
“I was getting frequent freezes and crashes.”
“Buggy and online servers are dead.”
“I was getting frequent freezes and crashes.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be consistently wholesome and enjoyable, evoking positive emotions throughout their experience. However, some express frustration with certain mechanics that detract from the overall enjoyment.
“Wholesome throughout.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, noting that repetitive tasks detract from the overall experience. Many feel that the game would benefit from a more engaging and varied "kartcade" mode, featuring diverse races and qualifying formats to reduce monotony.
“In the future, I feel that the game needs to have a far more engaging and variable 'kartcade' mode with more races per championship, different qualifying formats, etc., instead of just grinding the same thing over and over.”
“Spent much more than I would admit grinding a map.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players highlight the game's strong replayability, particularly for those who enjoy improving their best times on tracks and facing off against scalable AI, which can be adjusted above 100 for challenging and competitive experiences. This combination contributes to both longevity and a compelling reason to return to the game.
“If you're a fan like me of trying to improve your best time on a specific track, this game has both longevity and replayability.”
“But if you're a fan like me of trying to improve your best time on a specific track, this game has both longevity and replayability.”
“The AI can be scaled above 100, which makes for endless replayability and close fights.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy is perceived negatively, with users feeling that it prioritizes profit over player experience, leading to a sense of it being a cash grab despite the game's potential.
“Great idea, but sadly it currently feels like a cash grab.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with users finding it both funny and enjoyable. Overall, it contributes positively to the gaming experience.
“Funny and good game”
“Funny and good game”
- optimization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game currently features only one kart, with developers prioritizing optimization around its performance and gameplay mechanics, while exploring various content avenues related to karting.
“The developers are focusing on performance and gameplay around karting, ensuring that the single kart available is optimized for the best experience.”
“The game emphasizes performance optimization, allowing players to fully enjoy the karting experience with a well-tuned kart.”
“With a singular focus on one kart, the optimization efforts enhance gameplay and open up various content avenues.”
