Shadow Racer

About

Shadow Racer is a single player casual racing game. It was developed by DigiPen Europe-Bilbao and was released on May 19, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Master the four car elements and save the valley by exploring a cursed world, filled with battles, secrets, amazing characters, and exciting racing challenges against the best racers of the land. Will you be worthy of being the new shadow racer?

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 90 reviews

story5 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and charming concept, combining driving with adventure elements in a visually appealing environment.
It's a free game that offers a fun, albeit short, experience, making it a worthwhile download for casual gamers.
The graphics and sound design are surprisingly good for a student project, contributing to an enjoyable atmosphere.

The game suffers from significant performance issues, including lag, crashes, and unresponsive controls, which detract from the overall experience.
Gameplay is often hindered by bugs and glitches, leading to frustrating moments such as getting stuck or having to restart due to poor mechanics.
The story is underdeveloped and uninteresting, leaving players wanting more depth and engagement in the narrative.

story
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
47%
20%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it uninteresting, convoluted, or forgettable, often comparing it unfavorably to classic titles. While some appreciate the nostalgic elements and the quest to defeat evil, others criticize the simplistic plot and lack of engaging narrative, suggesting that the story detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the narrative seems to lack depth and coherence, leaving players wanting more.
- “You're a lone Fiat driving through open plains on a quest to become the chosen one named 'Shadow Racer' and defeat the Empire of Darkness.”
- “It was a fun and story-filled game!”
- “A very nice 30-minute car story game where you fight evil with Optimus Prime's brother; it's honestly a nice little recommended free-to-play in my book!”
- “The story is boring and forgettable.”
- “The plot of the game is little more than find an enemy and take them out or find a non-enemy and talk to them.”
- “First, I was lost around all the backstory, too complex for such a simple game, and throughout the game, even if I was evolved enough to pay attention to it, most of the time I could not read it, because the pop-up balloon where the text appears (when you received a radio transmission) most of the time did not allow me to properly read the text.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
20%
30%
The gameplay is a mixed bag, offering a fun and satisfying experience for a short duration, particularly for a free game, but marred by clunky mechanics and frustrating design choices, such as invisible barriers and unpredictable death points. While some players appreciate the simple and enjoyable controls, others find the linear gameplay and technical issues detract from the overall experience. Overall, it provides a decent, albeit flawed, gameplay experience that may appeal to fans of low-budget titles.
- “Driving around in an old Fiat through beautiful Grand Canyon-like environments and pushing cars around sounds odd, but it makes for a very satisfying and fun 40-60 minute gameplay experience.”
- “Gameplay is simple, easy to pick up, and quite enjoyable.”
- “Very enjoyable, smooth, and simple gameplay but instantly involving and fun.”
- “Anyway, mechanically speaking, it is not really great. The way the car works is weird, and I got stuck many times on invisible barriers on the sides of a jump. Twice, after a jump that I finished sideways, I got stuck between the asphalt and a side barrier, unable to turn myself upright again or to reset the car (since I don't believe we have an option to do that) to the original position.”
- “Very bad gameplay, loads of unpredictable death points. Just when I thought I was getting near the end, I apparently took a wrong turn and it put me way back to a much earlier point in the game, making me replay loads of the stuff I'd already done.”
- “Being that it's a free game, it's good, but the gameplay is clunky and fun.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
22%
11%
The graphics in the game are generally well-received, with many users praising their appeal, optimization, and cute design. However, some reviewers note that while the visuals are impressive, they do not compensate for shortcomings in gameplay, and a few mention that the graphics feel outdated compared to current standards. Overall, the visuals are a highlight, but they are not enough to elevate the game as a whole.
- “The graphics in this game are really quite good, which at least makes the game look more appealing.”
- “Very optimized, very good graphics, and it's free.”
- “Nice terrains, camera, and aesthetic style.”
- “Graphics outdated.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is generally appreciated for its enjoyable vibe and ability to enhance the overall mood. However, some users feel that it could benefit from a more modern or heavy metal style, suggesting a shift away from its current medieval themes. Overall, while the soundtracks contribute positively to the experience, there are calls for a more fitting musical direction.
- “The music holds the mood up.”
- “It's so much fun just driving around and the music is just a vibe.”
- “Nice sound and music.”
- “The 'story' and power-ups, and medieval music seem as if they need to go back to the Nintendo Zelda game where they belong.”
- “Ditch the music and replace the stupid 'flash' with a shotgun.”
- “Add multiplayer, loud gunshot sounds, heavy metal music, and less green grass, and this could be a $50 game.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Users report significant stability issues, citing frequent bugs, glitches, and instances of freezing and crashing during gameplay.
- “The game is plagued by bugs and glitches that ruin the experience.”
- “I frequently encounter freezes and crashes that make it unplayable.”
- “The stability issues are so severe that I can't progress in the game.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers decent replayability due to its emphasis on exploration and item discovery, although some players feel that the lack of an engaging story limits its overall replay value.
- “It is replayable because there is a lot of exploration and items to find!”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is characterized by a serene and inviting ambiance, featuring effortless driving through warm fall colors and soft shapes, creating a visually pleasing and relaxing experience.
- “The atmosphere is captivating, with effortless driving through warm fall colors and soft shapes.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, indicating that improvements are necessary for better performance and user experience.
- “Game optimization is badly needed.”
- “The performance issues make it nearly unplayable.”
- “Frequent frame drops and long loading times ruin the experience.”