A New Arcade Racer Puts The Best Part Of Mario Kart Front And Center: Betrayal

I’ve got a confession to make: I have a deep-rooted affection for games that bring back memories of my youth. The ones where my friends and I would huddle around a screen, jostling for position on the couch and shouting at each other over every tiny advantage gained or lost. Games like DeathSprint 66 are shaping up to be that kind of experience.


The memories of lengthy gaming sessions with friends, filled with friendly competition and heated arguments over the couch, will forever hold a special place in my heart. Think of those games: your Mario Karts and Mario Parties. While these games don’t inherently promote forming alliances against a common enemy or betraying friends for personal gain, we as a community have adopted these behaviors as essential parts of the experience. They are the video game equivalent of Uno. DeathSprint 66 is looking more and more like that type of game. I’ve played it twice so far: once at Summer Game Fest and again recently during a preview event. Each time, the thrill of denying victory to a friend in the final moments and smirking in triumph has ignited my reptilian brain’s enjoyment of mischief and deceit.

In DeathSprint 66, you and eight participants, whether human or bot, compete in heart-pumping races. Employing advanced exo-suits, you accelerate at breathtaking speeds, skillfully maneuver through drifts, grind on rails, scale walls, and execute daring jumps. The racecourse itself and your opponents pose relentless challenges–perilous laser barriers and colossal saws lurk on every turn. Competitors can also collect and use hazardous projectiles such as heat-seeking drones and landmines to hinder each other. Despite the life-threatening stakes, participating in this competition is made less daunting since you race as your clone–and you carry several backup clones to each event. Consequently, every gory spill or dismemberment merely sets you back a few moments in your day.

A New Arcade Racer Puts The Best Part Of Mario Kart Front And Center: Betrayal

In DeathSprint 66, almost every element is designed to encourage chaos and exploit opponents for personal gain. You can draft behind competitors to boost your speed and overtake them (think running right behind a racer in Mario Kart). This ruthless strategy is not only commonplace but also reminiscent of the friendly betrayal found in games like Sonic Riders. Despite its challenging tracks, DeathSprint 66 remains accessible due to its mechanically straightforward gameplay. After a few tries on each track, you’ll quickly grasp the lay of the land and be well on your way to mastering the art of drafting and outmaneuvering opponents with practice. If you have experience with arcade racers such as Mario Kart or Sonic Riders, you’ll already be familiar with DeathSprint 66’s gameplay style.

In summary, although DeathSprint 66 presents unique challenges in each track, their visual monotony is noticeable as they all take place in the same city and share a similar appearance. This lack of diversity in aesthetics can detract from the development of distinct personalities for the tracks.

A New Arcade Racer Puts The Best Part Of Mario Kart Front And Center: Betrayal

When it comes to this matter, character customization also applies during the creation process. While you have the freedom to select various racing suits and color schemes, the distinction between racers becomes blurred once the race begins. In such situations, I wish for clear identification of my opponents. If someone attempts to harm me with a buzzsaw, I desire the ability to recognize them promptly before they attempt to feign ignorance. Similarly, if I spot a friend wall-running behind me, I need to know precisely which one to negotiate with before considering betrayal.

In the world of competitive arcade racing games, knowing the track layout and recognizing your opponents at a glance aren’t essential elements, but they significantly enhance the experience. Unfortunately, DeathSprint 66 fails to deliver these features right from the start. However, as a live-service game, it’s reasonable to expect new tracks with unique designs and more distinct character customization options will be added post-launch. The core gameplay is already enjoyable, and I’m excited to convince my friends to join me for some friendly competition.

DeathSprint 66 is set to launch on PC in 2024.

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2024-07-25 22:39