Real Racing HD: Superior Racing on Full Throttle

App Name:	Real Racing HD
Platforms:	iPad
Publisher(s):	Firemint
Version Reviewed:	1.03
Genre(s):	Racing
Release Date:	May 18, 2010
Price:	$9.99
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Real Racing HD is, in many ways, the superior racing game on the iPad. Other racing games exist, and some of them are awesome experiences; but every one of them is held to the standard that Firemint established when the iPad launched with this title in April. And with good reason, because Real Racing HD is an incredibly impressive, technically beautiful racing game.

The first thing that will strike you, as it did me, is the visuals. The HD graphics here are really spectacular, with a nice, realistic execution that is, several months after its release and several waves of HD games later, still some of the best on the iPad. The cars themselves can look a touch polygonal, but they’re masked by some excellent skins (not to mention to ability to skin them with your own images or graphics files – very cool). The visuals really set the tone  for things to come.

Like the graphics, Real Racing HD is just that – real. It plays a straightforward racing game; there’s no nitrous boosts, no floating power-ups, no police car chases, nothing that feels like a kart game or a street racer. It’s classic racing in a tradition that goes all the way back to Pole Position. You take control of a vehicle – beginning with a hatchback, but other unlockable cars await – and you try, either in Quick Race mode or the more interesting Career mode, to win. Adding to the playability are online leaderboards, multiplayer play, and even a chance to race your own ghosts as a time challenge. It’s a great suite of game play options. Pick one, grab the wheel, and try to win.

The challenge of just winning is more difficult than I’ve experienced in other iPad racing games. Unlocking new levels – like, say, any car beyond hatchbacks – is more involved than just winning a single race. And even winning that first race will take some dedication and practice. This is the kind of game that rewards you for getting better, frustrates you when you fail, and makes third place seem like an achievement. As of this writing, I still haven’t experienced all the racing levels, nor all the car types. I’m just not that good yet.

Little of my failures can be blamed on the game itself, because it handles beautifully. The tilt steering is implemented with such excellence that it really is the best accelerometer experience I’ve had. There are other ways to play, but I liked none of them as much as the tilt. It’s precise, and comfortable, and adjustable to taste. You can also choose to control acceleration or to accelerate automatically – I chose the latter – and you can even adjust the amount of brake assistance you get going into turns. It’s customizable so that any level of player, from the novice to the racing fan, can pick it up and play.

My big complaint about game play is that the driving AI is very, blatantly rubber band. It didn’t matter how far ahead I thought I was; one missed turn, one swerve off the track for even a second or two, and I would drop from first to third – or even fourth – faster than you can say “vroom!”, and any mistake made when I was in second or third would send me tumbling back to last place (sixth) in an instant. I hate racing games where there’s never a wide margin of victory, or even a margin of error. I know why programmers choose to do it, but it takes me out of the experience and reminds me that, oh yeah, I’m just playing a game. If I’m driving that well, I should be allowed to make a small mistake without paying so dearly for it.

AI issues aside, Real Racing HD is truly the iPad racing game against which all other racing games will be judged, at least until someone bests it. Its commitment to a quality racing experience, realistic enough to impress but still simple enough for everyone to enjoy, is undeniable. It belongs on the iPad of everyone who calls themselves, even in a small way, an iOS gamer.

Our Score: 5/5.

Real Racing HD was available for $9.99 at the time of this review.

About the Author

Writer@Large Brian P. Hudson is an educator and freelance writer currently living in Dearborn, MI.

 

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