There are cheap browser-based driving games and then there
is Auto Club Revolution; ACR is the most impressive-looking
browser based game I've ever seen, a game that if you squint just a bit, could
be mistaken for an elite console racing title.
ACR, developed by
England-based Eutechnyx, is a combined social and gaming experience, a free online
racing title with a social hook and a set of creative tools. We've gotten the
chance to go hands on with the game for some time and can promise it works as
advertised. The community and racing aspects of the game are very much cohesive
and seamless. I was able to head to the paint shop with my 2008 Opel Astra OPC
Nurburgring starter vehicle, throw on a new coat of paint, use the tools in the
shop to put on some sweet skulls, go back to the race hangout,
talk to a few people and set up an eight player race on L.A. River, all from
the browser and all in a few minutes. That's the big selling point for ACR: ease of navigation and the ability
to do things quickly.
The game also allows you to participate in any numbers of
aspects, allowing you to get really deep into things, or skip them entirely. If
you want to really get into painting,
customizing or tuning your cars, you can do that; if you just want to jump in
and find people to race with and skip all the customization, you can do that
just as well.
My play experience with ACR was fun; it's a solid racer that lets you use keyboard, Xbox 360 controller (or
any other PC controller for that matter), or racing wheel to play and it
handles pretty great. Even in its beta form (with the odd assortment of understandable
quirks and glitches) you can see that this will be a title to talk about when
it launches.
Now the rub, it's a free game, but there will be
micro-transaction options if you want more cars to race. You'll get eight
vehicles free with the game (one new vehicle unlocked every five levels you
progress) and then additional vehicles will cost you between 80 cents and $10. All
tracks are free, so there won't be an issue of splintering the player base and
the only track micro-transactions will be for special track events further down
the line.
The game will feature eight licensed tracks, like Daytona
International Speedway, Infineon Raceway and Silverstone Circuit and a bunch of
non-licensed courses like the L.A. River and other real world-inspired tracks.
All the cars are licensed, so you won't be stuck racing faux
brands; you'll get a chance to take BMW, Mitsubishi, Ford, TVRs and many more real
brands onto the track. New cars will be added to the game with a quick turn-around.
So, say a car manufacturer announces a new vehicle, the guys at Eutechnyx can
turn around and get that vehicle in the game within 12 weeks. In some cases,
like a new March 2012 car announcement, Eutechnyx has been working hand in hand
with the manufacturer and will get the car in the game the same day it's announced
to the public.
Look for ACR when it launches sometime in the first part of
2012 and check out their site AutoClubRevolution.com in the meantime for full
details on the game.
