In the '90s, racers ruled a corner of every arcade. From the Cruisin' games to Daytona U.S.A., many people have fond memories of throwing a quarter in the slot and taking a few high-speed laps with little learning curve. Milestone, the studio behind such series as Ride, WRC, and MotoGP, look back on those days with great affect, and strive to deliver fans an adrenaline-pumping experience that harks back to those games.
One of the key components of Milestone's new offroad racer Gravel is that it's easy to play, but difficult to master. That shined through in my hands-on time. I played a race in each of Gravel's four disciplines. Cross Country races go from point-A to point-B and feature locales such as Alaska and Namibia, Wild Rush races carve tracks out of unlikely places like a quarry in Australia, Stadium Circuit races take place in arenas and feature tight curves on compact tracks, and Speed Cross races give you the chance to race in nine real-world courses to give players the most technical races in the game.
My first race, a Cross Country competition, didn't end well; I kept going off course, causing the game to reset me back onto the track. Gravel doesn't let you go off course for long; pretty much as soon as you veer away from the track, the game throws you back onto the course to keep you from completely losing your ability to compete because of one mistake. That doesn't mean reckless drivers will win, however. Momentum is key if you want to come in first, and each time you reset, you lose any momentum you had. I landed in last place... and by a lot. However, each successive competition saw me improving. In just four short races, I was already securing a place on the podium, coming in third on my final race, trailing the winner by only one second.
Though Gravel is definitely an accessible arcade-style racer, it packs a good amount of content. When the game launches, it will feature 65 tracks, 16 locations, 10 modes, and over 70 cars from 19 licensed manufacturers like Toyota, BMW, and Subaru. In addition, each vehicle is classified by category, and you need to pay attention to those categories if you want to be successful. For example, the rougher Cross Country and Wild Rush races are a better fit for the more offroad-capable trucks, while the more traditional rally vehicles like what we see from Hyundai and Subaru are best suited for the Stadium Circuit and Speed Cross races.
In single-player, you have the ability to compete in a single race, time attack, or the career mode called Offroad Masters. Within the career mode, where your goal is the take down various champions across various races, you race in a variety of events ranging from head-to-head and championship to elimination and Smash-Up, which rewards you for driving through destructive items on the track. If you want to play with others, you can compete in single races, championships, and matches of King and Capture the Flag.
It should go without saying that if you're looking for a super deep experience with a sprawling career mode, hundreds of vehicles with myriad customizable components, and the most realistic racing physics out there, you'd probably be better served by Forza Motorsport 7 or Gran Turismo Sport. However, if you want a fun pick-up-and-play racing title that you can enjoy alone or with friends, Gravel is certainly worth a look as it nears its early 2018 release date on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
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