18.9 hours played
Written 4 days ago
[h1]Good game, but could have been better[/h1]
[h2]TLDR[/h2]
DeathSprint 66 is a novel take on racing game, combining elements of combat racing and precision platforming in a fast paced, easy to learn but hard to master style of gameplay. It has potential to develop as an e-sports title. However, lack of a good publicity campaign, limited offline functionality, missing Proton support, unforgiving single player missions and high system requirements led to the game being dead on arrival. As of writing this review, the current number of active players (on [url=https://steamcharts.com/app/1273560]Steamcharts[/url]) is also not encouraging.
However, if you enjoy combat racing and/or precision platformers or are looking to try something new, consider getting this game, especially when on sale. Casual players should probably avoid the PvE levels till they gain some familiarity with the different tracks.
Linux/Steam deck users should check the game's [url=https://www.protondb.com/app/1273560]ProtonDB[/url] page to get an idea whether it will run on their system.
[h2]Detailed Review[/h2]
[h3]Pros[/h3]
The game play is good and a very novel take on the concept of racing games. The traps and the power-ups make it feel like something of a cross between combat racing and precision platformer.
The game has a learning curve, but falls in the easy to learn. hard to master category. This means that even casual players will gain some enjoyment from it.
Also, the game does not have any in-app purchases or DLCs, a rarity in games these days. For this reason alone, it is worth picking up and trying.
[h3]Cons[/h3]
The biggest problem with this game is that it launched as a multiplayer first title with little or no marketing and publicity. As a result, very few people came to know about the game. The absence of a pure offline mode and lack of Proton support at launch also did not help in making the game popular.
Judging by the almost dead multiplayer and the massive decrease in price that happened recently, it is unclear whether the game will continue to be developed or get any quality of life improvements, such as custom multiplayer lobbies or local split screen multiplayer. Not adding proper Steam deck/Proton support also feels like a missed opportunity.
The game is developed using Unreal Engine 5, which means that it may not run well on low end PCs. This also feels like a blunder, as the game clearly has potential to develop as an e-sports title if the hardware requirements were lower.
Some of the PvE levels are an exercise in frustration, as they require doing a perfect run avoiding all the traps. There is no difficulty setting, which means casual players will easily get frustrated while playing these levels.
The multiplayer is almost dead, as of writing this review. The user count on [url=https://steamcharts.com/app/1273560]Steamcharts[/url] also paints a similar picture.
[h3]Conclusion[/h3]
If you enjoy combat racing and/or precision platformers or are looking to try something new, consider getting this game, especially when on sale. Casual players should probably avoid the PvE levels till they gain some familiarity with the different tracks.
Highly unlikely, but it is possible that Linux/Steam deck compatibility may improve in the future. The latest status can be found at the game's [url=https://www.protondb.com/app/1273560]ProtonDB[/url] page.