Overview
Fastlane Street Racing is an incredible looking 3D racing game. At first glance, (and second and third and fourth...) it harkens back memories of Gran Turismo and Ridge Racer on the old Playstation as you race through the city against three relentless computer controlled opponents.
Features
Fastlane Street Racing offers you three game modes. There's Arcade, which is the standard race. You can choose between 10 different tracks- but unfortunately you have to unlock EIGHT of those. As if we needed more incentive to keep playing...
If a standard race isn't your thing, (or you're tired of losing), you can try the Challenges. These are special tracks design to test your patience skill. One challenge is to avoid hitting the wall three times while still coming in under the alloted time. (I failed.) Another is to catch a car that's ahead of you. (I failed. Noticing a trend?) Yeah. They're called "challenges" for a reason, I guess.
Your third option is a time trial in which you race against a spooky ghost car. Unless you turn the ghost car off, then you're just racing against time. Isn't that poetic?
Choose between 10 different cars, (half of which you need to unlock). Each car has its own configuration. Some are faster, some corner better. Some just look better than others. (And isn't that what's really most important in life?)
Like most race games on the iPhone, steering is done by tilting your phone. The controls are very receptive and you can adjust the sensitivity of your tilt in the options. This being the first racing game I've played on my iPhone, I gotta admit it was a little weird tilting the screen that you're viewing. Especially when trying to drift. (Much more on that later.)
What racing game would be complete nowadays without being able to watch your entire race from multiple angles? Does anyone ever actually use this feature? I mean for more than like three seconds. Do you? Do you know someone who does? I'd like to meet them. I just don't see the need to be reminded of how bad I did in that race. "Oh look! Did you see me hit that rail! Ha! Look at all those sparks! Man, I really suck!"
Breakdown
The Good:
The graphics are impressive. Like... really impressive. Everything looks beautifully rendered and it runs smoothly. The makers of this game paid attention to detail. Headlights turn on when you go through a tunnel. Sunlight reflects off the roof of your car and the track. I even noticed a group of girls playing volleyball on the beach. It looks like they're all about to set, which leads me to believe these girls don't play much volleyball. I included a screenshot of that on the right. (Note how I've driven up onto the curb.) Admire the detail. Feel free to "ooh" and "ah" accordingly.
The game feels fast. When I fly down a straightaway, I can almost feel my car accelerating. And when I scrape along the wall- or collide into a concrete divider- and I go from 120 to zero in an instant- I feel jolted. It really makes me appreciate the work that they've done on the physics engine of the game. It's intense.
The Bad:
There are many little things that irked me. The shadows on the tracks being one of them. When driving a black car, it's easy to "disappear" and lose sight of the road. It's also hard to see where the pavement ends and the wall begins with the shadows. Also, your progress bar at the top of the screen is pretty small. If it were any bigger it might become a distraction, but I would like a larger icon telling me what place I'm in.
My biggest complaint is in regards to "drifting." (For the couple readers who haven't seen any of the 'Fast And The Furious' movies, and shame on you, drifting is the art of intentionally skidding through turns to preserve vehicle control and a high exit speed) In this game, it's hard. In fact, I can't do it. At all. And since I suck at drifting, I suck at this game.
Here's the thing: I don't brake. Matter of fact, I don't believe braking has any place in a racing game. Braking, is the exact opposite action I want to be doing- which is moving! It's basic physics, people! So when they say to brake going into a corner- I can't do it. I can take my foot off the gas- but I can't fathom braking. And this is why I will never master any of these racing games. Because they all require drifting. And drifting is stupid. Oh, if only I had a Harry Hogge to teach me how to race... but we can't all be as fortunate as Cole Trickle.
Perhaps the biggest drawback of this game though... it's freakin' hard! I'm not saying I don't suck. I do. But it's hard. (Whoa. I think Confucius once said that). The AI shows no mercy. If you screw up once- forget it. No, just forget it. You might as well just start over because if you're looking to pull off the patented "come from behind on the last turn to pass Russ Wheeler and take the checkered flag" victory we've grown up believing was possible- it ain't gonna happen. Not in this game. You'll be lucky to place fourth. And yes, there are only four cars in the race, including you. I can't progress any further in the game because I can't even finish one of the tracks. And that's just sad.
Verdict
If you're a glutton for punishment race fan then odds are you'll really like this game. The graphics are stunning. The controls are "tight" as the kids might say. It's just really hard. But still, I'd recommend it. Know why? Because it's fun. Even when I'm losing.
One feature that's sadly missing is a two-player or network race option. I think that would have really sealed the deal with this title. Because then I could play against real opponents who would be just as horrible as me! I like those odds...
