Death Rally's Third Major Update Adds A Restore System, New Track, And Lots More
May 11, 2011
Remedy Entertainment continues to add content to the reincarnated Death Rally. Available only six weeks after launch, this third significant update provides racers with a new course to master, new track unlocking system, new restore system, and more.
Alongside the introduction of Eureka, the new circuit, Remedy took this moment to add a related feature: a new track unlocking system. To unlock new tracks, drivers must collect "track parts" in the same manner as power-ups, ammunition, and coins are gained. These silver-blue objects are not tough to spot, although one only appears a single time randomly at the start of a race.
Unlocking Eureka requires collection of 25 "Eureka parts" in no specific order or with any other requirements. Eureka is an ice and snow covered run with rocky terrain and snow mounds for racers to slide around. As neat aesthetic pieces and small obstructions, Eureka is overseen by two tiltrotor aircraft, plus the possibility of having to take on this frozen raceway in the new mixed camera and race mode.
The third feature added through Death Rally v1.3 is a backup, restore, and synchronization system. The approach Remedy took is quite nifty, using Game Center achievements to approximate progress. I performed a few tests, and I must admit that the process works very well. Not its primary purpose, however, the system also seems to work as a sync method amongst iDevices. To activate the restore, be on the main menu, tap Game Center at the top of the screen, and then tap Restore Progress below Leaderboards and Achievements
Those with seemingly limitless financial resources -- or past the boundaries of insanity due to frustration -- can earn progress quicker and easier by ponying up some dough to "Shadow Man." Shadow Man is Remedy's name for the new in-app purchases to boost race rewards by up to 1,000%. Starting off at the bottom is a 150% increase for $.99, then 300% for $4.99, and a final option of 1,000% for a whopping $49.99. Make a payment to Shadow Man by tapping on the dollar sign at the top-left of the main menu.
In full disclosure, I have had several moments when playing video games where I've had a short burst of extremely violent vocabulary chained together, but I still see spending $50 on some cheat-like tactic to be a little crazy; however, to each their own, as they say.
Further changes in Death Rally v1.3 include:
• Improvements:
- Further support for older devices thanks to reduced memory consumption
- Improved starting grid randomization
- Menus optimized for iPhone 4 and iPad 1
- Main menu can now be scrolled from the very bottom of the screen
- New sound effects for the subway in Velodrama
- New sound for the Striker weapon
• Bug fixes:
- Fixed challenge randomization bug that could cause crashes
- Fixed a controls bug where steering overrides braking when using left-handed arrow controls
- And lots of other small fixes!
Death Rally is a universal app compatible with iPad, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, third generation iPod touch and newer running iOS 3.2 or later, and available in the App Store for $2.99.
