What if when taking part in Mario Kart and also you throw a crimson shell at an opponent, as a substitute of simply knocking them apart, you blow them up as a substitute? That’s the type of outdoors-the-field pondering Sumo Digital is cooking up with DeathSprint 66, which is mainly an actual homicide-y model of Mario Kart.
Set in a dystopian future that’s half GhostRunner, half Working Man, DeathSprint 66 has a narrative insofar as you play as a runner pressured to partake in a lethal race for the amusement of viewers on the web. This race isn’t simply constructed for velocity, nonetheless, it’s additionally constructed for hazard. This futuristic race course is stuffed with buzz noticed traps, laser beams, and different lethal additions to make your run really a run in your life.
I used to be in a position to play a couple of rounds whereas at Summer season Sport Fest and got here away totally impressed by what I noticed thanks partially to the tried-and-true arcade racing fashion mechanics however with violent twists.
Whereas there aren’t any racing karts right here, your runner will successfully dash very a lot the identical approach. The appropriate set off serves as your speed up, and you will have to “drift” round corners and time your launch accurately for a burst of velocity. Alongside the best way you’ll must dodge lethal environmental traps and gather random energy-ups like tripmines, buzzsaws, and a strong and lethal sprint that’s DeathSprint 66’s reply to the Mario Kart Bullet Invoice energy.
It’s not simply lethal obstacles, although. There are neon-lit rails to grind on, and huge partitions so that you can wall-run on as properly, plus enhance pads to additional offer you a jolt of velocity. It’s all very over-the-prime and races are pretty fast, so I think about it’ll be simple to get a couple of rounds in with mates on-line.
For followers of Mario Kart, DeathSprint 66 will appear awfully acquainted. However, because the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t repair it. The core gameplay of violently racing your approach to victory whereas making an attempt to sabotage seven different gamers was extremely enjoyable throughout my fingers-on, even after I was simply taking part in in opposition to A.I. opponents. I think about the problem and the enjoyable will solely go up when these are seven different actual gamers.
Visually, too, DeathSprint 66 goes all-out. That is meant to be a futuristic recreation present and the neon-soaked race tracks, lasers, and futuristic cityscape paints a stunning, dystopian portrait of cyberpunk extra. And whereas the participant character was a bit generic, I’m advised there might be customization choices and cosmetics within the ultimate recreation to assist make your character really your personal.
DeathSpring 66 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, nevertheless it has a superb sense of what makes arcade-fashion racing video games enjoyable. I can simply see DeathSprint 66 turning into a brand new Fall Guys, a fast and enjoyable decide-up-and-play recreation in between marathon classes of your favourite RPG.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s Senior Options Editor. You possibly can attain him @lawoftd.