Developed by: KodoLinija
Published by: Digerati
Released: November 04, 2021 (Playstation, Switch, Xbox)
Blood Rally Show’s lineage is in 1986’s Super Sprint and 1996’s Death Rally. All provide a top-down view of tracks and cars, and Death Rally includes weapons into the mix. Blood Rally Show does not show the full track and weapons are not on every track, but stylistically KodoKinija’ game draws on both. Fortunately, the game adds its’ own unique flavor to the mix with procedurally generated tracks.
Story and Progression
The story setup is a sarcastic parody of corporations taking over and the Blood Rally Show is the gladiatorial entertainment for the population. In order to win your racer’s freedom, you need to earn $500,000. Money is earned through racing. The higher the finish, the more cash earned. But, upgrades and new vehicles are necessary to remain competitive. And that costs money. Additionally, restarting a race to get a better place costs money too. Consequently, cash slowly accrues throughout each of the seven-week seasons. Multiple seasons are required to earn enough cash for freedom. While racing is the real hook, the progression system provides growth and improvement with the vehicles.
Gameplay
Blood Rally Show drives like it should for a top-down arcade inspired racer. Cars drift around corners. Momentum physics balances a well-timed drift with the risk of sliding off the track or into obstacles. Trees, rocks, buildings, barricades, exploding barrels, and spectators surround the procedurally generated tracks. Furthermore, some obstacles stop cars in their tracks while other slow cars down. The “blood” aspect of Blood Rally Show comes into play with the spectators. Turbo boost is quickly earned by running spectators. Turbo is slowly earned by drifting around corners, but the incentive for destruction is present. Consequently, there is a risk-reward with a loss of speed when driving off the track to gain turbo through mayhem.
The result of Blood Rally Show’s procedurally generated tracks is constant variety. Races can be lap-based or point to point. Weapons are possible, but not every track has weapons. When available, power-up weapons are earned when driving through active checkpoint gates. The checkouts cycle between inactive and active. So not every checkpoint provides weapons to the racers. This results in racers gaining power-ups at different intervals throughout the race. Furthermore, a filming helicopter is armed with a machine gun and can attack racers during the race. The variety of obstacles and attacks creates a constant sense of tension even when running a clean line in first place.
Gameplay Modes
In the main story mode, four of the five races each season are straightforward. Or as straightforward as a procedurally generated racer with weapons can be. The fifth and final race of each season adds a unique stipulation. Sometimes it is simple, destroy a certain number of obstacles around the track. But it can also be inverted controls or a tiny or extra large car. Each successful stipulation adds additional cash or points to the overall progression.
Beyond the campaign, Blood Rally Show includes a daily leaderboard challenge with a random track. This provides a continual source of new tracks and challenges. Additionally, a local multiplayer mode adds to the racing chaos with a competitive couch co-op. Combined there is a lot under the hood in this indie racer.
Graphics & Sound
The cel-shaded look of Blood Rally Show allows for a consistent framerate during handheld play on the Nintendo Switch. On a TV the smaller cars and tracks feel simple compared to big name racing titles like Forza. But the game excels as a pick-up and play handheld title. The sound design is minimal but effective. A near-future rock soundtrack provides energy and adrenaline to each race. But the game’s experience is equally enjoyable muted during a commute, car ride, or couch play.
Concerns
I started to dread races with weapons. The concept is fun. Unfortunately, the chaotic races make aiming and hitting other cars inconsistent. Over time, I learned the different weapons and they offered a change of pace. But ultimately the racing is more satisfying than the car combat. Additionally, car physics frequently results in bumps and nudges from other racers result in changes in momentum that send the player off course. Fortunately, these same physics are present for the AI-controlled cars as well resulting in competitive races.
Initially, these concerns appeared as limitations. But over a number of seasons of races, the chaotic reality of Blood Rally Show created gameplay variety. Due to the procedurally generated tracks, every season was a mix of race types that kept me engaged.
Racing for Blood Rally Show
In a season of big budget racers like Forza and Riders Republic, Blood Rally Show is worth your time. The track variety and casual arcade gameplay result in a satisfying long term racing experience. After playing this game for a month, I continue to return to play another race and another season. While this game was overlooked earlier in November, it is worth a second chance. Blood Rally Show is a unique, approachable, and fun arcade racer.