Hotshot Racing is an arcade racer from Sumo Digital and Lucky Mountain Games, heavily inspired by the likes of Daytona USA and Virtua Racer. You select from an eclectic roster of characters and vehicles to tear through lively racetracks against AI opponents or your friends in online matches.
There’s no story mode, but the eight playable drivers have short bios and surprisingly heartwarming cutscenes if you can place first in the Grand Prix mode. A couple of outfit color variants and a handful of voice lines are all the personality the cast has to offer, but I grew fond of the in-race one-liners. I wish there were at least some banter between racers — you only ever hear your character talking to themselves while in a race.
Ultimately, Hotshot Racing absolutely nails the feeling of edge-of-your-seat high-octane fun and makes it easy to group up with friends or take on the world at large to prove your skills. It’s a bit light on content, but its racing is excellent and is more than enough to keep fans of the genre hooked.
The game is out Sept. 10 for $19.99 on PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One and will be included in Xbox Game Pass. It is 20% off to preorder.
Watch our full Review in 3 Minutes for Hotshot Racing.
Review copy provided by the publisher. Reviewed on PC.
