After giving the arcade racing world an injection of colour and fun with the well polished Circuit Superstars back in 2021, Original Fire Games is back again with Karting Superstars—an upgraded experience that takes its series into a new realm: a full, third-person kart racer.
With the change in perspective comes a change in gameplay style, but the charm of its predecessor still remains in this work-in-progress indie.
Examining the garage
In its Early Access form, Karting Superstars gets you straight to the action, as there’s currently very little to show off. That said, what’s present is already exuding a notable level of merit.
For starters, there are just four modes: Championship Mode (which generates a new selection of three tracks each time you play,) Time Trial Mode, Online Mode and ‘Kartcore’—a mode that allows you to customize a race according to your own parameters.
The shifting list of the Championship mode is an interesting idea, seeing that most arcade racers will have you compete in specific cups. That said, there are only six courses right now; bolstered simply by different configurations, such as reverse versions. Seeing that these are go-kart tracks, they’re not particularly expansive, either.
Nevertheless, the designs are still good. There’s a healthy amount of challenging bends mixed in with more technical sections such as chicanes and straightaways. It’d be great if a course editor is added in later on, as the simplistic nature of the game seems just right for such a feature.
Fine-tuning
Of course, just as important as good track design is in a racer, so too is the driving mechanics. Thankfully, Karting Superstars continues to score well here.
The driving model feels like it strikes the ‘simcade’ feel right on the money. The karts have a solid amount of weight and grip to them and the sense of speed is solid, too. ‘Pro’ techniques help such as drafting behind opponents, and sticking close to the corner to shave off precious seconds; there are no power-ups to help you here.
Remembering the isometric formula of Circuit Superstars, those kinds of racers don’t tend to control the same as the more traditional third-person titles such as Karting Superstars. Therefore, I’d say that the devs have translated the series well into this new format, honing in on the need to make a smooth change.
As it stands, there isn’t any sort of performance alterations or enhancements that can be made to the karts. So, it’s up to finding the most efficient driving lines around each track in order to get past opponents and set good lap times.
While you can’t get under the hood, the exterior of the karts can be altered a bit with the ability to swap colours on the pre-designed liveries, which there are a handful of.
You can also change the kart number and swap the colours of various track suit and helmet liveries for your driver.
As you race, your driver will gradually level up, resulting in the unlocking of new cosmetic items with each advancement, such as new helmet options, for instance.
So far, there’s no currency present, so it seems that accessing new content is purely reliant on level progression. Having said that, there does appear to be different kart models to choose from, though I haven’t unlocked any additional ones as yet.
Taking the scenic route
It seems as if it’s almost an unspoken rule that arcade racers must have pleasing art styles and the team over at Original Fire already established a solid precedent with Circuit Superstars. That game’s stylized visuals made it an absolute optical treat and Karting Superstars keeps the look and feel fully intact.
Bright, popping colours, and a cartoonish aesthetic all around from the landscapes to the character models make for a beautiful title through-and-through.
There’s no shortage of subtle effects such as speed lines in the form of streaks of wind, tires kicking up smoke and dirt, and exhaust bellowing from the tailpipe to further compliment the core visuals. Cheerful crowds can be seen in stands on the track side, along with a solid helping of fluffy foliage and a vivid skybox all help to tie everything together.
My only downside with the overall presentation is that the engine sounds for the karts seem a little crude, but that’s more of a nitpick on my part.
To really appreciate the visuals, one can hop into the Replay Mode which has its own section on the Main Menu. Each race is recorded and automatically labelled after its completion. From here, you can make use of the simple tools to view the race and switch the camera view, pause, rewind and fast forward as need be.
You can even activate an equally simple photo mode to make use of the free camera and get shots at whatever angle you please. Seeing that such a feature is becoming more and more popular in titles of all kinds these days, perhaps it’ll be expanded upon with more functionality as this game’s development progresses.
Proving ground
Karting Superstars is certainly shaping up to be another gem from the Original Fire team. Having managed to keep the same visual prowess and charm of the game’s predecessor, all while adapting the formula to fit into a new, more technical format is a good stroke of skill.
Seeing that this is just the beginning of the road for the game, there’s admittedly still a lot to do to properly flesh it out. Expanding on the track list and kart selection is paramount, along with perhaps establishing at least a handful of proper cups for the Championship Mode.
Even with this being a fairly small package in its current form, however, it’s certainly a great proof of concept. I adored Circuit Superstars back when it first came out in 2021, so the fact that it took mere minutes for me to begin enjoying myself here in Karting Superstars is a delight.
If you’re looking for a fairly rudimentary kart racer that’s easy on the eyes and provides more of a chill atmosphere, this one’s worth keeping an eye on.
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