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Victory Heat Rally Review

Casey ScheldOctober 3, 2024
Overall - 80%

80%

Official Score

Racing fans, arcade aficionados, and those with a need for speed, rejoice: Victory Heat Rally was made for you. Its drifting system is not for everyone, but those always on the hunt for the perfect time will have a blast shaking and baking.

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For those looking to turbocharge their lives this fall, Skydevilpalm and Playtonic Friends’ new title Victory Heat Rally is off to the races. Should players get up to speed with this new “neo super scaler arcade racer?” 

Hey, that kinda rhymes!

Victory Heat Rally Review

Continuing with the rhyming spirit, bombshell beauty Sally McRally serves as the host of Victory Heat Rally’s main Championship mode. Taking part in the VHRC, players start their humble beginnings in Group Alpha as they rise the ranks as the driver of their choosing.

Don’t see somebody you like? Don’t worry – many more are unlockable through Rival battles.

No matter who one chooses, if players want to get past Baytona Beach’s starting tracks in Victory Heat Rally, they’ll need to drift to their heart’s content – there’s even a designated button for it. There are three boost levels, with longer drifts summoning forth more speed – and who doesn’t want more speed? 

Just be warned that with great speed comes a great learning curve – for better or worse. Victory Heat Rally has a perfect line that players should follow, but the overly tight controls immediately loosen up to the opposite extreme when hitting a drift. 

It is noticeably different from those found in classic racers like Power Drift or even the recent Parking Garage Rally Circuit, even when choosing some of the different racers available or adjusting each car’s springs and tires. Try as we might, we couldn’t quite find a combination that clicked; call it a skill issue, but the Championship mode does err on the easy side and gradually gets more difficult, so it does admittedly do a good job at acclimating players.

Victory Heat Rally still provides a great time; we enjoyed gunning for the gold, and bonking into a lapped rival never gets old (there’s even an achievement for it). When all else fails, we do appreciate how Victory Heat Rally provides replays, time trials, and an arcade GP mode to take advantage of some self-improvement.

There are also a number of other modes in Victory Heat Rally that break up the racing action. From the smash-tastic Crash Course that promises mass destruction to a number of poor, unfortunate traffic cones, to the gates that add up precious seconds of time, Victory Heat Rally always finds a way to make things interesting.

Victory Heat Rally features a truly fantastic presentation that channels old school cool with cutting-edge style.

Victory Heat Rally mixes together fantastic sprite work with bright colors and good vibes that make everything pop. It’s hard not to play Victory Heat Rally with a smile on your face.

Racing fans, arcade aficionados, and those with a need for speed, rejoice: Victory Heat Rally was made for you. Its drifting system is not for everyone, but those always on the hunt for the perfect time will have a blast shaking and baking.

Victory Heat Rally Review

Reviewed On: PC (A digital code was provided)
Release Date: October 3, 2024
MSRP: $8.49
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch
Developer: Skydevilpalm
Publisher: Playtonic Friends
Alternative Reviews: Destructoid
Aggregate Scores: Metacritic

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Casey ScheldOctober 3, 2024
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Casey Scheld

Casey Scheld has more than 15 years of experience in the gaming industry as a community manager, social media director, event specialist, and (of course) gaming editor. He has previously worked with gaming start-ups like Raptr, publishers like Konami, and roller derby girls at PAX West (check out Jam City Rollergirls)! Gamers Heroes is a passion project for him, giving him a chance to tap into the underground side of gaming. He is all too eager to give these lesser-known heroes of the indie space the attention they so rightly deserve, seeking out the next gem and sharing it with the world. Previously making appearances at events like CES, GDC, and (the late) E3, he is all too happy to seek out the next big thing. For those that want to talk shop, send over a tip, or get an easy win in a fighting game of their choosing, be sure to check out his social media channels below.

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