2024-03-25 15:00:32
At first glance, it’s easy to dismiss New Star GP as just another in a long line of charming but not necessarily overly deep and rewarding racing games cast in a nostalgic, minimalist aesthetic. I’m mainly thinking of games like Art of Rally, Track Superstars, and Horizon Chase. All fun and very competent in its own little way, but not exactly something you sit down and enjoy lap times for hour after hour, day after day.
It can’t be said that New Star Games studio has made a splash, certainly not in the console or PC markets. No, their claim to fame was mobile gaming, and it’s remarkable that they’ve now suddenly chosen to make a bigger, more serious effort for consoles and PC. Especially considering their genre is completely new, the team size is small and New Star GP is actually pretty good.
If we look beyond its deliberately pared-down look, with its contrasting polygonal world doing its best to remind you of ’90s arcade racers, we’ll find a surprising amount of substance and depth. So if you want to progress through the game’s career mode and experience more than the original race or free play modes, there’s going to be a lot more asked of you as a driving player than you might think.
Simply holding down the throttle and sliding around corners like it’s Cruis n’ USA or Ridge Racer isn’t going to cut it, and if you try to play it like any other arcade racer, New Star GP will quickly wear it out with a lot of reality to fight back. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t something trying to compete with the EA and Codemasters F1 series for realism, but the dissonance between the demo and the actual driving experience is surprising and comforting.
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New Star GP is actually quite fun, once you get over the initial shock, competing against your computer opponents for a front-row spot while trying to balance things like tire wear, oil levels, weather and more. Yes, it’s a lot of fun and surprisingly immersive. Additionally, you have pit stops, which play into the strategy and are a mini-game in their own right, where you can manually control your pit crew to change tires, refill soup, or repair damage to your car.
The game is engaging on every level and you never feel like you’ve been relegated to the back seat, but are constantly offered control without feeling overwhelmed. The balance between arcade and analog is clever and clever, a seemingly odd combination that actually works in the case of New Star GP and makes the title stand out from other nostalgia-inspired racing games on the market.
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On top of that we also have a polished career mode that lets you race from the early 1980s with its striking, small, howling F1 cars right up to the modern day. All had changing tracks and the appearance of the cars as the years went by. While New Star GP has no official connection or license to the sport, there is plenty of recognition among fans of the sport, with a total of 34 tracks. From Silverstone in England to Monaco, it’s all filled with dangerous twists and turns.
Yes, there are many reasons to enjoy New Star GP, it is full of charm and excitement. It’s an even more impressive feat as the studio’s first racing game, which manages to strike a balance between light-hearted and engaging. It’s a love letter to the glory days of the ’90s, when Virtua Racing dominated the arcades, but with a modern twist that will quickly get under your skin. New Star GP is arcade racing at its best, and the split-screen mode is perfect for sharing the fun with friends on the couch.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the sport or just looking for some simple racing, there’s something here for you. New Star GP is fast-paced and equally challenging, with plenty of charm and character and an impressive career mode. For its price, this is a nostalgic and surprisingly challenging racing experience that everyone should give an honest chance.
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