Clown for Speed Review

While simcades like Gran Turismo 7 are all the rage, RIVERSIDE SPORTS has said nuts to that model with their new title Clown for Speed. With an emphasis on burning tires, does this title live up to the lofty claim of being the ultimate drift experience?

Clown for Speed Review

One would expect a drift-heavy game to have plenty of rides, and Clown for Speed certainly delivers in that regard. Initial D fans will dig the AE86, hairdressers will like the Mazda Miata, and the especially crazy among us will enjoy taking the short bus on the track. The only thing missing is the driver – all cars are strangely without anybody inside when driving around.

Unfortunately, the car selection is far more fun than the game itself. Things get a little hinky in Clown for Speed right from the get-go – players can only choose from “The OG,” “Island Track,” and “Training Course” from a drop-down menu, not instilling much confidence in the world the development team created.

The mechanics themselves aren’t up to the task either. After a lengthy loading screen (even with a m.2 SSD), we ended up crashing our car to an undriveable state within the first 10 seconds of the title. Objects have no sort of collision detection, meaning that players will be between a rock and a hard place – or a barrier and nothing – if they don’t get things down just right.

There are some alternate camera angles in Clown for Speed that allow players to get a different view of the action, but some put the game in even more of an unplayable state. One is right by the left bumper of the car, meaning that the sharp turns were often hidden from view. We ended up sticking to an isometric view, but even that wasn’t quite fit for the job.

Thankfully the gameplay of Clown for Speed is pretty simple overall. Every time players drift, they’ll be able to earn some points. There’s plenty of opportunities among its different ports and tracks, with bridges, shipping containers, and plenty of other things to dodge. As one would expect, the handling is overly sensitive – we’re talking more sensitive than Ridge Racer. However, between that, the handbrake, and NoS conveniently mapped to a designated button, one can fulfill their dream of being a drift king.

It’s just a shame that that’s all there is to it. Players can see the entirety of this title in around 30 minutes if they thoroughly take the time to immerse themselves in it. The opening screen states that this title is in development, so time will tell if it is fleshed out into a more complete state. As it stands right now, the package is fairly lacking.

Clown for Speed will only make you feel like a clown. The drifting is simple and the cars fun, but everything in this package feels like the circus is in town.

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