iRacing has long been known as a platform so immersive in simulation that some don’t even consider it a game. It’s realistic, deep, and, to some, daunting. iRacing Arcade isn’t any of that.
This is a full, as the name would suggest, arcade racer that wants to bring a more casual audience into the franchise. A new experience from iRacing and Original Fire Games, iRacing Arcade features chaotic, fast-paced racing with a little bit of depth sprinkled throughout.
But where the game comes with the fun, it also lacks in some areas that could stop you from coming back after a few hours.
I(ntense) Racing
If you’ve ever sat behind the wheel of a racing sim, forget everything you know about proper racing. iRacing Arcade throws most of that out the window with races that reward banging and bumping more than strategy and maneuvering.
Each race starts almost identical, with AI falling in line from the minute the green flag drops. From there, chaos ensues. You’ll watch drivers cut corners, go off the track into the wall, and show no regard for the other vehicles around them. And that’s no matter if the difficulty is on Amateur, Pro, Master, or otherwise. They just don’t care.
I’ll admit, though, it makes for a blast of a time on the track. It’s nice not to have to worry about finding the best line—which you can here, but that’s more for personal lap times than anything else—or taking corners the best way to have success. You can just put your foot to the floor and find your way to the front.
There is some element of race strategy, however, when you take part in longer endurance races. Like any event, you have to keep an eye on your fuel and tire wear. You’ll be kept updated on how much longer you have before you need to pit, but the time to do it is up to you. Do you try to hold out and finish the race, risking running out of gas? Or do you head in first to have the chance to extend your lead when everyone else goes later?
But there is when problems start to surface. The AI kind of follows a pattern. They always seem to wait until the very last lap possible before pitting. So, if you pit with two laps of fuel left, you know you’re going to be the only one. That means when every other driver goes, you’ll have a chance to pull away until either the end of the race or the next pit cycle.
They also truly do not care about the cars around. There are instances where they’ll blatantly run you off the road, forcing a time penalty and taking you out of contention. As you play, you can start to avoid it, but when it does happen, it’s pretty frustrating.
The game is also missing some quality-of-life features on the track. There’s no speedometer; you’re locked to an automatic transmission; there’s only one camera view; and you can’t see the lap times of the other cars in the race. All little things, sure, especially for an arcade racer, but they would’ve been nice to have.
A Mixed Bag Of Modes And Options
The main mode in iRacing Arcade is career. Here you’ll race your way through a number of series, starting with the Fiat Pilot Challenge and moving on to Formula Junior and all the way through to the Sportscar Championship.
You don’t start with much, just a car and a dream. But as you progress, you can purchase buildings for your racing compound that will give you boosts to improve your on-track performance. You’ll even be able to hire other drivers to take part in the series you don’t want to race in.
Each week of the season has you choose if you want to buy a new building, upgrade the ones you have, put out decorations, or change up your car designs. Then, it’s hop into the race and go for the podium. It’s all straightforward, but there’s enough here to keep you entertained while you move up the ranks.
Outside of your career, you have free play that allows you to play with any car on any track with custom settings. There’s also multiplayer, but it’s pretty limited. There’s no local multiplayer, and online racing is limited to custom lobbies that you need a code to join. There are no public lobbies, limiting your online play. The only “public” online racing comes in the form of time trials that have leaderboards.
Speaking of limited, there are only eight series to choose from, such as the Fiat, Formula 4, Porsche 911 GT3, and Formula GP. Tracks are limited to 14 that, while nicely created, start to feel repetitive when you are racing on them again and again during your career. There are even times when you can have back-to-back races on the same track, just in a different series.
iRacing Arcade Review Verdict
For its shortcomings, iRacing Arcade isn’t a bad game at all. The racing is what you’d expect from an arcade title that wants to cater to as many players as possible. The career mode offers enough depth that you’ll want to not only get through all the series, but build up everything you possibly can as well. It’s what you get outside of that where things turn sour. The limited cars, the too few tracks, and the disappointing multiplayer will see a good game have a limited shelf life.
Are you going to pick up iRacing Arcade? Leave your thoughts down in the comments and in the official Insider Gaming Discord.
iRacing Arcade
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iRacing Arcade
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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