Last updated on January 26th, 2024 at 02:48 pm
Midnight Works appear to be trying to take over racing games on Sony consoles, Drift Reign, Burnout Chaos: Drift Project, and now Gearhead Karting Simulator announced for PlayStation this month.
Previously released on the PC via Steam in September 2023, it’s currently priced at £4.29 with 11 Mixed reviews so far.
This time you’ll be racing go-karts, with the ability to customise them with parts and accessories, then fine-tune them for racing with realistic physics promised in the press information. Along with Grand Prix and Time Attack modes, there’s also kart Drag Racing, which isn’t a form of motorsport I’ve paid much attention to in the past. But it does exist, with purpose-built creations sporting nitrous and reaching speeds of more than 140mph.
If nothing else, it’s made me think I need to go and see some drag karts racing at Santa Pod this year.
A range of circuits will be available to race on, so you might find it worthwhile to tune your kart for the specific track your racing at.
It’s listed as a single player game, with no mention of any online multiplayer, which is fairly unusual in the modern era of racing games. It’s not confirmed anywhere, but the previously released Drift Reign was PS5 only (and currently has a 1.6 star score out of 5 after 73 ratings by players).
The official trailer was released six months ago, and does show a cockpit view alongside the external option, which is nice. But it does seem a little strange to be kart racing on a street circuit in what looks like a surburban housing estate.
There’s certainly a gap in the market for a karting sim considering KartKraft has effectively been killed off by Motorsport Games, leaving Kart Racing Pro from PiBoSo as one of the few remaining alternatives. But this looks more simcade at best, particularly with a PlayStation-only release. And obviously we’ve also recently seen the release of Karting Superstars by Original Fire Games, so is there space for another kart-based arcade title?
We’ll find out when Gearhead Karting is released on January 30th, 2024. You can find it listed for the PlayStation to add to your wishlist now. And keep up with all of the latest Gearhead Karting news, DLC and more, here. And PC games can find Gearhead Karting Simulator available via Steam.
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