Xenon Racer

[mradidas]

Same problem here with my t 300 / tp3a

 

[MarkR]

We gave Xenon Racer a go this morning. We generally like arcade racing games and there are some good aspect but unfortunately the racing itself in currently flawed...

--- All the available cars feel wooden and reluctant to turn, even with the forced drift engaged.
--- The drift 'double tap accelerate/decelerate/handbrake' only seems to work intermittently and this makes for a frustrating experience. I can't determine a pattern to when it works and doesn't.
-- The cars basically don't turn without using drift, except through some fast sweeping corners when inexplicably they do. It currently doesn't make much sense.

The problem is that there are already arcade type games like Forza Horizon 4 that have almost perfect drift mechanics, without the need for artificial double taps to trigger drifts. I wanted to like the game but as it is it's hard sell. Even games like The Crew 2 and Burnout Paradise Remastered are miles ahead of this game in terms of enjoyable arcade car handling.

The good aspects, and there are many:

+ Graphics look good and it has its own style.
+ Plays smoothly and looks fast.
+ Tracks have some character
+ Xbox one controller works well from the menu screen
+ Menus are clear
+ AI are fine for an arcade game, may need some additional balancing
+ Online races work

Overall there is the basis of an OK if dated game. Personally I'd still prefer an old Ridge Racer game to this.

The full price is a huge issue for me, there is no way this is a full price £42.99 console game as it stands. In terms of quality this game sits alongside something like Danger Zone 2 a £15.99 game. Maybe the full release will get closer to Grip, a £34.99 game on console - but Grip didn't convince me enough to buy it, and the handling in Grip is far more evolved than the current build of Xenon Racer.

We wanted to like it and gave it a fair shot but unless the game play improves massively before launch we'll pass. If it's like this at launch it'll be on Game Pass within a month.

 

[MeltFire]

Really tempted to get it, especially since there’s a 50% off sale on steam right now.

Really? where? It only shows the beta download button on Steam and there no mention of it when I google it. Can you provide a link? Unless you mean when it becomes available on Mar 26?

 

[Sky]

gave it a go. cars are absolutely horrible to drive. don't turn unless you drift but the drifting makes no sense and seems to happen randomly. cars look dumb. tracks are bland. music is awful. cheesy voicover guy is cheesy.

its like every single thing about this game annoys me.

 

[BP]

Really? where? It only shows the beta download button on Steam and there no mention of it when I google it. Can you provide a link? Unless you mean when it becomes available on Mar 26?

You're too late, it was a midweek madness sale...sorry buddy.

Sorry I thought you were talking about Wreckfest. The title of the thread said it's an open beta. The full game is not out yet. There's a link to the steam page on the first post of the thread in the first paragraph.

 

[Kranky Pantz]

RaceCraft may be a more relevant title for the tastes of the majority of forum members here.
Free-To-Play (or an optional paid upgrade to Premium), procedurally generated tracks, online racing, full wheel/pedals/shifter support, VR #comingsoon, etc.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/346610/Racecraft/

 

[Sky]

i don't know at least compared to racecraft, xenon ran at more than 12 fps or whatever. so i'll give it that

 

[MarkR]

RaceCraft may be a more relevant title for the tastes of the majority of forum members here.
Free-To-Play (or an optional paid upgrade to Premium), procedurally generated tracks, online racing, full wheel/pedals/shifter support, VR #comingsoon, etc.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/346610/Racecraft/

Thanks, I'd never heard of this one either and gave it a go. Good concept for sure but it has some issues:

- Wouldn't recognise my TX458 wheel no matter what I did, the calibration system is odd.
- The FPS slow down braking into corners makes car control tricky, it's like when AC launched on console, turn the car and the whole game slows to a crawl - physics/tyre calculations taking up too much memory I wonder?
- Difficult to get a feel for the level of grip on the track and judge cornering speeds - it's no Forza Horizon in terms of car feedback via the control pad.

All that said it is quite likeable and it certainly has potential if they can get it performing smoothly and the wheel to actually work.

Both games are a bit underwhelming at this stage.

 

[Paul Jeffrey]

Xenon Racer is set to feature a diverse mix of futuristic racing machines, and today we get a closer look at the what the designers have in mind for the game...

Based in a world where flying cars are the norm, the vehicles in Xenon Racer are a nod back to the more traditional road going equivalents, showcasing the last of the road griping technology in a final no holes barred racing event across a range of artistically impressive and richly detailed locations around the world.

To give you a taste of what's to come, check out these car reveal videos below:

Car Showcase One:

Car Showcase Two:

Car Showcase Three:

You can check out the rest of the videos, and a little track preview or two over on the SOEDESCO Xenon Racer YouTube Channel HERE.

Xenon Racer is due to release on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4 and PC this March 26th.

Check out the official Xenon Racer sub forum here at RaceDepartment for the latest news, discussions and to engage with the developers of this exciting new arcade racing title.

Like what we do at RaceDepartment? Follow us on Social Media !

 

 

[StevieSX]

Liking the look of this. Reminds me of a game back in the day that didn't get too much love called Downforce on the PS2. Something along the lines of Formula 1 with no rules.

 

[Alex Townsend]

Looks like a more futuristic Ridge Racer.... could be pretty decent if it's executed well and supported etc.

 

[RichardHessels]

Must say the fantasy cars look really good, they had some talented artists designing them.

 

[Davebrave]

Games like this look like quite the opposite to a true racing simulator. However I think they serve as the entry point for many "young" people with their eye-catching graphics and models. For instance, I started with NFS 2 and 3 for PC then played Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix 2 and always enjoyed both despite being totally different products.

 

[Alex Townsend]

I used to love Wipeout on the PlayStation, Sega Rally and Daytona not only at the arcades but at home on the Saturn and Dreamcast too.
F355... the arcade for that was brutal. 6 speed gearbox with clutch iirc... almost a proper full on simulator minus the movement...
Then that led me to Colin McRae Rally, Toca, F1, PGR, Gran Turismo, Forza on consoles.
Then switched to PC for Race 07, GTR, rFactor 1, 2, Assetto Corsa, AMS and now ACC
The arcade games of yesteryear were truly stepping stones to where some of us are today.

 

[Craig Dunkley]

It is looking good, I know my son can not wait for it ..I think @Davebrave post is spot on

 

[Cheesenium]

Played the demo, I really did not like the game. The braking to initiate the drift is odd as the tolerance of braking is very little which you tend to brake instead than drifting. There is also the issue with stiff handling while turning. Sorry to say, the open beta isnt fun at all.

 

[Pauli Ahonen]

I wish it was not a arcade game.
As a mod for a sim (rFactor 2) it would be interesting to race fast, fictional cars with proper physics.
Of course the tracks would need to be made also as real world tracks are not built for anything faster than F1.

 

[Marten SOEDESCO]

Hi there! Unfortunately we don't officially support the G27. These are the officially supported steering wheels:

Logitech
G25
G29
G920

Thrustmaster TX Racing
T300 RS
T150 RS
T80
TMX Force
T-GT
Ferrari 458
TS-XW

Fanatec
ClubSport
CSL Elite

Hope this helps!

 

[BrunoBæ]

Isnt it possible to manually install another wheel via some kind of custom config ini?

 

[baltak]

hi,

Does the PS4 controller have a motion control option as an alternative to the Stick control (for example GT Sport) ?

greetings from Germany