When it comes to street racing games, few titles manage to capture the essence of underground racing culture quite like CarX Street. Developed by the creators of CarX Drift Racing Online, this game offers a rich and diverse open-world environment packed with exhilarating races, detailed car tuning, and a truly immersive driving experience. With a price tag of $20, CarX Street delivers a surprisingly comprehensive package for its cost, catering to both casual players and hardcore racing enthusiasts.
A Vast Open World in Sunset City
One of the most impressive aspects of CarX Street is its expansive open world. Sunset City, the game’s sprawling urban playground, offers players a dense, varied environment to explore. From winding mountain roads that are perfect for drifting to high-speed highways and hidden parking lots ideal for practicing your driving skills, the map never feels dull. Whether you’re navigating the crowded city streets or exploring more remote areas like abandoned airstrips and tunnels, the diversity of environments keeps the gameplay fresh.
The map design stands out compared to other games in the genre, and it’s easy to lose hours just driving around, discovering new locations, or setting up the perfect drift. If you’re a fan of Initial D or love the freedom of open-world racing games, CarX Street has a lot to offer.
The Thrill of Racing: Drifting, Drag Racing, and More
CarX Street shines in the variety of racing modes it offers. Whether you’re a fan of drifting, drag racing, or more traditional street races, the game has you covered. The street races are fast-paced and adrenaline-pumping, with plenty of room to test your skills against the AI or other players in online multiplayer modes. For those looking for something more intense, the game even includes pink slip races, where you put your car on the line for the ultimate prize.
The game’s physics engine plays a crucial role in delivering a rewarding racing experience. CarX Street combines realistic car handling with arcade-like fun, often referred to as “Simcade.” The detailed tuning menu allows players to tweak their car’s performance down to the finest details, making each race a true test of skill and strategy. The sense of speed is solid, especially when you start driving faster cars, and the force feedback with steering wheel setups like Asetek bases is surprisingly responsive, offering a deeply immersive experience.
Customization: Build Your Dream Car
Customization in CarX Street is nothing short of impressive. Players can dive into an in-depth tuning system that not only changes a car’s performance but also its appearance. The game offers an array of visual upgrades, including paint options, LED lighting, custom rims, and interior tweaks, letting you build a vehicle that truly reflects your style. Performance tuning is equally rich, allowing you to fine-tune the engine, suspension, aerodynamics, and more to suit different types of races, whether it’s for drifting or high-speed sprints.
Fans of JDM culture and the Need for Speed Underground era will especially enjoy the car lineup. CarX Street pays homage to that era with its range of vehicles that resemble popular real-world models under different names. The progression system doesn’t hand you cars on a silver platter; you’ll need to grind for upgrades and new vehicles, giving a real sense of achievement with every purchase.
Gameplay Challenges: The AI and Performance Hiccups
While CarX Street excels in many areas, there are a few aspects that could use refinement. The game’s AI is one of its weaker points. Traffic doesn’t follow any set rules, leading to random behavior that can disrupt races or simply make driving through the city frustrating. Although the option to adjust traffic density is a welcome feature, the AI drivers don’t seem to adhere to any logic, ignoring red lights and often causing unnecessary collisions.
Another area where the game stumbles is performance optimization. Even on higher-end setups, such as PCs equipped with a 3070 GPU and Ryzen 5 processor, players have reported frame rate drops and occasional freezing, especially when colliding with objects or during high-action moments. While the game looks beautiful in parts, especially given its mobile roots, it’s clear that more optimization is needed to provide a smoother experience across all platforms.
Voice Acting and Audio: A Missed Opportunity
A surprising disappointment in CarX Street is its use of AI-generated voice acting. The robotic tones of the voices can be jarring, making certain moments feel less immersive. For a game that excels in so many technical areas, the use of AI voices feels like a missed opportunity. Real voice actors could have added a layer of polish to the experience, and the absence of this makes the narrative elements feel somewhat lifeless.
Audio design, while generally good, could also benefit from improvements. Some sound effects, particularly in the menus or after a race, feel underwhelming and lack the punch that would elevate the overall atmosphere of the game.
What Shines: Immersive Racing, Customization, and Potential
The standout aspects of CarX Street are undoubtedly its immersive driving physics and the vast customization options. The open-world map is a joy to explore, and the variety of race types ensures that players have plenty to keep them engaged. Whether you’re a hardcore car enthusiast or just someone looking for a new racing game to enjoy, the combination of detailed car tuning and diverse race modes makes CarX Street worth the investment.
Room for Improvement: AI Behavior and Optimization
However, there are areas where the game can improve. The unpredictable AI and performance hiccups detract from the otherwise solid experience, and the use of AI-generated voice acting is a step backward. With further optimization and some fine-tuning of the game’s systems, CarX Street could evolve into one of the best street racing games available.
What Thrills:
- Diverse Open World: A massive, varied map filled with mountain roads, highways, and urban environments.
- Customization: Deep visual and performance tuning options for a personalized car-building experience.
- Simcade Physics: Realistic yet accessible driving mechanics that challenge your skills.
- Variety of Races: From drifting to pink slip races, there’s something for every type of racer.
What Could Improve:
- AI Behavior: Unpredictable and sometimes frustrating, especially in city traffic.
- Performance Optimization: Occasional frame drops and freezes during high-action moments.
- Voice Acting: The use of AI-generated voices detracts from immersion and polish.
CarX Street: At its core, CarX Street offers an exciting and satisfying street racing experience, especially for the price. The potential for future updates and additional content only adds to its appeal. If the developers continue to listen to player feedback and refine the game's weaker aspects, CarX Street has the chance to become a major player in the street racing genre. – Obsidian