Victory The Age of Racing Hands-On Preview

VaeVictis is a name many probably have never heard of before, but this studio is the developer behind Victory: The Age of Racing. Set in a post-apocalyptic future where mankind has crumbled, as the year 2012 arrived everything fell apart. Humans were reduced to tribes, fighting to gain valuable resources. As time passed on humanity was able to rebuild itself, and the world found unification in one thing; driving. Currently in beta, players are able to check out a few features on offer.

Set out across the globe and race against drivers from all over the world with Victory's Advanced Driving Physics, every bump and curve in the road is felt as you put your foot to the floor. The driving feels great, it strives to provide a more casual simulation experience; so arcade racer fans look elsewhere. For an MMO Racing game it is surprising to see that lag has little to no effect on a players racing, while other players may 'skip' on the screen a players driving won't feel like sliding across a map. If you have played All Points Bulletin or Need For Speed Worlds then you know what I am talking about in regards to lag making driving impossible.

The post-apocalyptic twist on the game is more aesthetic than anything else, the tracks you race on and the background visuals are all following the same theme; but that’s it. The game does offer however quite an extensive customization system for cars, breaking them down into blocked sections. Everything cosmetically can be changed to an array of various options; cars are broken down into individual parts so players may create something truly unique to them. There is a vast amount of selections to be made and many include additional variations for that selection; there are heaps to play with.

As players make cosmetical changes, certain parts offer certain amounts of power points. With power points you are able to increase the performance of your car, rather than forcing you to pay for these changes separately. Additionally before each race, players may tweak their cars handling by setting brake bias, suspension stiffness and things of that nature. Utilizing this system players are able to tweak the car to their exact driving style, whether you are about control or drifting; you can do it all.

The setting of the tracks is rather well done, and they are definitely enjoyable. The games graphics are 50/50 at the moment as the background visuals look a little outdated, but the cars look superb. Nothing is more painful to look at then when developers work on separate texture qualities, don't create model cars and call them Lego. Overall the graphics aren't bad and the game look good enough in the spots where you should be looking.

For those more serious racers compete against the world to become the top driver. Find races quickly with the matchmaking system or hold a private race with your friends. If you need to warm up or test out a new part, the game allows you to jump into a quick "Hot Lap" on the track of your choice. Fine tune lap times and learn new tracks without ruining your online track record.

Racing fans will be pleased with Victory: The Age of Racing and with some work it could become a relatively successful title. With formula 1 style flair, an interesting setting and some intense driving physics; this is definitely a game worth checking out. Whether the game will prove to be a quality racer is still in the air, hopefully we will see some great things in the future.