By - J
Just under a week ago the folks over at EA finally released the anticipated sequel to Firemint's hit game Real Racing 2 (RR2) , Real Racing 3 (RR3). I was quite excited for this game, i had spent many hours on my iPhone playing Real Racing 2. It has some of the most stunning graphics that i've seen on a mobile device.
Pricing
First things first i didn't mind paying $4.99 for RR2 and didn't mind paying it either for RR3. Yet somehow EA decided to make RR3 a free game, so I was left wondering, "what's the catch?'. Turns out when your vehicle is damaged throughout gameplay you have to use in game currency to fix the damages as well as services. There's been a lot of argument over this model, I personally see no big downside to it. I get to save $4.99 for a game with superior graphics with great game play. The only downside to this freemium model is that you have to wait for servicing of the cars you purchase.Gameplay
The game play on this RR is very accurate, its smooth and crisp. When you begin the game you have two choices of vehicles to go for either a Nissan Silvia or Ford Focus RS with the money that you begin with. There are two kinds of currency within the game R$ and Gold. R$ is what i ended up using most, i figured I would hold onto my Gold. You begin with the Purse Stock Challenge in the Supa Fly Speed Trails. The first track is the Suzuka Circuit, which looked plain but the level of detail that went into it was crazy. I choose to have the assists on to help with braking, and yes i am aware it takes away from the realism but this is not a console game. First race i easily came in 1st it was an easy transition from RR2 to RR3. Upon winning you receive R$ and a Reward of Gold, you also gain Driver Fame. Given that it is a free game there has to be some sort of monetary game for the developers, and like i said before for servicing the cars (oil, tires, suspension, engine) you will have to wait for it to complete or use your Gold. I chose to wait it gave me time to take a break while playing and simply came back when a notification was sent to me. That ends up being the cycle for the majority of the game, race repair race some more. One feature thats often talked about which i haven't done yet myself is the time shifted multiplayer. EA spoke about it at the Apple iPhone 5 unveiling see that video here.
Graphics
The graphics in this game are ridiculously good. I'm not a huge gamer so i wont even try to compare to the likes of PS3 or XBOX but for a mobile game it was very good. The tracks are very well created, there is a lot of detail in the scenery. Things like the sky, to the texture of the asphalt and even the reflections of other cars on your own car stand out and pop more. The angles that can be used also offer some more insight into the graphics of the game.
Conclusion
In all it's a very solid game with great graphics and gameplay, and at a cost of nothing (theoretically) you really can't go wrong. My only gripe about this game is its claimed 700mb size; in actuality the game is 1.8gb on my iPhone so be aware if you plan on downloading it.
Get it free here for iOS or here for Android:
Let us know what you think about the game below.
