Dull driving sim
Playing this follow up to the classic arcade racing sim Hard Drivin' at home obviously pales in comparison to the original arcade experience, and proves to be a slightly dull experience, partly due to the problems with translating its complex controls. The game is one of the earliest to feature 3D polygon graphics and realistic real-world style physics in order to improve the driving experience for gaming enthusiasts and while it was certainly impressive back in the day, it has unfortunately not aged particularly gracefully and looks decidedly sub-par now. In terms of what's on offer, Race Drivin' is also rather below standard, with just a few tracks, cars and modes to choose from and while the tracks do feature the twists, turns and stunts of the original, they are extremely short, with the game requiring only that a couple of laps be completed, and which doesn't exactly offer a lot of lasting appeal. The inclusion of traffic adds to the challenge but the omission of multiple paths to choose from, as seen in the first game, also reduces the player's interest. A bigger problem however, is that the driving on display here really isn't that enjoyable. The controls are fairly awkward, lacking responsiveness and failing to successfully recreate the arcade version's steering wheel, while the element of speed essential for any great racer just isn't there. The sound too is equally sub-standard which just adds to an already unappealing package, and really there are any number of driving games that are preferable to this. Road Rash, Motorhead, Need for Speed, take your pick. Just don't bother with Race Drivin'.
