beebees
Dr. Robotnik's Ring Racers is a mixed bag. A lot of reviews act like this game is awful, but I don't think it is; I find the game very fun, and it does improve on issues that I had with Sonic Robo Blast Kart 2, its predecessor. However, the developers have made questionable decisions that have turned a lot of players off from it.
To begin, Ring Racers is fundamentally inaccessible, in multiple senses of the word. The game is mechanically dense, which can be a turn-off. I personally enjoy the complexity of it, as it makes this game truly one of a kind. I also feel that the mechanics can be explained to a new player quickly and easily, despite the tutorial's best efforts.
Speaking of which, we come to most folks' chief complaint: The restriction of the game's content. Unlike SBR2K, you can't just install the game and hop online with your friend. The game starts up with a setup sequence which I found to be charming, if not a touch long-winded. Following that was the tutorial, which is a unskippable 30-minute stage that still fails to cover core mechanics of the game. Once you clear that, you get access to the main menu finally.
You still need to unlock the tracks and most of the characters, as well as key features of the game. This content is presented through a Super Smash Bros.-style unlockable gallery. The gated features include basics like online play, time trials, and loading mods. This makes the game effectively impossible to get quickly set up for a game sessions with a friend, unless you provide a list of the cheat codes the devs mercifully provided, or send over a save file with the needed content unlocked (Google is your friend for both of these). This is... egregious, to put it lightly. I understand and respect the desire from the devs to ensure players appreciate every bit of their 5 years of hard work; however, most players, including myself, find this to be an unwelcome change, if not a dealbreaker.
Beneath the complexity of the mechanics and the headache of getting started, is the game fun? Yes, it is. It's still a kart racer, with all the glorious chaos that entails. It can be overwhelming even by the standards of the genre though. Some mechanics shine while others are underutilized. The tracks also vary in quality. The AI is difficult, with rubberbanding that brings to mind racing games from the late 90s and early 00s. Getting hit with items leads to the harshest punishment I've seen in any kart racer; on multiple occasions, I'd be hit by an item in first place and by the time I recovered, I found myself in the last place. The handling is very slippery, adding to the chaos of the game.
Ring Racers does improve over its predecessor in two key ways: first of all, I feel the track design is more readable in this game. While playing SRB2K, my friends and I have run into several cases where we got confused on where the track expects us to go next. This game remedies that with redesigned tracks from the first game. The second improvement is the addition of a proper local multiplayer mode. In SRB2K, the local multiplayer almost feels like an unintended feature. However, this game supports local multiplayer naturally. I know this is a more niche features among the game's target audience, but it is something I sorely missed in SRBK2.
To conclude, Dr. Robotnik's Ring Racers is a very promising game. The game is uniquely complex by kart racer standards, both to its benefit and detriment. The gameplay is fundamentally fun, building off a solid base, but still needs fine-tuning. The core issue with the game is its gating of so much of its content to newcomers. Even without the flawed physics and irritating onboarding, I still wouldn't say this is a game for everyone, and that's okay: SRB2K, its predecessor, isn't going anywhere. It released in a flawed state, but if AAA games can recover from rough launches, I don't doubt this can too.
To begin, Ring Racers is fundamentally inaccessible, in multiple senses of the word. The game is mechanically dense, which can be a turn-off. I personally enjoy the complexity of it, as it makes this game truly one of a kind. I also feel that the mechanics can be explained to a new player quickly and easily, despite the tutorial's best efforts.
Speaking of which, we come to most folks' chief complaint: The restriction of the game's content. Unlike SBR2K, you can't just install the game and hop online with your friend. The game starts up with a setup sequence which I found to be charming, if not a touch long-winded. Following that was the tutorial, which is a unskippable 30-minute stage that still fails to cover core mechanics of the game. Once you clear that, you get access to the main menu finally.
You still need to unlock the tracks and most of the characters, as well as key features of the game. This content is presented through a Super Smash Bros.-style unlockable gallery. The gated features include basics like online play, time trials, and loading mods. This makes the game effectively impossible to get quickly set up for a game sessions with a friend, unless you provide a list of the cheat codes the devs mercifully provided, or send over a save file with the needed content unlocked (Google is your friend for both of these). This is... egregious, to put it lightly. I understand and respect the desire from the devs to ensure players appreciate every bit of their 5 years of hard work; however, most players, including myself, find this to be an unwelcome change, if not a dealbreaker.
Beneath the complexity of the mechanics and the headache of getting started, is the game fun? Yes, it is. It's still a kart racer, with all the glorious chaos that entails. It can be overwhelming even by the standards of the genre though. Some mechanics shine while others are underutilized. The tracks also vary in quality. The AI is difficult, with rubberbanding that brings to mind racing games from the late 90s and early 00s. Getting hit with items leads to the harshest punishment I've seen in any kart racer; on multiple occasions, I'd be hit by an item in first place and by the time I recovered, I found myself in the last place. The handling is very slippery, adding to the chaos of the game.
Ring Racers does improve over its predecessor in two key ways: first of all, I feel the track design is more readable in this game. While playing SRB2K, my friends and I have run into several cases where we got confused on where the track expects us to go next. This game remedies that with redesigned tracks from the first game. The second improvement is the addition of a proper local multiplayer mode. In SRB2K, the local multiplayer almost feels like an unintended feature. However, this game supports local multiplayer naturally. I know this is a more niche features among the game's target audience, but it is something I sorely missed in SRBK2.
To conclude, Dr. Robotnik's Ring Racers is a very promising game. The game is uniquely complex by kart racer standards, both to its benefit and detriment. The gameplay is fundamentally fun, building off a solid base, but still needs fine-tuning. The core issue with the game is its gating of so much of its content to newcomers. Even without the flawed physics and irritating onboarding, I still wouldn't say this is a game for everyone, and that's okay: SRB2K, its predecessor, isn't going anywhere. It released in a flawed state, but if AAA games can recover from rough launches, I don't doubt this can too.
I first reviewed Dr. Robotnik's Ring Racers the day after its initial launch. My opinion was that this game is fun but deeply flawed. Since the game's launch, however, it has gone through several updates, and I have spent a fair amount of time with the game. Therefore, I feel it is only fair to re-review Ring Racers, as both the game itself and my opinions of it have changed.
Ring Racers is a very complex game, especially by the standards of the genre. However, I do not feel it is quite as inaccessible as it seems at first: The core mechanics and controls can be succinctly explained to a new player in my experience, and a manual is available on the game's download page. The physics are very loose and slippery compared to other kart racers, which does take time to get used to. However, these physics lend themselves to an experience where the chaotic fun of kart racers is cranked up to 11.
Where most people's criticisms, if not outright dismissal, of Ring Racers at launch was the onboarding process. I still agree this is a pain point, and probably the game's biggest objective flaw at this time. In particular, my criticism on the tutorial still rings true: it is needlessly long, puts too much emphasis on niche options and scenarios while ignoring omnipresent mechanics, and makes Ring Racers seem more daunting than it truly is. Thankfully, the devs have offered a way to cut the tutorial short by winning a race, as well as bundling passwords to bypass this tutorial entirely into the download.
Another point of contention at launch was the unlock system. The bulk of Ring Racers's content is gated behind achievements, presented in a manner similar to Super Smash Bros.'s unlockable galleries. While I do still feel that some of the gated content (namely online play and mod loading) is questionable, the devs have explained their logic on the download site, and I feel they make valid points. Besides, the inclusion of the aforementioned passwords allow bypassing certain parts of the process (if not the entire process), rending this issue moot for those who choose this option. For people who enjoy mastering the game and searching every nook and cranny, though, this adds to the fun, and there is PLENTY to find.
Ring Racers is presented in a charming low-poly style which brings to mind SEGA's titles from the latter half of the 90s. The characters, pulled from Sonic's long-running history as well as representatives from other SEGA franchises, are translated perfectly into either 2D sprites or 3D models, depending on your preferred option. The roster is wonderfully picked, including iconic classics, modern favorites, and even deep cuts for the most hardcore of SEGA fans. The tracks are simply beautiful visually, and generally are a treat to play on, though there are both diamonds and duds in the mix.
To conclude, although Ring Racers was rough at launch, the devs have worked hard to improve on it without sacrificing the game's one-of-a-kind identity. I still don't think it's a game for everyone, and frankly, it's better for that. It is a deeply compelling game: I wouldn't have kept playing it ever since Day 1, let alone have written two reviews on it, if it wasn't. Mario Kart is a massive franchise with countless imitators, but there will only ever be one Dr. Robotnik's Ring Racers.
Ring Racers is a very complex game, especially by the standards of the genre. However, I do not feel it is quite as inaccessible as it seems at first: The core mechanics and controls can be succinctly explained to a new player in my experience, and a manual is available on the game's download page. The physics are very loose and slippery compared to other kart racers, which does take time to get used to. However, these physics lend themselves to an experience where the chaotic fun of kart racers is cranked up to 11.
Where most people's criticisms, if not outright dismissal, of Ring Racers at launch was the onboarding process. I still agree this is a pain point, and probably the game's biggest objective flaw at this time. In particular, my criticism on the tutorial still rings true: it is needlessly long, puts too much emphasis on niche options and scenarios while ignoring omnipresent mechanics, and makes Ring Racers seem more daunting than it truly is. Thankfully, the devs have offered a way to cut the tutorial short by winning a race, as well as bundling passwords to bypass this tutorial entirely into the download.
Another point of contention at launch was the unlock system. The bulk of Ring Racers's content is gated behind achievements, presented in a manner similar to Super Smash Bros.'s unlockable galleries. While I do still feel that some of the gated content (namely online play and mod loading) is questionable, the devs have explained their logic on the download site, and I feel they make valid points. Besides, the inclusion of the aforementioned passwords allow bypassing certain parts of the process (if not the entire process), rending this issue moot for those who choose this option. For people who enjoy mastering the game and searching every nook and cranny, though, this adds to the fun, and there is PLENTY to find.
Ring Racers is presented in a charming low-poly style which brings to mind SEGA's titles from the latter half of the 90s. The characters, pulled from Sonic's long-running history as well as representatives from other SEGA franchises, are translated perfectly into either 2D sprites or 3D models, depending on your preferred option. The roster is wonderfully picked, including iconic classics, modern favorites, and even deep cuts for the most hardcore of SEGA fans. The tracks are simply beautiful visually, and generally are a treat to play on, though there are both diamonds and duds in the mix.
To conclude, although Ring Racers was rough at launch, the devs have worked hard to improve on it without sacrificing the game's one-of-a-kind identity. I still don't think it's a game for everyone, and frankly, it's better for that. It is a deeply compelling game: I wouldn't have kept playing it ever since Day 1, let alone have written two reviews on it, if it wasn't. Mario Kart is a massive franchise with countless imitators, but there will only ever be one Dr. Robotnik's Ring Racers.