Top-down racing fun in this excellent driving game

Reckless Racing 2 will be available to download for Android on 2 February 2012. Please check back then to get the download link. For now, enjoy our Reckless Racing 2 review:

Reckless Racing 2 is the slick sequel to the excellent Reckless Racing game for Android.

As with the original, Reckless Racing 2 is a top-down driving game in which you need to negotiate a series of twisty tracks in order to win the race. There are lots of game modes to keep you busy in Reckless Racing 2 – a marked improvement on the previous version.

Game modes in Reckless Racing 2

The Career mode in Reckless Racing 2 contains 12 different cups – each consisting of several races over a series of tracks. The higher you place in the races, the more cash you win, which can be used to buy new cars or upgrade your existing car to improve its performance.

There’s also an Arcade mode in Reckless Racing 2, which gives you a total of 40 tracks to race on. Each one is a single challenge, such as finishing third or higher, or winning the race. You can only pass to the next track once you’ve completed the challenge. Cash earned in Arcade mode can be spent in Career mode, too.

If you want a bit more freedom out of Reckless Racing 2 then head for Single Event mode. Here you can choose to race on one of six different areas, either as a straight race, hot lap, or elimination event. Again, there are lots of different tracks to race on in Single Event mode.

If all of these single-player modes in Reckless Racing 2 aren’t enough for you, then check out the Multiplayer mode. You can race against up to three of your friends or against strangers online, in any of the game modes mentioned above.

Graphics and presentation

The graphics in Reckless Racing 2 are even better than the already excellent visuals of the first game. Menu systems are much slicker and more ‘grown-up’, as the developer tones down the rather childish, hillbilly theme of the original.

In-game, Reckless Racing 2 looks sublime. The natural backdrops are more gorgeous than ever, with all types of terrain (desert, forest, beach, circuit, etc.) all meticulously crafted in fine detail. The Micro Machines-style viewpoint may seem a strange choice for a mobile game, but you’ll instantly fall in love with it.

The techno music soundtrack provides a thumping accompaniment to the on-screen action, although it tires after a while and you’ll wish there was more varied music in the game.

Other features of Reckless Racing 2

There are lots of options to tinker with that let you customize your Reckless Racing 2 experience. You can choose between five different control systems, with the option to place buttons anywhere you like on screen. You can also tweak steering sensitivity, enable auto-accelerate, and turn on various assists such as racing line, mini map and pace notes, which tell you when to slow down.

If you’re looking for a helping hand to progress quicker through the career mode, Reckless Racing 2 offers the ubiquitous in-app purchase of extra game cash for upgrading your vehicle or buying new cars.

Although it doesn’t quite have the same charm as the original game, Reckless Racing 2 is a mighty mobile racing game with few equals.

Xperia play fix

Changes

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