Rush Rally Origins was developed and published by BrownMonster Limited for the PC back in April and is an isometric racing game putting players in the driver seat of a rally car speeding through various tracks. The game offers a lot of replay ability due to the time attack modes and both local and online multiplayer modes.
Rush Rally Origins is a blast from the moment players select a mode and course. Each mode offers players 8 different locations from Finland to Japan with 6 tracks across each country, giving players 48 maps to race across with different types of cars. One point that makes Rush Rally Origins so fun is that players are given points that they can spend to upgrade different stats on each car that has an actual impact on performance. For those concerned that this is just a padding mechanic to get more time in, I’d like to say that after putting two points into boosting my cars speed, I was able to shave off 15 to 20 seconds on a track that was giving me a lot of trouble. Cars all have different attributes so players can race to unlock cars and find one that fits their style. There is even an option to change the color of the cars and while there isn’t a lot to choose from, it is nice to see a car in the color that I want while racing through the snow.
There are 4 different modes for players to enjoy with those being time trial, Championship, Race, and multiplayer. Time trial pits players against themselves while championship has a leaderboard for players to race against through a series of tracks. Championship also allows players to earn points that can be spent to upgrade the cars and progress through the game.
The graphics aren’t too demanding so there shouldn’t be too much concern for getting it to run and there was an update recently that seemed to hint at the ability to run on the steam deck as well so that is something to look forward to for those looking for handheld racing on the go. The menus are extremely easy to navigate and there wasn’t any unnecessary clutter to be found on the HUD during the races. The ability to adjust the size of the HUD is also welcome since some players may prefer a more minimalistic look while they tear through the tracks. The HUD shows how a player is doing in regard to the current task, so it is helpful to have it visible, especially for those looking to beat their current time on a certain track.
One of the minor negatives that may not bother many is the fact that there is no music to be found during the actual tracks when going through time trial and championship. The menus have music, but it would have been nice to have something playing besides the sound of the cars engine and the occasional comment coming from the passenger regarding the upcoming turns (this can be turned off in the settings if someone backseat driving is frustrating to you). This is just a minor gripe though and the game’s sound design is so good that it doesn’t take away from the experience too much.
Overall, Rush Rally Origins is a fun little game for those looking for a more arcade style racer to pass the time. With its simple look and gameplay loop, there is enough here for players to get caught up in without being overwhelmed with all the customization options other racing games offer.
