After getting my first look at Deathsprint 66 at Summer Game Fest 2024, and several playtests later, the indie racing title that smashes together several racing titles from the past, plus a few new things is ready for everyone to get their hands on with it. But has Sumo Digital, a name that is synonymous with racing games, struck gold again? Read on to find out in our Deathsprint 66 review.
Game Name: Deathsprint 66
Platform(s): PC (reviewed)
Developer(s): Sumo Newcastle / Sumo Digital
Publisher(s): Secret Mode
Release Date: September 12, 2024
Price: $24.99
In the dystopian future of 2066, things have turned for the worse in many ways. So, to relieve the stress and frustration, the world has taken to pitting contestants in a new sport, using genetically created slabs remoted controlled of human meat called “Clones” and pit against each other on some pretty devious tracks. These games occur on circuits filled with life-ending traps and obstacles, where the winner lives on to play again. Think of it like the racing version of the Running Man movie. That’s the premise of DeathSprint 66.
What Exactly Is DeathSprint 66?
When I first got my hands on Deathsprint 66, I immediately noticed the similarities to classic racing games like F-Zero, Wipeout, and Super Mario Kart, with some wall walking curiously of Titanfall. It brought a smile to my face, as I spent countless hours with those games. At its core, Deathsprint 66 is a circuit racer, and the DNA of those iconic titles is unmistakable. But Deathsprint 66 is far from your average circuit racing game. Beyond speeding along its deadly tracks, depending on the mode, you’ll either race against the clock or compete with other Clones—who’d love nothing more than to introduce your face to a saw blade or some other brutal fate.
The gameplay is straightforward. You use your controller to steer, hit the boost when your meter’s charged, aim for speed pads when you see them, jump over or dodge obstacles, and pick up the lighting bolt thingies called Hype. Hype is the in-game resource that will dictate how well you do by exciting the crowds and assuming you finish a race, will add to your reputation.
You also pick up offensive and defensive items scattered around the track when you pick up a Tribute coin (this game’s version of an item). Sounds like a blend of Super Mario Kart and Wipeout, right? But thanks to the tracks being anything but straightforward—and with everything out to kill you—Deathsprint 66 nails that classic gaming mantra: easy to pick up, hard to master. That sums it up Deathsprint 66 perfectly.
Pleased To Meat You
Deathsprint 66 offers several modes to play: PVP, PVE, and a training mode. The training mode is crucial for survival—not only will you learn the ins and outs of the game, but you’ll also get to race on all the tracks. It’s the perfect way to master key strategies, like when to boost, how to hug the inside of a turn, and most importantly, when to push your opponents into one of the many creative ways to die and how to use the items you acquire during a race. This training mode is fully fleshed out and even lets you choose whether to race with or without AI-controlled opponents. If you want to increase your chances of survival, I highly recommend spending time in training mode.
PVE in Deathsprint 66 is a mixture of what’s called Episodes, which are various events from time trials where players need to jump through rings to prolong their life, death-defying races against AIs, and is an alternative to those who don’t like to play along against other players (PVP). Despite not including the human element, it’s still a lot of fun and more than originally thought it would be.
Then there’s the PVP, which is a mode where you and 7 other Clones will compete over any number of tracks. It’s mostly online but if there are no online players, you’ll get bots. The goal is simple, try to come in first and survive. This sounds simple, but depending on the track and skill of the other players could be anything but. Everything that you can do in the PVE mode can also be done in the PVP mode, just with human players. It’s here where I can see most players enjoying the most, as it’s only human nature that we attempt to show off how superior we are against other players.
Except, there’s one issue that see with the PVP. During the review period, the servers weren’t populated with humans, which tends to happen when reviewing games. However, now that the game has been released, I am seeing more people playing the game and it’s working as intended. Humans are pushing me into walls and other ways to kill me, and vice versa. As more players tickle in, the more we’ll see them via match-making, and I can’t wait for that.
Choose Your Look
As you win and collect Hype, you’ll level up, allowing you to gain access to all sorts of things to customize your slab of meat, including emotes, outfit look, and more. It’s pretty extensive and is a good way to establish how you look compared to the other racers on the tracks.
How’s The Performance?
Ah, yes. The part where I get to talk about how well the game performs and what PC-centric options the game has. Thankfully, this is an optimized title in a sea of terrible PC releases, as far as I can see. I’ve played this across several PCs, and a laptop. There are also plenty of options to tweak, including remapping the keyboard and controller bindings/buttons, and the visual settings. Ultimately, with all the effects turned up, the performance was fine and the visuals looked amazing, especially on the tracks which are the highlight of this game.
The sounds are ok, but do a good job of conveying the many ways you end up dead, and the soundtrack is so-so, but I do with the music had something to pump me up for racing, which I feel is important for a racing game – regardless if you’re racing to stay alive or come in the first place spot.
For those wondering, yes, the game does support 21:9 ratio / ultrawide monitors.
Test Configuration: AMD Ryzen 9 5900x, 16 GB RAM, GeForce RTX 4060
Summary
After putting countless hours into Deathsprint 66, I have two complaints. The first is that at the start of every race with AI-controller players, it can turn into a slugfest. Almost every time—even when I nail the perfect start—everyone starts throwing elbows they’re in a club, and you can easily find yourself spun around or losing all momentum. Secondly, I don’t like how being able to push or punch someone is done by ramming into them. Call me an old-school person, but I’d rather be able to punch the other players in the face on my own, Road Rash-style. Outside of that, I enjoyed Deathsprint 66 for what it is. Now, I hope that I get to face off against more human players once the game is launched.
Review Disclosure Statement: A copy of Deathsprint 66 was provided to us by Secret Mode for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.
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Summary
Deathsprint 66 combines the elements from racing games such as Wipeout and Super Mario Kart, while tossing in some gorely elements that might have been done for the shock value but ends up coming up as hilarious. The racing is fast and fun, and the tracks, which I think are the highlight of the game, are some of the best track designs I’ve seen in an arcade circuit racing game. It’s all fun, even if the AI seems to be a bit overtuned.
Pros
- The game looks amazing
- The racing is fun
- The game seems to be optimized based on the performance I experienced
Cons
- Worried about the online PVP mode
- The AI is a bit to aggressive at the start
- Some of the difficulties in the later stages in PVE is a bit much
