Let me start with: Wow, that name is a mouthful. I tried this game before release, knowing as little as possible about the drag racing scene. Nonetheless, here is my review of NHRA Championship Drag Racing: Speed for All.
However, when first opening the game, my controller did not work on the menu. Well, keyboard it is. Weird though, since the settings "menu" only shows gamepad controls.
Here's a pro tip: You need to disable the Steam controller to play this game.
To do this, right-click on the game on Steam, select preferences and turn off the Steam controller there.
Now, can I finally get to drag racing?
Tuning your vehicle is one of the more advanced stages of this game, however, you have quite the amount of settings you can change. To be honest, since I'm a newbie to drag racing as a whole, I'm gonna leave this part behind. It's a nice addition though, and probably worthwhile to adjust your parts.
Anyways, going out onto the track for the first time, I learned that the drag racing weekends consist of Friday practice, Saturday qualifying and Sunday racing.
Out of many competitors, only 16 can make it past qualifying into the knockout race. The first time around, I didn't make that. My weekend was over after the qualifying.
The second weekend, however, woo boy, did I manage to screw up. Blowing up my engine and gearbox after a qualifying stint, I had to replace the parts to further continue. And I made it into the race. Unfortunately, I got knocked out in the first round of the race.
Now, apparently, replacing parts costs money, and it cost more than I had at this point. So, after just 2 races, I slid into bankruptcy.
10/10, would simulate my financial situation again.
A, A, A, RT, LT+RT, LT, X, X, RT, LT, A, A, LT, RT, LT, RT, RB, LT with occasional left thumb stick movement.
This string of buttons is not a combo in a fighting game, it's basically the entire gameplay aspect of this game. Seemingly the only variations you have, happen through upgrades like better car parts or maybe tuning. And of course, your reaction time.
This makes the entire gameplay process feel repetitive and grindy. As your only goal in the first few seasons will not be to win races. It will be to establish financial stability in order to upgrade your vehicle parts. And that is, frankly, not enough.
Unfortunately, the areas surrounding the drag strips look like Assetto Corsa track environments. I get you cannot create everything from scratch with the newest technology, but 2d bushes along the road are sometimes not enough.
No changing control schemes, no graphics settings. Just the bare minimum of being able to control how loud things are. Disappointing.
The biggest caveat for this game is having only 1 track in the soundtrack, it seems. It becomes annoying rather quickly.
Furthermore, $50 is way too expensive. Get it only when it's heavily discounted.
My First Time Drag Racing - Not Yet?
Upon reading info about this game, I knew my goal: drag race the "funny car" vehicle category. And best to reach this point in the "career" game mode.However, when first opening the game, my controller did not work on the menu. Well, keyboard it is. Weird though, since the settings "menu" only shows gamepad controls.
Here's a pro tip: You need to disable the Steam controller to play this game.
To do this, right-click on the game on Steam, select preferences and turn off the Steam controller there.
Now, can I finally get to drag racing?
My First Time Drag Racing - Now Really
Going into the career for the first time, you immediately get hit with a large number of tutorials. Also, it is here where you can see for the first time, that NHRA is focused exclusively on the American market.Tuning your vehicle is one of the more advanced stages of this game, however, you have quite the amount of settings you can change. To be honest, since I'm a newbie to drag racing as a whole, I'm gonna leave this part behind. It's a nice addition though, and probably worthwhile to adjust your parts.
Anyways, going out onto the track for the first time, I learned that the drag racing weekends consist of Friday practice, Saturday qualifying and Sunday racing.
Out of many competitors, only 16 can make it past qualifying into the knockout race. The first time around, I didn't make that. My weekend was over after the qualifying.
The second weekend, however, woo boy, did I manage to screw up. Blowing up my engine and gearbox after a qualifying stint, I had to replace the parts to further continue. And I made it into the race. Unfortunately, I got knocked out in the first round of the race.
Now, apparently, replacing parts costs money, and it cost more than I had at this point. So, after just 2 races, I slid into bankruptcy.
10/10, would simulate my financial situation again.
The Strengths and Weaknesses of NHRA
So let's take a look into what makes and breaks NHRA Championship Drag Racing: Speed for All.Gameplay - 2/5
The gameplay seems to somewhat realistically simulate the everyday events of a drag racer. It's challenging, it's monotonous and it's loud. Here's basically how to play the game in terms of button presses:A, A, A, RT, LT+RT, LT, X, X, RT, LT, A, A, LT, RT, LT, RT, RB, LT with occasional left thumb stick movement.
This string of buttons is not a combo in a fighting game, it's basically the entire gameplay aspect of this game. Seemingly the only variations you have, happen through upgrades like better car parts or maybe tuning. And of course, your reaction time.
This makes the entire gameplay process feel repetitive and grindy. As your only goal in the first few seasons will not be to win races. It will be to establish financial stability in order to upgrade your vehicle parts. And that is, frankly, not enough.
Graphics and World Design - 3.5/5
The world design is good. It's nothing exceptional. But since the graphics try to go into a realistic setting, high expectations should be set.Unfortunately, the areas surrounding the drag strips look like Assetto Corsa track environments. I get you cannot create everything from scratch with the newest technology, but 2d bushes along the road are sometimes not enough.
Settings and Options - 1/5
The settings screen has 3 options you can choose from:- Audio Options
- Controls
- Credits
No changing control schemes, no graphics settings. Just the bare minimum of being able to control how loud things are. Disappointing.
Sound Design - 3.5/5
The sound design is generally good. The hot rods sound believable and the announcer talking is a nice addition.The biggest caveat for this game is having only 1 track in the soundtrack, it seems. It becomes annoying rather quickly.
The Summary - 2.75/5
The game works. It's probably nice for people who are really into drag racing. For the average racing game enjoyer, however, it simply is lacklustre. And for the average gamers, it's not too interesting.Furthermore, $50 is way too expensive. Get it only when it's heavily discounted.
