Halfbrick Studios reveal Rocket Racing

I've met a few of the game designers from Halfbrick Studios late last year at Game Connect: Asia Pacific in Brisbane, and while I was a bit disheartened to learn that a few of them have moved on from their 3D artist roots (they were damn good too!), I'm glad to know that they're heading some really great projects that I would love to have a go at myself.

Raskulls looks like an awesomely fun and unique platformer, and now they've just revealed their latest Xbox Live project, Rocket Racing. It looks like Super Sprint meets Thrust for all you crusty types.

“After Halfbrick Blast Off and Halfbrick Echoes made their critically-acclaimed mark on the Xbox Live Indie Games service, developer Halfbrick is on the warpath again, showing off its new futuristic multiplayer racer – Halfbrick Rocket Racing. At first glance, it seems to be presented in a traditional top-down format, but there are two notable twists which simplify the learning curve and ensure fun, intuitive gameplay.

Control of each racing craft is actually handled with just two buttons – the left and right analogue triggers. They power the left and right rockets respectively, so movement is simple – press both at once to move forward, and alternate power to each for turning. Players will be able to customise their controls to find the configuration that suits their playing style, including using the left analogue stick.

Hitting the best racing line and cutting corners won’t always be the best way to win. Players will actually gain a significant speed boost by positioning the rockets against the walls and corners for extra thrust power. The concept is explained via a simple tutorial system in the game, and players will eventually be sliding and boosting around each level with high speed and extreme precision.

Gameplay is focused on shaving seconds off your best times, reminiscent of the legendary Trackmania series. Players can upload their best times on over 40 tracks to the Global Leaderboards and see where they rank among the world’s best. Local multiplayer is available with up to four players taking control of a rocket racer, drifting around corners and sprinkling the course with colorful glowing trails – a simple yet incredibly engaging graphical effect.”