Crashday Redline Edition

Developer: Moonbyte  | Publisher: 2tainment GmbH | Release Date: 2017 | Genre: Action / Racing | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

Are you in the mood for some good old-fashioned racing where you can take to the track without completing a license test and practically assembling the car yourself? What about some arena-based mayhem where you get to shoot or bash other cars to bits? Or maybe you prefer pulling off insane stunts like jumps and loops to rack up a huge score. While a couple of different games specialize in one of these play styles if you are looking for all three, then Crashday: Redline Edition is what you need. If the name sounds familiar, it is because the game was initially released in 2006 and gained a cult following despite being a little on the buggy side. Crashday: Redline Edition is a re-release of the original game, but with a host of upgrades and improvements aimed at pleasing fans and drawing in new players.

Fans of Crashday will be happy to hear that everything that was in the original game is back, but better than ever. According to the developers, they have fixed over 100 bugs compared to the original game, which means the overall experience is much less crash-prone than before. However, the original Crash Day was over a decade old when the Redline Edition was released, which meant a much-needed visual overhaul was also done. The result is reworked textures, new lighting, and an improved HUD and user interface. The good news is that the game now looks much better than ever before, but unfortunately, it is still not cutting edge. Everything seen in the game, such as the real-time deformation of cars when damaged, looks nice enough but has been done better before. Of course, it also means that Crashday: Redline Edition runs extremely smoothly and very fast, which is arguably more important.

It is not just the visuals that got a new coat of paint either. The developers have also ensured that this re-release sports enhanced controls and better gamepad support, providing a more entertaining experience overall. The original soundtrack, which consisted of rock and electronic music, also makes a return along with ten new tracks. We found the sound effects to be a little underwhelming for such a destruction heavy game, but at least the voice acting that is heard during the career mode is quite decent.

In terms of gameplay, Crashday Redline Edition offers seven different game modes that can be played online or offline. Players can hone their skills in a single event, play through the career mode, or try the six mini-games for high-score challenges. Choosing the online mode opens a games browser with a list of games that can be joined. The number of online players appears to be rather small, but racing against other people is a lot more satisfying than beating the AI. Since the game features full Steam integration, you’ll find lobbies, avatar images, voice chat, and so on. Up to 8 players can join the online matches, and some events cater to lone wolves who love versus style challenges, while others are team-based for those who enjoy being a little more cooperative.

The game features 12 different vehicles, most of which can be unlocked with the cash you earn by playing the career mode. This mode is basically a rundown of all the other game modes, which increases in difficulty as you progress and is tied together with a loose storyline about an underground league. Career mode is also where you’ll unlock new tuning parts as you progress through the amateurs, professionals, and finals leagues. Our favorite game mode in Crashday: Redline Edition is the “Wrecking Match,” where you are thrown into an arena with a bunch of other cars, with the objective of being the last one standing. Smashing into other cars to destroy them is fun, but using miniguns and missiles is even better. “Stunt Mode” is also very entertaining and you’ll need to pull off some impressive moves to beat the competition as you scramble to get the most points before time runs out. Of course, standard racing is also present, with or without weaponry, along with a few more unusual modes. For example, in “Hold The Flag,” you must grab the flag, which is a large smiley head, and then race it through checkpoints to score while your opponents try their best to crash into you and take it away. Then there is “Pass The Bomb,” where you try not to be the one holding the bomb when the timer on it runs out and it explodes. Finally, “Bomb Run” is an homage to Speed, where you need to race through checkpoints with a bomb that explodes if you drive too slow. Just to make things a little more interesting, the minimum speed increases with each checkpoint, making things more tense the closer you get to the end. Fans of the original game will find a new addition in a few of the modes in the form of pick-ups, like ammo refills and instant repairs.

While these modes should keep players busy for a while, Crashday: Redline Edition also comes with an easy-to-use tile-based track editor. You have more than 150 blocks at your disposal to create whatever type of track you would like. These tracks can then be shared with your friends, and since the game has full Steam Workshop support, you can also add a whole bunch of mods should you ever grow tired of the vanilla game. With over a thousand tracks and more than 500 cars, there’s something for everyone in the Workshop. If you want to drive around in the Warthog from Halo, the last of the V8 Interceptors, a Kart, or even a Monster Truck, you’ll find all of them and much more in the Workshop.

Fans of the original game looking for a more stable experience and the ability to play online again will love what Crashday: Redline Edition has to offer. It might not be the best-looking game on the market or have the most sophisticated engine, but it packs a lot of content, and more importantly, it is a great deal of fun. Although it doesn’t excel in any particular area, the overall experience is one that we kept returning to repeatedly, making it an easy title to recommend. It is still not without flaws, and we would have liked to see a larger online player base, but the game certainly offers value for money, and the Steam Workshop integration offers a hassle-free way to add interesting new mods.

*Review originally published in 2017.