Over the previous few years, iRacing has been increasing past its titular PC sim racing service towards other forms of racing video games on residence consoles. In late 2021 the corporate acquired Orontes Games, the creator of a futuristic off-road racer known as Drag: Outer Zones, adopted by Monster Games, previously the maker of the NASCAR Heat franchise. On Tuesday, iRacing introduced that its subsequent transfer for PlayStation and Xbox gamers might be a complete replace to Drag, bringing a brand new identify: ExoCross.
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This isn’t an enormous shock: Drag grew to become part of iRacing’s portfolio when it purchased Orontes two years in the past. That mentioned, it’s nonetheless stunning to see the iRacing label on a racing recreation that’s about as far-off from iRacing (the sim) as you will get. Drag is presently obtainable in early entry on Steam for PC gamers, however come this fall, it’ll relaunch as ExoCross on trendy consoles, too. From iRacing’s press launch:
The rebrand of DRAG: Outer Zones to ExoCross is the fruits of quite a few gameplay and manufacturing enhancements after iRacing acquired Orontes Games in December 2021. Both Orontes Games and iRacing have collaborated to develop the title. With prolonged updates throughout the board, the iRacing and Orontes groups sought to create branding and a backstory for the futuristic new sport featured within the recreation. The identify ExoCross was chosen as a mirrored image of the rugged, fast-paced, other-world off-road racing current within the recreation.
To full ExoCross, the Orontes group has grown with new devoted roles in design, engine, artwork, gameplay, and AI growth. Improvements to the on-track expertise embrace physics updates, stability and traction management, and the addition of the sport’s increase mechanic to single-player play. Updates to the sport interface embrace all the things from a brand new onboarding circulation to new pre- and post-race presentation sequences. The recreation has been ported efficiently to PlayStation and Xbox to permit for simultaneous PC and console launch.
If you’re accustomed to Drag, that whereas it’s primarily based on a decidedly unrealistic, fantastical idea of off-roading — assume Sony’s MotorStorm, however sooner or later — its physics are nonetheless very refined. Drag’s get together piece is its “four-way contact patch traction technology,” as Orontes describes it, and soft-body tire mannequin all constructed on the group’s proprietary recreation engine. That’s a uncommon factor in 2023, when rattling close to all the things, even automobiles, runs on Unreal Engine.
Even the least grounded arcade racers profit from a cautious, meticulous method to physics — one thing that turns into instantly clear the second you strive Drag for your self. There is a demo obtainable now on Steam, which I fired up shortly earlier than scripting this to acquaint myself with the sport. The environments are a little bit sparse on this outdated construct, however there’s a satisfying physicality to the dealing with right here that makes executing correct drifts a blast. It serves highly effective Wreckfest vibes, and any comparability to Wreckfest is not any small reward.
iRacing says that those that already personal Drag in early entry —it presently prices $29 — will obtain the replace to ExoCross without spending a dime upon the relaunch. It’s nonetheless unclear what 2023 will in the end convey for racing recreation followers, as Forza Motorsport’s launch date stays TBA, Codemasters and EA’s poorly-kept secret of a WRC recreation has unusually but to be unveiled and Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown nonetheless quantities to a CG trailer and some screenshots. ExoCross may very properly be a sleeper amongst larger names.
Source: jalopnik.com