This week the mercury is rising, Covid-19 is running rampant and as 2021 teeters on the precipice; staying indoors, if possible, seems to be the only way out. More time at home though needs more content to keep oneself occupied and thus this week we look at two free games to keep yourself occupied and beat the heat.
Project Cars Go
The first, Project Cars Go is a first-time mobile move for the franchise that offers some of the most authentic racing experiences. This game, though, is designed by a different studio and leverages the Project Cars title. The first impressions of the game show how much this game is inspired by CSR Racing. The tier system of cars, the upgrades to parts, tuning of vehicles, and the fuel system that controls gaming time are all extremely similar.
Different though is the racing mechanism — the drag races have received a nice visual overhaul as pre-race the cars’ tires need to be warmed up and then the cars’ launches are immediate. The game wonderfully re-creates drag race launch conditions. After launch, the drag race experience is just like any other, one that focuses on your ability to shift gears at the right time.
The new addition here is a circuit race system but it is designed as a variation of drag racing. There is no direction control or active braking here as the tracks have specific colour zones where taps perform gear shifts, brakes, and bursts of acceleration. The timing governs if you had a perfect shift, brake, or pick-up. The experience, while interesting the first few times, becomes repetitive after a while. The grind here is not as fun as it is in CSR. However, if racing is your thing, this game could be it as you chain perfect combos together.
University Tycoon
The second game is University Tycoon and for those of us who loved the tycoon games growing up on PC, this could be something you could lose yourself in. Extremely good-looking, the game allows you to not just make your own university in an idyllic picturesque location but also lets you decide how to run one.
Like all tycoon games, the build-up can take time but the options are limited here and the choice in positioning of buildings and key infrastructure isn’t possible. After the first few days, the game can get slow as build times can get longer and you have not much to do but build, upgrade and recruit.
A slow methodical game, if you have the time, you could be finishing this in 3-4 weeks. Give it a try if the tycoon game style intrigues you, have low expectations though.
Sneak Peek:
| Title | Project Cars Go |
| Developer | GAMEVIL |
| Game Type | Racing |
| Platforms | Android, iOS |
| Price | Free to Play with in-game purchases |
Verdict:
| Innovative Gameplay: | 3 |
| Game Handling & Quality | 4 |
| Value for Time | 3 |
| Potential Progression without in-game purchases | 4 |
| Overall | 3.5 |
| What Stands Out | Fails to impress |
| The cars are spectacular looking and the track effects superb | This is a racing game in all but name, almost impossible to lose in |
| The drag race tyre warmup and launch sequence is fantastic | The game could have been so much more than a CSR Racing refresh |
Sneak Peek:
| Title | University Empire Tycoon |
| Developer | Codigames |
| Game Type | Racing |
| Platforms | Android, iOS |
| Price | Free to Play with in-game purchases |
Verdict:
| Innovative Gameplay: | 3 |
| Game Handling & Quality | 3.5 |
| Value for Time | 3 |
| Potential Progression without in-game purchases | 3 |
| Overall | 3 |
| What Stands Out | Fails to impress |
| The design and style of the university and its buildings are fantastic | There is just too little to do after a while, the single building team can only do so much |
| The concept of the game is well thought, elements like timetable/schedule design give the game a nice touch | After a couple of weeks, there is not enough content to keep you around |
Source: Telangana Today