Continuing into 2024, I continued playing racing games. I tried to make it my main genre. You just drive. That's all. It was supposed to be simple and fun. Like an action RPG or shooter, just racing. That's what I thought. But it didn't work out that way. WRC 6 is a serious simulator after all. Constant drifts, speed control. I just kept doing laps in that rally in single races. Just for fun.
Forest, summer. Winter, fields. Sand, desert. I've been everywhere. I played the most at the beginning of the year. In winter. And I loved the summer tracks. Fields and flowers. Everything was so beautifully done. I played it more as a driving simulator. Of course, I never won.
I always came in last. But I enjoyed driving it. Beautiful cinematic graphics. Very realistic textures. Good dynamics. Everything is great! The cockpit view is like a separate game altogether. But I drove in third-person. Standard view. What I call it – a rear view.
In short, as a summer resident, I really enjoyed driving on summer tracks. But it's still a rally. Not a road trip. And I was getting a bit tired of the sharp turns. And I tried some other racing games. Redout is fantastic, like the idea of a futuristic racing genre like Wipeout. With gliders. Supersonic, super-fast cars of the future that look like triangles, for example. Fantastic view. It's varied. I tried some other things there.
And I focused my attention on Rush Rally 3. Also a rally. Also a race. Very similar to Colin McRae Rally 1, 2, 3. Something like that. But then again, it's its own twist. It can even be played like an arcade. And that's what I like. I'm a big fan of arcade games like Outrun 2006, Need For Speed 2, 3, 4. I discovered a new star in the world of racing games.
There are lots of cars to choose from. You can upgrade them, install different parts. Change the appearance. Put on stickers. Everything is beautiful. And there are lots of tracks. You earn points and spend them on new cars. On upgrades. It's a fun concept. The graphics are nice, nice. It's fun and plays well.
There are lots of tracks. Day and night. Winter and forest in summer. And everything is there. And they've brought in some nice graphics too. It's a nice arcade-style design. And the tracks are fun to drive. Essentially, they're arcade racing. And grinding. So, you compete in championships for points. And that's what you do. Then you make upgrades and new purchases. Those are the tours. A championship is a series of races. And you have to finish. Yes, there is damage to the car. And that needs to be repaired too. Otherwise, the car will drift to the left or handle poorly. The damage model is conveyed so well here.
It's nice to play with a gamepad. I played both WRC6 and Rush Rally 3. I also played a trashy but fun arcade game called Planes, Bullets, and Vodka. It's about that airplane from my childhood. For the Dendy console. Also with a gamepad. Simple and tasteful. The game has special effects. The screen shakes.
Then, at the beginning of the year, I played Left 4 Dead. And sometime in the fall, I tried Counter-Strike Source. Both games are from Valve. I'm very grateful for Steam, of course. So, I bought something and played it. I really liked it. I'm a fan of zombie games. It's a very atmospheric game. And stylish. It's like an action movie.
The setting. The camera. The action. As they say. The levels are like individual, long, intense episodes. There aren't many weapons, but they have their own unique behavior. And that still solves the issue of variety. Thanks to their unique behavior. You can be a sniper. Or an active shooter. Or something else.
Then Counter-Strike Source. Also just for running around with bots. But without the cinematics. But on different maps. Dumb shooters are generally great for relaxing. And this kind of game with bots—it's really nice to play in the evening. I was playing it this fall. Everyone's running somewhere. There's some kind of fuss going on. I even thought I'd found a game to play in the evenings. And not just on weekends.
Playing little games. From time to time i like to play videogames. And write about it.
Dima Link is making retro videogames, apps, a little of music, write stories, and some retro more.
