Heat Rush

Heat Rush Walkthrough

Heat Rush - a 3D driving game that's just epic! 'On Your Mark!' Your eyes narrow down... set on the race track before you as sweat trickles down the side of your head, lingering for a few seconds at your temple before rolling down smoothly to your jaw. You can feel it, but you hardly give it any attention. What kind of racer would take the time to grab a hanky and wipe his face dry when the go signal could come off any second from now?! You could hear the purring sound of your engine - you are relaxed and calm, BUT intensely focused.

'Get set...' You take a deep breath and tighten your grip at the clutch and test the accelerator, and let out that smile as your car responds. You wet your lips that have been dried all this time with the tension mounting every second. Your car is like a panther - purring, all coiled, and ready to pounce when the right time comes. 'And GO!' That's it! You step on the ignition and your engine growls... your panther now leaps into action with a high pitched roar as the tires all over the race track paint the race track burnt black. You can't afford to waste any moment. Even the smallest hesitation... being left behind for a mere second could spell defeat. And off you go barreling down the road in Heat Rush - a driving game that fans of the genre will surely love!

For many driving game fans out there, Heat Rush will definitely be familiar. There is no doubt about it - this game is a clone of the famous Out Run and Rad Racer arcade games. For people who are not aware, this line up of racing and driving games can be traced all the way back to Pole Position and it comes with a varied and vast history - extending all the way to the present versions of Need For Speed, Gran Turismo, and those are just to name a few. Just like those driving games, you are in the shoes or rather seat of a racer... giving you a rear view of the racing machine that remains in the center all throughout the game as the scenery flashes by.

Now, for those of you who are frowning with the 'clone' part, guys take it easy. YES, it is a clone BUT it's a very fun one at that. The developers of the game caught A LOT of what made Out Run a HUGE hit that gobbles tokens and quarters day in and day out. The visuals of Heat Rush are really clean and impressive. It comes with three dimensional images that race forward... and do so fast enough to take you a notch or two closer to the real experience, making you feel like the wind is whipping around your eyes. As for the control scheme, they are very tight and responsive. It's easy to get carried away by this driving game. Unless you are someone who has nerves of steel or someone who is as emotionless as your virtual car, it's easy to find yourself leaning forward, sometimes back and forth, as your tires screech to the outer edge of the race truck. All in all, I must say that Heat Rush did an excellent job of translating the speed, the feel, the emotion of racing and especially cornering into a flash game.

That said, Heat Rush is NOT a perfect game. It got a couple of things wrong - some minor BUT some are BIG in my opinion. As for me, my largest caveat is that the upgrade and achievement system severely limits your ability to customize and add your personal touch to your car. Now, some of you may be saying: "Well, back in Out Run's heyday, they don't have customization options." Yes, BUT hey, it's already 2011 and the custom shop became an essential part of any racing or driving game. In Heat Rush, any upgrade you are dreaming about is directly tied to the goal-based achievements. That means if you can't get any of those achievements, you can kiss your dreams of upgrading your car goodbye.

That said, Heat Rush is still epic... PERIOD! From turbo starts, mind-blowing crashes, and victorious laps, this game did a good job of capturing the heart of the racing games of the past... racing games that never failed to capture our imaginations and emotions. So enough talk, step into your car, strap yourself in and get ready to set the road ablaze!