| Platform | Nintendo Switch |
| Release Date | 7/31/2022 |
| Cost | $19.99 |
| Publisher | Ultimate Studio |
| ESRB Rating | E |
Hot Lap League started life as a mobile title. It shows because there is no gas button. That’s right, the car drives on its own, you only have to worry about steering and power sliding. But don’t run off, because this is a good game. I’m serious, there is a good game here despite the mobile trappings. That’s because the game demands skilled driving from you to get the best lap times.
The game has 150 tracks, 80 of which are in a campaign, the other are daily tracks you run to get gold to buy customization items. All the cars have the same stats, this is important, as the game is a time trial game to get the best times. As I said, all you do is steer and power slide.
The mobile ad screenshot on top doesn’t lie, there are two cars on the track, you and a ghost. The ghost is either a better time, or the medal above you(in the campaign). The ghost is quite helpful, as it shows you the better racing line to take around the track. Your goal is always to drive better than that. It’s harder than it sounds, trust me. But I always felt the need for just one more to shave off fractions of a seconds.
Hot Lap League’s Weaknesses
As much as I enjoyed Hot Lap League, there are a few things holding it back. The lack of a gas button isn’t one of them, my carpel tunnel hands are thankful for that. The most glaring is the lack of a create-a-track. All the tracks take place within a stadium, it wouldn’t be difficult to put in a track creation feature. Then there is the lack of polish in some areas. Like the alpine area is the just the metro area with oddly placed trees and hills. Then there are the lack of car bodies. There are only six, divided into sets of three, depending on if you’re in Alpine or Metro. I wish there were more.
Still, I highly enjoyed Hot Lap League. There is skill involved here and the desire for “just one more run” is there. Therefore, I give this game a Recommended!
Overall: Hot Lap League might be a mobile transplant, but there is skill involved in getting the best track times, and that makes the game good!
Verdict: Recommended
Try Nirvana for a potent mix of racing and visual novel!
