For many of us, our spirits might be adversely affected by gloomy weather outside, but there’s a virtual world that often looks warm, sunny and fun – that of this arcade speedboat racer, which has been updated with six new Dubai-set races this month.
Tinker, tailor… speedboat racer
The idea of taking to a speedboat on your iPhone or iPad might initially seem novel, but if you’re familiar with other iOS arcade racers like Need for Speed: No Limits, which we have previously reviewed, don’t expect an overly different experience with this one. So, along with racing, there’s buying, upgrading and customizing boats, improving your lifestyle with lavish spending on new houses and furniture, and even chatting up beautiful women…
But the meat and potatoes of this game is, of course, the racing – and what a sumptuous experience it is. The controls are simple – you can steer by either tapping or tilting the device – and the environments, resplendent with bright sun, palm trees and glistening sea, are absolutely gorgeous. The pace, meanwhile, is both zippy and smooth.
Enjoy a lifestyle of sun, racing, and – ahem – women
Similarly satisfying are the huge variety of goals and side missions. So, there are drag races and boss battles to go with the conventional “finish first” races. Meanwhile, away from the track, you can spend time adding colors and designs of your liking to your boat (we love red, as you can see from our screenshots), and even perfecting that smooth lady-talk…
Yes, we are talking about the “fans” element – in which, as you progress through the game, pretty ladies can occasionally pop up to show their interest. Through selecting from a few pre-determined options, you can impress them and turn them into “fans”. Many female gamers in particular might not take to this, but it does fit in with the “playboy” tone.
Don’t expect a free ride – for too long, anyway…
There’s a lot to like here – but not too much opportunity to enjoy it if you’re not willing to cough up for any of the in-app buys. That’s because the limits of Driver Speedboat Paradise’s freemium payment structure can emerge after only a few hours of playing. To continue progressing at the same rate, it can be necessary to spend the in-game virtual currency of gold bars – and these are not abundant without spending actual money.
Of course, if you’re able and willing to spend this money, this isn’t an overly negative point. Still, it’s worth pointing out to any freeloaders, who could nonetheless be tempted by the occasional limited-time special offers that the game will dangle in front of their faces. And, even if they aren’t tempted, there’s still plenty of fun in the – virtual – sun for all players to enjoy here during their wait for the actual summer sun to emerge.
