Throttle Trace

I'm new to the genre but it's easy to tell that this is an instant classic. From the moment I opened the game (which plays flawlessly on my mbp), I was blown away by the smoothness of everything. The game opens with a tutorial but doesn't feel like one -- you're just instantly racing and getting a feel for gameplay mechanics. And these mechanics will take you by surprise! Tire heat and wear, weather conditions, vehicle tuning -- there is so much to unpack and by the time the intro session is done, you're left wanting more. This is where the true brilliance of this title shows. The passion and craft of the indie dev behind Throttle Trace is apparent in every detail -- soundtrack and race samples, the dialogue from your racing manager, seeing tire marks from where I took a turn way too hot on my first lap, even the navigation through menu screens -- this game has obviously been built with a painstaking eye for perfection. It's one of those titles where you can tell the developer poured themselves and countless hours into every detail. And this is only the EA! I haven't had enough time with the game yet to play around with the track editor, but man, this game has a LOT of impressive functionality built into it. In the age of AI, it's also even more compelling to know that this was truly all coded by hand. It truly feels like you're playing a work of art. I think the best sign of a first impression playing a game is simple: you get lost in it. That's exactly how I felt in Throttle Trace. I was immersed in a world I didn't know I was missing (who knew slot-car style F1 racing could be so complex and compelling!), and what I thought would be a few minutes checking out the new download quickly turned into looking out the window and realizing the sun set some time ago. If you're on the fence about trying out this title, I'd say go for it, you won't regret it. In fact, you'll probably be blown away like I was.