It’s been a long time coming but, the wait is finally over and Herocraft’s Protoxide: Death Race is finally here on Android and it might just be that the waiting has been well worth it. If you’ve ever played Wipeout from the PlayStation days then you’re going to really enjoy this. With good-looking 3D graphics and a brilliant setting, there’s a lot to love to about Protoxide: Death Race. Read on to find out why.
Description: What happens after the world ends? What happens when the law has abandoned the land and there’s nothing but violence and recklessness to solve disputes? Gangs control what used to the great cities of the planets and reckless races are held to settle disputes. In Protoxide: Death Race you’re treated to some excellent 3D graphics and futuristic super-cars that look like they’ve been taken straight out of Hollywood. There are various different game modes – including an online multiplayer – 16 tracks and 4 unique types of locations. Take a look at the video to see more:
How it Works: As with anything, you’ll have to go and download the game from the Play Store here, once you have done, you’ll have a download of around 80 MB to download afterwards so, if your data allowance is precious to you, then you should save this for WiFi. Once you’ve got the game installed, you’ll be asked to choose an avatar and name yourself:
There’s a decent tutorial in the game, which will take you through all of the things you need to be aware to have an awesome time playing through the game. There are tips throughout the game as well, even at loading screens:
For the most part, controls are a simply tilt affair. However, the tilt in the game seems to be pretty sensitive and takes a little time to get used to. Once you’re used to it though, cornering is really quite easy. On the bottom left of the screen you’ll see the brake pedal and a Nitrous button, as well as a pause button in the top-right corner.
Nitrous is one aspect that plays a big part in the game and the tutorial will take you through how to use it effectively:
Throughout races, you’ll come across different upgrades and weaponry to collect. When you collect these various power-ups they appear on your vehicle and you can use them as you come across enemies, or to upgrade your vehicle’s health.
When you come across something to attack, the game automatically locks on to it and will fire whatever weapons you have equipped:
There’s also a shield ability that you should be aware of as well, which defends your vehicle from incoming attacks and bumps, just hit the button in the bottom right of the screen to activate it:
Opinion: There are so many things to Protoxide: Death Race that make it brilliant, chief among them is the excellent presentation. The 3D graphics are really good and while they’re not up to the level of other Android games emerging there area a whole host of extras that make it look and feel better than anything else. It’s all about attention to detail, from the fact that upgrades and different weapons show up on your vehicle, down to the different sounds you’ll hear as you fly around the track there’s so much to take in. Upgrading your vehicle and playing online make this game feel a cut above the rest and it plays brilliantly. Once you get used to the controls, it’s an addictive game to be playing, and it can be hard to put down.
Ratings
- Speed (5/5) – Death Race is all about speed and here the game runs well and it keeps a high framerate throughout.
- Features (4/5) – There’s a lot that make this a fully-loaded game, lots of weapons, different vehicles, brilliant settings and more all come together to deliver a feature-packed game.
- Theme (5/5) – Details are extremely important and you definitely see the time and effort put into making sure every last detail has had added shine added to it.
- Overall (5/5) – Arcade games like these work really well on the mobile platform and Protoxide: Death Race is an excellent game to play and to recommend to others.
Pros
- Lots of weapons and vehicles to make the game feel fully-featured.
- Brilliant graphics and high framerates make this a game to really enjoy.
- The game’s soundtrack is brilliant as well, with the wind whistling past your car and different sounds at every corner.
- Variety of tracks.
- Great setting that will have you coming back for more.
Cons
- The controls take some getting used to.
- The tutorial can be a little long.
Conclusion: It’s been a long time since I had as much fun playing an Android game as this, not only does it bring back memories of playing Wipeout on the PlayStation but it’s one of the few games I can stand to play with tilt controls. The simple target locking makes it an easy game for anyone to get involved with and there’s no need master a complex targeting system. Controls are more than easy to learn and the tutorial at the beginning of the game – while perhaps a little long – takes you through everything you need to know. When it comes down to it, Protoxide: Death Race is a great game to pick up and play and one that’s easily recommended to friends.