Pocket Racing 2 Review

Pocket Racing 2 is the free-to-play successor to Pocket Racing, and while the graphical updates are subtle there are several feature additions that set this sequel apart from the first installment. The Pocket Racing series hearkens back to classic 2D top-down racers and introduces a lot of great options and features that successfully modernize the genre.

In Pocket Racing 2, the player steers their car left and right via on screen buttons or tilt controls. The tilt controls are incredibly touchy though, and don't include any custom sensitivity options making them almost impossible to use on some of the game's more winding tracks. The player's car accelerates and shifts gears automatically, and all the player has to do is steer it around each track in a way that will allow the car to travel as fast as possible at all times. This is accomplished by hugging the curves, or sticking to the inside of the track at the right times. Sometimes, figuring out the best way to steer around a certain track is more like a puzzle game than a racing game.

There are eight tracks and four cars available for free, giving players a surprising amount of content right off the bat. The tracks are varied and they all have great twists and turns that keep players on their toes. The four cars are all tuned differently, and the fourth is actually a custom car that players can tune themselves by changing up the gear ratios, turning sensitivity, and downforce. This was a paid option in the original but is available for free in this edition. There are also two car packs available for in-app purchase: a super car pack with faster sports cars, and a Grand Prix pack with the game's fasted Formula One type cars.

There are lots of great modes included for free in the game like a world tour mode where the player races CPU opponents, a practice mode, a time trial mode where players try to set the best lap times on a track, and a cone challenge mode where players must weave through cones placed on the tracks. The last two modes also allow players to download races raced by anyone on the Pocket Racing 2 leaderboards and race against that player's ghosted car.

For a free racing game there is a lot of content to enjoy with no purchases and the car packs seem geared towards the game's more advanced players anyway, meaning the game is still lots of fun for the average player. The simple graphics are clean and work really well. The controls are responsive and the racing is tons of fun. There's no reason not to give Pocket Racing 2 a try.