'Circuit Superstars' may well be racing GOTY material.
PlayStation-owning racing fans have their eyes firmly trained on March 4, when Gran Turismo 7 brings the flagship driving series back home after a four-year absence. Yet this year has already delivered what may be the console’s most enjoyable racer of 2022–alongside proof that great things come in small packages, in more ways than one.
Circuit Superstars landed with little fanfare on the PS4 on January 28, after dropping on Xbox One and PC in October (with a Switch port incoming). This cute-looking, top-down, miniature racing game is the first work of the similarly tiny Canadian developer Original Fire Games, staffed by just half a dozen car-crazy creatives who want to make cheerful, satisfying games.
Their ethos shines through: Circuit Superstars really does deliver the joy of six.
From minute one, Circuit Superstars is evocative of 2020’s superb Art of Rally, right down to its pastel color scheme, simple and functional menus, and relaxing atmosphere. It also boasts an impressive selection of unlicensed cars, which nod to classic rides from the annals of history.
You’ve got the Feather, a Caterham 7; the Impact channels NASCAR vibes; the Storm, Mantra, and Osprey mimic different eras of Formula 1; the Puccini is a Fiat 500; the Agitator appears to be a Toyota T100 Baja Truck; the delightfully named Bonk is a racing truck.
Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, but from the get-go, this won’t be immediately obvious, because you have to understand your own shortcomings pretty damn quickly. Circuit Superstars is deceptively devilish, to the point you’re all but guaranteed to have an absolute shocker on your debut.
Still, after one lap, you’ll be hooked. Even on the first cup on its lowest difficulty, Circuit Superstars is much more of a simulation than you’re led to expect.
Despite their dinky appearance, cars have a real weight to them; handling is about planning rather than responding. Despite no full DualSense support on PS5, you still feel every apex, skid, and most definitely endure the brute force of a cone or wall. You’ll feel more at one with your vehicle than you ever would driving every single one of Forza Horizon 5’s 570-something cars (save for the 1993 Nissan 240SX SE on an S1 900 tune).
Whatever or wherever you're racing, 'Circuit Superstars' is as beautiful as it is tricky.
With Circuit Superstars, a careful but daring approach is of the essence. Penalties also slow your car down for infractions, such as cutting corners or riding walls–an admirable way of stopping more cynical gamers from making a mockery of its unique mechanics, especially online. Even the AI isn’t immune to punishment, giving you added incentives to force your rivals to make errors.
With some car models, it’s a Ridge Racer-style throttle game, where braking isn’t always necessary; others, like the Agitator, have the turning circle of a ship and need a twitchy left finger to stay on course.
Nailing just one corner per lap feels amazing, and soon, you get to grips with your chosen car, battling through the field, slipping up, only to fight your way back all over again. Chaining together a string of perfect turns feels almost indulgent.
Things only take a turn for the more exciting as the game unfolds to offer offroad racing, complete with jumps, pitched turns, and tricky chicanes. Every day feels like a school day, especially as you mix and match your rides with less suitable terrain. All the while, you only have yourself to blame for mistakes, but the satisfaction of clawing yourself back into a championship fight is enthralling.
The thrill of racing even extends to carefully timed pitstops.
The only thing more difficult than Circuit Superstars on its harder modes is naming criticisms of the overall experience. Sure, the lack of anti-aliasing ironically takes the edge off of its softer palette; occasionally, you yearn for just the slightest bit of rubber-banding when the first-place car breaks from a calamitous pack; some crashes feel much more punishing to momentum than they should.
Yet Circuit Superstars is a triumph. It only has the potential to get better, too: alongside its planned Q2 release for Switch, the team plans to add new circuits, cars, cosmetics, and more every three months.
Those looking for an arcadey Micro Machines-like experience may be disappointed for a few minutes before they realize what they have to experience instead. For simulation racers, it offers a fun alternative to the norm, especially online, where competition can get fierce both directly and through weekly time trials–even if your main enemy still remains yourself.
Most of all, though, Circuit Superstars feels and plays like a game made with love. Even the occasional one-dev indie title can feel a little lacking in this department, but with every turn you take, and every detail you notice, and every precious win, this here gives you something you can’t help but smile at.
