Superstars V8 Racing is the first officially licensed game of the Superstars Series organized by FGSPORT. As such, the game features official teams and drivers (11 and 19, respectively), as well as 10 full tracks.
Superstars V8 Racing also has a few settings that allow you to set the game up to behave like an arcade machine without wear and damage, or as a simulation that requires a bit more finesse when navigating each course.
The game features only a handful of Game Modes, with online multiplayer and five single player modes, including Quick Race, Training, Race Weekend, and Superstars Licensees. The heart of the game is, of course, in its final single player mode of play, the Championship. Here, you'll select a driver and get into time trials, after which you'll get the opportunity to tweak out your car's different systems, including the tires and suspension, among a few others. One thing I've enjoyed about Superstars V8 Racing is that in longer races, you really need to watch your turns and preserve your tires. The harder you are on them, the looser your ability to stick turns becomes, assuming you enable it in the global settings.
Another thing that I've noticed is that it was a bit too easy to figure out small cheats when taking corners. The usual is that if you cut too many corners, you'll incur a penalty delay where your top speed is severely limited for a short period of time. Unfortunately, some corners can be taken out of play if you take a slightly different line into them. While at times this may not make a huge difference because the grassy ground surrounding the pavement will slow you down, there are instances where sliding across the sand can benefit greatly.
I've also found that the overall gameplay feels a bit simplified when compared with some other top-quality racing titles from the past, which includes the tweaking of the car's limited statistics. However, at its price point of $20 USD, Superstars V8 Racing is good for a handful of hours of entertainment. While the single player experience is certainly enjoyable, it's the multiplayer experience that will likely keep you coming back. Up to 12 players can compete on all 10 tracks.
That is the one thing that most gamers will be anticipating with this download title, online multiplayer. The racing allows for a host of human players and includes the option to also use A.I. cars within the same race. As far as online gameplay goes, it is a bit of a mixed bag. Locally, the gameplay is very smooth and runs the same as if you're offline. Unfortunately in my testing, other players' cars would pop around on the racetrack more often than is comfortable due to a lag in the system/connection. There are also design problems present that allow rogue players to smash into you or even stop on the track and act as a roadblock for you the next time around the track instead of being booted.
