I'll be honest, I simply don't have the nerve to speed on a two wheel death machine down the open highway, squeezing between cars and trucks - but that doesn't stop me thinking it looks cool. This may be why I enjoy motorcycle games so much; they just look like so much fun - a fact that the endless-arcade Crazy Moto Racing 3D clearly aims to capitalize upon.
Tilt and ride
Like so many 'endless' games at the moment, the underlying goal of Crazy Moto Racing 3D is to zoom as fast and as far as possible along the course before you smash into another road user or hit the side of the perfectly straight road. Avoiding these obstacles is made simple by means of the game’s responsive tilt controls. These are sensitive enough that you don't have to do the 90° manipulation of your device so many other games demand (meaning you won’t end up looking like a fool if you decide to play in public).
As you start each run, however, the quality of these controls feel a touch wasted. The three lane carriage way is not overly busy for a good 20 seconds at the start of each run. Fortunately, simply holding your finger on the touch screen activates the boost to send you rocketing forward – speeding this wait up.
Each of the bikes has a boost limit that dictates your top speed and score multiplier for each car passed. The only downside to this system is that releasing the screen almost instantly resets your speed, and therefore your score bonus. The result is an interesting risk/reward trade off as you choose between avoiding damage and your score.
Of course, this isn't an issue at first, but as cars do start to appear in greater numbers it does get problematic. Three lanes is a lot of space for a bike by itself, but approaching walls of cars often leaves little to no room for error.
The road ahead
As the game speeds up - which it does at regular intervals - this becomes an ever greater challenge. This led to me cursing Crazy Moto Racing 3D's perspective. The game's top-down viewpoint meant that I frequently found myself without time to react to the fast approach of my rider’s unfortunate demise.
That said, at one point I thought I had found a guaranteed way to victory. Lining up my bike with one of the central white lines and holding my phone REALLY still, it was possible to shoot forward unimpeded. Or so I thought. The initial cars all remained in their designated lanes, but it didn’t take long until they started indicating. As you would expect, this led to them changing lane - an act that resulted in my rider sprawled unfortunately across the highway.
Considering all of the environments and cars seem to be 3D models, it’s a shame that the game doesn't let you move the camera angle. Just a few set positions would allow a better view of the road ahead, avoiding all of these perspective issues – while also offering a better appreciation of the different colorful cars and bold environments that you zip past.
New views would also give you a better appreciation of your bike, which I am sure would be particularly welcomed by players who decide to spend money in-app to unlock the various hogs on offer faster. Each machine has its own look and stats. Plus, if you don’t feel like paying, they can all be earned by investing in the entertainingly bite-sized grind.
Well tuned
Crazy Moto Racing 3D is a cheerful, fun, and free endless racer. While it may not be the best example of the genre on the market, its clean look and tight controls make it worth a download if you are a genre fan.
Download Crazy Moto Racing 3D 1.3.1 in