80s Overdrive Review

80s Overdrive is a classy 2D racer similar to classic 8 and 16-bit racing games such as Rad Racer and Top Gear; but also has a similar feel to SEGA’s classic racing series OutRun. You have to race from start to finish, ideally finishing in first place, to earn the most money and unlock additional tracks. If you fail to win first place, you’ll need to retry until you win.

As you race through various tracks, you’ll need to avoid the traffic and other racers. If you ding another car, whether it be another racer or a non-racer, not only does your car come to a dead stop (more on that later), but your ride will also suffer damage. If you don’t fix it between races, the damage carries over. Same thing with gas. Racing takes gas. And if you don’t fill up between races, you’ll have what’s left to race and hope it’s enough.

Your earnings can also be used to purchase better cars. You’ll often have to evaluate if it’s better to fix your current ride or save up your money to buy a better car to get better chances in races. As with any good racer, you have access to nitrous for a short, temporary boost but it’s limited to twice per race, so use them wisely.

The game’s biggest issue is how unforgiving it is. If you end up banging another racer, your car comes to a dead stop giving the opportunity for everyone to catch and pass you quite easily; more often than not, it’s even impossible to catch up. Trying to predict the A.I. cars’ behavior is nigh impossible and sometimes if you’re about to pass a random, non-racing car, they can decide to just get in front of you giving you zero chances to avoid it. If you hit another car, you might as well hit reset because if you don’t finish first, you’re not unlocking new tracks.

80s Overdrive is a beautiful, colorful racing game with an 80s synthwave aesthetic. While some racing tracks’ backgrounds might be similar, there’s a decent variety of visual styles to accompany you through each race. The soundtrack is an addictive synthwave-inspired score that’s just perfect for the game. It’s also the kind of soundtrack that can easily listen to outside of the game; it’s so soothing and relaxing. Three duos contributed to the game’s soundtrack: Wolf and Raven, ANGST78, and VECTORWOLF.

There’s a saying that says practice makes perfect and 80s Overdrive adheres to that expression. While it is possible to finish races in first place on the first try, the RNG of A.I. drivers is so random that your perfect race can be screwed at the last minute. Despite this, 80s Overdrive is an addictive, fun, albeit slightly unpredictable racer. Whether you were a fan of racers from the NES and Super NES or need something different from AAA racing games, 80s Overdrive is worth the ride.