Driving is a stressful experience nowadays and while there are ways to reduce anxiety behind the wheel, I don't think anyone really pays attention to the “zen driving” concept. art of rally is a new indie game that is trying to convey that feeling of stress-free driving while taking us back to the origins of rally racing.
Although historically many consider that the first rally race took place nearly 130 years ago, the history of the rally started with Monte Carlo in early 1911. The rally scene truly evolved after the Second World War and became very serious in the 60s and 70s.
In art of rally, players get the opportunity to drive more than 50 cars from the 60s, 70s, 80s, Group B, S, and A on 60 rally stages inspired by tracks from Finland, Germany, Japan, Norway, and Sardinia. However, this isn't your traditional rally game where you have to learn how to drive and fine-tune your cars before every race.
The most obvious difference between traditional rally games and art of rally is the camera view. Developer Funselektor Labs went for a bird's eye camera view instead of the typical cockpit view and has done away with all the meters of stats. Instead, you get a better view of the track and the surroundings.
art of rally is trying to bring back the rally nostalgia without using licensed cars. Still, connoisseurs will recognize most if not all of the real-life rally cars that are depicted in the game disguised under names like “la regina” (Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT), “the meanie” (Mini Cooper), “le gorde” (Renault 8 Gordini), or “la montaine” (Ford Escort RS1600).
Photo: autoevolution
Before you start your journey through the history of rally, the game pokes a little fun with a warning about being careful how you drive and how trees are your enemies. The tutorial kicks off immediately in the form of a free-roam mode that allows you to familiarize yourself with the controls and make the necessary adjustments.
Of course, the meaty part of the game is the career mode where you'll race on real-life tracks from various countries and unlock new cars as you progress. Rally events have multiple stages and, as expected, you're required to race against time in each phase. art of rally is a simple car racing game, so it's no surprise that the controls are very basic. The art of mastering art of rally is to know when and how to use your brakes and handbrakes without driving off the road.
I was completely taken by surprise by how hard it is to maintain your car on the road in tight turns. Learning how to maintain a drift requires patience and quite a lot of time, especially on higher levels of difficulty when you need to beat certain times.
What's great about art of rally is that each car in the game drives quite differently and thanks to the progression system, you're gradually introduced to new cars that are faster and require a new driving style.
Photo: autoevolution
Although art of rally remains a car racing game, the main attraction is by far the minimalist aesthetic. Many times during my races I was blown away by the scenery, be it a solitary ship stuck in time on a frozen lake in Norway, or the cherry blossoms blooming in Japan. The low-poly visual style looks so good in this game and fits perfectly with the amazing soundtrack: a mixture of retro and synthwave tunes composed by Tatreal.
Conclusion
art of really wants you to think it's a chill car racing game, but underneath the zen aspect there are some really solid driving mechanics that you need to master before winning your first championship. For what it's worth, art of rally succeeds in what it sets out to do: ensuring that the player is having a stress-free driving experience.
But above all else, art of rally is a love letter to motorsport fans, one that lets them experience the entire history of rally spanning over 30 years. Rating: 85/100
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