14 DAY TRIAL // 
NHRA is without a doubt part of the American culture, and while those of us living in Europe or Asia aren’t necessarily big fans of drag racing, the popularity of such competitions is increasing all over the world.
But when it comes to the United States, NHRA has a very special place in the hearts of most Americans. So when hearing that an official game was coming, many people were excited.
NHRA Speed for All is finally here, and at first glance, it comes with a very, very intriguing package. Physics-based drag racing, real-world tracks, drivers, and sponsors, 5 different classes, a career mode, and multiplayer. All of these are packed into the official NHRA game, and you can play it today even on new-gen consoles.
Let’s start with what most people are going to love.
There are 5 classes, namely Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Mode, and Super Modified. The game includes 38 famous drivers, including John Force, Brittany Force, and many others. So when it comes to the fan appeal, the game is definitely ticking all the right boxes.
The concept it’s based on is obviously familiar, especially for people who are already into drag racing. On the other hand, if the world of NHRA is something that sounds intriguing and you’re only now trying to discover it, there’s no doubt you’ll have a lot to learn.
But this is where the career mode comes into play – and I definitely recommend everybody to play the career, not only to discover what the game is all about but also to make the first steps into NHRA. Fortunately, the developing team has created a step-by-step introduction to the NHRA world, so you’ll be provided with a detailed description of everything you have to do from the moment you reach the track (fair warning, though: you can’t skip the dialogues, so if you’re an experienced player, you’re not going to like this).
The game is all about progressing through your career, winning races, making money, and unlocking new vehicles and upgrades. At first glance, this is something that makes perfect sense, especially as you try out new classes. But on the other hand, there’s also a learning curve about upgrades, and this is where you’ll have a hard time figuring out what parts you should get according to your budget. If you’re a car aficionado, however, this is a lot easier.
When it comes to the gameplay, there’s so much to complain about.
First and foremost, NHRA Speed for All feels painfully repetitive. It’s true, this is what drag racing comes down to, but at the end of the day, you won’t have too much to do, other than pressing the throttle, changing gears, and deploying the parachute. You’re going to press the same buttons, and as long as you do it at the right time, you’ll be winning races in no time.
As a result, there’s a good chance you’ll find the game rather boring after only a few races. This is probably the reason the dev team has put so much effort into the career mode, as spending more time off the track kind of reduces the boredom you’re getting during drag races. Obviously, this isn’t necessarily the best approach given you are actually supposed to experience the speed adrenaline, but it’s one way to make the game more interactive.
The graphics are, well, disappointing. I’m playing this game on a PlayStation 5, and to be honest, I think the graphics are rather appropriate for a PlayStation 3. The tracks are poorly designed, and everything you see outside the strip seems to be based on 2D models.
I didn’t necessarily expect stunning graphics anyway, as your eyes will be on the car most of the time, but some animations, such as when deploying the parachute, look kind of ridiculous and make me feel like I’m playing a retro game, rather than a title launched in 2022.
The DualSense controller integration doesn’t exist, so you won’t be getting any feedback. This is disappointing, to say the least, especially when heating up the tires or braking hard – by the way, the game applies an automatic braking assist when you end a race, so technically, there’s no reason to deploy the chute in the first place.
The crash physics are non-exist, and while you do hear the sound of hitting a wall or another car, there’s not much actually happening on the track.
The Good
- Well-built career mode
- Easy to learn
The Bad
- No DualSense integration
- Poor graphics
- Basic physics
- Repetitive gameplay
CONCLUSION
So while the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired, let’s applaud the well-built career, which aside from the lack of an option to skip the dialogues, actually comes with lots of tutorials to introduce beginners into the world of NHRA.
But at the end of the day, NHRA Speed for All feels like a half-baked game that’s still in development, and which is currently out for beta testers only. Well, it’s not, and if you want the PS5 version, you need to pay $79.99 for the Ultimate Edition.
Review code provided by the publisher.
