Bugs. No matter how well you code or how much you test, there’s bound to be one or two bugs in your software. One of the most reported bugs we got on Repulze was a rather curious one; the steering arrows slowly inched closer and closer towards the center of the screen. “How does a thing like that even occur?” you might wonder.
The answer was found in a small feature that scaled the buttons depending on device. On an iPhone, the touch area for the buttons felt too small relative to the bigger screen of an iPad, so we scaled up the buttons automatically on iPhone and iPod.
Unfortunately, this happened every single time you started a new race! So for each race, the touch zone for the buttons were slightly scaled up and since the actual button graphic remains centered within the touch zone, it looked like the steering arrows moved. Simple.
The bug was quickly fixed and now we continue working on Phase 2!
Phase Two will be the first free content update and, basically, it’ll add new tracks and features. The plan is to have it released early February and so far we’re on schedule. We’ll announce and leak more info on this blog in the near future. So stay tuned!
First tweak-and-fix patch incoming!
We’ve submitted a first tweak-and-fix patch Tuesday 8/1 and are hoping it’ll be available soon.
CHANGES:
Touch and tilt controls have been tweaked and improved.
Stay up-to-date with the Repulze Phase Two blog linked from the main menu.
Minor bug fixes.
The hope is that this will address much of the controller feedback out there. Internally, with these tweaks, we’ve shaved off several seconds per race. Also, last but not least. Thank you for all the support and feedback! We are listening to you and these are a few changes that didn’t make it into this patch but will be available in Phase Two at the latest:
Drag-to-steer controls (Similar to a stick, but.. well.. different)
An early preview of the work done so far on the Phase 2 update for Repulze. In this phase, the racing moves from the big city out to the wastelands among canyons, mines and military outposts. More info about the update will be released as the development proceeds, so stay tuned!
Yet another game release under the belt! This makes for Pixelbite’s 10th game! This time it’s a futuristic hovercraft racer running in a smooth 60fps. Take a look if you enjoy a good speed induced adrenaline rush! In the mean time, we’ll continue working on the upcoming Phases. As usual with our games, the first release is just the beginning!
The Drift mode in Reckless Racing is a little different from the regular race modes. This is a short primer to introduce you to the new mechanics and get you drifting like a pro. Soon you’ll realize that racing is a lot more fun while sideways and really not all that difficult. After all, you only need to turn a little harder in a corner to start drifting. Then it’s all about balancing the slide with the steering to stay on the road.
Take a look at our video tutorial below, or continue reading this post.
The cars
Kazen 86 and Super XR are the two drift kitted cars in Reckless Racing. It’s highly recommended you upgrade them to fit your drifting style:
Focus on upgrading handling over power for an easier controlled car.
More power and less handling mean more aggressive drifting which can yield more points but is also more difficult – and, some would say, more fun!
The Drift rules
Fast lap times are not your concern while drifting; drift mode is all about earning drift points! As soon as you start going sideways the drift score counter appears above your car and starts ticking. The better and longer your drift is the faster the points tick in. The quality of your drift is determined by the following:
Duration
Angle
Speed
Duration is by far the most important factor. Aim to keep your drift going for as long as possible, by any means necessary. Taking the long way around the track is usually better than going for the apex in every corner. A good drifter can even sustain a single, continuous drift over a whole lap. This is done by linking drifts together, meaning that if you start a new drift immediately after another one ended, they will count as one. This is key to truly dominate the leaderboards and a pro drifter always plans one corner ahead in order to set up a chain.
Score and bonus
Regardless of how your drift ends (even by crashing), you will always receive the current points from the drift score counter. But if you end the drift in a controlled manner, by straightening out your car, you’ll get double (2X) the current points.
Advanced techniques
If you let go of the accelerator your car will slide more sideways instead of pulling forward. This is good if you turned too early and think you are going to hit the inside barrier.
Learn the minimum angle required for drifting to keep a drift going through the more straight parts of the track.
Different routes might need different car setups. More twisted and bendy tracks generally benefits from more traction.
Use the whole road. Sticking to the outer edge of corners may give you enough room to extend a drift until the next corner.
The better your current drift is, the more time you have to start a new one for a successful chain. Very short drifts can’t be chained.
The Drift mode is available in Reckless Racing 2 for iOS, and Reckless Racing Ultimate for Win8. Android version is coming later.
Finally the super-duper secret “Project Future” is now revealed! The real title for our latest game is Repulze. It’s a futuristic racing game that takes the genre to a new level. With beautiful graphics, super-fluid gameplay based on polarity energy and repulse power technology you’re in for whole new racing treat! In addition you’ll have nine challenging levels to master, six slick hovercrafts to obtain and 10 ranks to climb. Check out the teaser!
UPDATE: Repulze will have multiple game modes, also known as Phases. The first phase to be released is a solo racing time trial where the goal is to push the speed limit to the max!
Now that the production of Reckless Racing Ultimate is coming to an end, we have started on a fresh, new secret project that is to be announced later this year.
Pixelbite is excited to announce Reckless Racing Ultimate for Xbox Games for Windows 8. It will be available at launch and can be played on any PC, laptop, or tablet with Windows 8.
Reckless Racing Ultimate is the fusion of both previous Reckless Racing games in one – with added exclusive content and features tailored for Xbox Games and Windows 8. There are 50 beautifully crafted race routes with a selection of 24 cars and trucks to master.
Something very common among many game developers today is DLC’s and title updates for their games. The idea is to add content to an already existing game to make the lifetime longer and/or improve the game. We’re no different than other game developers in that sense, and want to expand Reckless Racing 2 with new content based on what our fans want to see. For Reckless Racing 2 we have been working on a new race mode that really feels like a perfect match; Drift. But adding something new like this is rarely as easy as it seems! [···]
Nothing can ever get in the way of the holy “fika” break in Sweden… Riots will break out, martyrs will be made and heads will roll if fika breaks were to be abandoned, ask any Swede!
