MotorHeat by Milkstone Studios is a well made Xbox Live Indie Game that lacks that extra coat of paint which would have made it a must buy.  The 3D graphics lack detail, but the game packs some serious speed and looks good in motion.  The game is also instantly approachable and simple to play.  The left stick moves your “Fastest Car in the World” left and right, avoiding other cars and obstacles, while the A-button or right Trigger activates the booster rocket strapped to the back of your car.  The game is a simple arcade racer that immediately reminded me of OutRun with a little bit of Burnout’s risk/reward system thrown in for good measure.

The one word that sums this game up is: Simple.  The game features 1 mode – Sprint which is a never ending level and arcade challenge to get the highest score.  Your can increase your score by snatching up power-ups and passing cars closely.  Crashing zaps your boost and chips away at your time.  Simplicity isn’t all bad though.  I could’ve used some more substance and gameplay modes, but the music, controls and pure speed of the game all work really well.  The level changes on the fly and offers some good variety too.  It’s a tough call at 240 MS points ($3.00) since it lacks longevity…then again it’s only $3 so what do you expect.

MotorHEAT is a pretty good arcade racing game. If it’s price were a little lower,  I would forgive its simplicity, but at $3 I think there needs to be a little more substance. How hard would it be to add a survival mode or some other basic challenges?  If you ever played  OutRun, give this game a try.

You may be interested in: