REVIEW | Draw Rider Remake

“It’s Happy Wheels on Console”

I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I first hit the start button on this game, was it going to be good? was it going to cause rage? or was it going to be something intriguing and unusual enough to hold my interest. I decided to play blind like I always do to begin with and just get into it. Well I was pleasantly surprised and also felt a vague sense of familiarity, “It’s Happy Wheels on console” was my main thought as I zoomed through the training levels. I say zoomed through…I mean I raged and fought and swore at my screen as I managed to get almost to Gold medal times and missed by a tenth of a second. This game though kept me coming back for that legendary one more shot, you know when you swear that you are moving on to the next level if you just have one more shot to get the gold on the level you are on. I do feel that there does need to be a little more polish on some of the levels as there are occasions where it does feel impossible to beat them, but it’s not enough to stop me going back for more. There is so much to do in this game and that is even before you go on to the user generated levels, which are a little bit evil in some cases and downright hilariously good fun in others. So if you were a fan of Happy wheels, have the patience to design your own levels and are looking for that feeling of “JUST ONE MORE SHOT…HONESTLY I’LL EAT LATER” then you might want to pick up Draw Rider Remake today.

ℹ️ Reviewed on Xbox Series X | Review code provided by PR/publisher, this review is the personal opinion of the writer. Got unanswered questions about this game? Get in touch on X!

Developer17Studio
Publisher17Studio

Things I liked!

  • The simplicity | This game is so simple to get into, you are on a vehicle of some kind be it a bike, a scooter or even a Segway, and you get from point A to point B as quickly as you can. I mean nothing could be easier right? WRONG!!! But that’s what makes it such a joy to play, the strangely simplistic design of the levels and the graphics but coupled with the hellishly tantalizing gold medal times. I’ll be honest I’m still going back to the very first map from time to time as I just can’t seem to pick up enough speed to get that medal I so crave, but it hasn’t stopped me from playing. Back to the simplicity of the game… To look at Draw Rider Remake you might be forgiven for passing it by as it isn’t as graphically intense as say the Trial games but who ever said great graphics makes great gameplay? Sometimes simple is better, no distractions, just pure gameplay.
  • Physics | Draw Rider Remake can be hilarious, the physics engine of the game sending your character flying in pieces sometimes as you hit a ledge the wrong way, or maybe you accidently do to many backflips down a set of stairs and CRUNCH it’s goodbye head. In any case the physics based gameplay is a delight, it never feels unfair and you do learn that sometimes braking is necessary. I actually managed at one point to throw my little character off of their bike so hard that the slammed into the end point in under 3 seconds… pity it didn’t count as their head was still stuck to the motor bike. You are going to have a lot of laughs with this game.

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Neither good nor bad

  • The level editor | I feel that this probably would work better with a keyboard and mouse. I’m not exactly the most artistic person in the world though but I feel that trying to draw your own levels with a controller is a little bit tricky. In saying that though I went through the user created submissions and was pleasantly surprised by what was on offer. There were a lot of amazing and fun levels to choose from that people had spent a lot of time creating. I just hope that one day I can flick the little switch in my head that says be creative on and join in making some fun and silly shenanigans for people to enjoy.
  • The music | The music wasn’t too bad, but it wasn’t really anything to write home about either, now I enjoy a good wee tune while I’m playing games but I honestly don’t feel that music is needed in a game like this, all you need is the sounds of the vehicles and the blood curdling screams of your characters as the… Hmmm maybe music is a good idea, something to soothe the rage… Ok Just one more turn!!!

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Things I disliked!

  • The lack of a tutorial | It’s really not that huge of a deal though, but when you change vehicles you are expected to instantly know what you are meant to be doing. A lot of trial and error is needed to progress and I can see it maybe frustrating some players to the point of dismissal of the game. Please don’t let it stop you though, if you enjoy these kind of games just give it a decent chance and maybe you will find yourself having a great time.

How long did I play the review before publishing? 10 Hours
How long to beat the story? N/A
How many Achievements did I earn before publishing? 3
How long to achieve 1000G | A long long time
You’ll love this game if you like these | Happy Wheels, Trials Rising, Turbo Dismount

Conclusion

80/100 ⭐ A wonderful wee game that I will go back to time and time again until I get all the medals…and then…Just One More Shot!