One of the best things to do with mobile gaming is to be able to immerse yourself into a world that you could never have dreamed of. Be it swords and sorcery or lampoon car races, mobile games are available for everyone across the planet. Rival Stars Horse Racing provides you with the opportunity to race amongst the best in the world in the palm of your own hand.
Gameplay
The game gives a background on the race you are destined to be in and it goes into intricate details about it with cut scenes that explain not only where you are but why you are the way you are.
It is a story of redemption and reclaiming your family’s name by the choices you make. The way you start the game is much like games like Need for Speed Underground in that you start with a relatively lowly horse but make your way up to the next champion, only to take over and start winning races. As the game progresses, you can upgrade your horses depending on how you train them and if you have the cash to do so.
The graphics are pretty great for a mobile game and it gives you a feel like you are really in the middle of a horse race on which your livelihood could depend. You can change between viewing the racer from his or her perspective to an aerial view depending on how you want to maneuver your horse. Whether you are in front, behind, or midfield, the game has been designed so that you can see how the other horses are going while you are running. Just as in real life each race ends with a photo finish to remove any doubt about who won the race.
If you make enough money on your races you can even upgrade the stable where your horse lives and trains. In between games, some characters are willing to help and give you options of what you need to make your horse the best it can be. It is accompanied by relaxing music that makes you feel comfortable no matter what choice you take and gets revved up when you finally get to a race.
Criticisms
Rival Stars has its shortcomings and some include taking a bit too long to get to the races themselves. Sure, you need time to get your horse ready to ride and be capable but some scenes seem to be unnecessary. If you want to get the game going then you are going to have to either ignore some of the options you have or go through them with care but quickly. Basing the game on more realistic races, like those you can experience in person at the Sunshine Coast races and using real historical races would also make gameplay feel a little more realistic.
Music & Ambience
The music in this game could almost be considered to be poetic as you are choosing your options. However, once the race starts it ramps up with the usual trumpets you would expect and delivers some epic compositions that drive you on to make you steed triumphant.
The send-off about this game is it has no animosity towards anyone, no agendas. Overall Rival Stars Horse Racing is a solid game with quality graphics that will be an interesting world for racing or even non-racing fans to immerse themselves in.