BallisticNG Anti-gravity racing at full throttle

Five speed classes, plus modifiers that bend the base speed of each one, mean you set the pace. Start at something you can actually read, work up until every straight is a blur and the sound barrier breaks on the exit. The handling is the heart of it: turning is just as sharp at any speed, and an airbrake carries you through corners that would fling a lesser ship into the wall. Ships are heavy and drift with weight, and the physics feel nothing like a car. It takes practice to master, and when it clicks, it clicks hard. New to anti-gravity racing? Smart Assists lend a hand with steering, pitching and airbrakes, adapting to your inputs and stepping back once you no longer need them.

This is combat racing, so second place is a problem you solve with ordnance. Weapons sit on the track; you sweep them up and spend them on whoever stands between you and first. The arsenal is sizeable, and each weapon has a particular job: some clear a path, some punish the ship glued to your tail. Pick a ship to match your temperament, since firepower and shielding differ across the roster. There is a particular satisfaction in holding a heavy weapon through a whole lap, waiting for the right moment, and watching the contender ahead of you drop off the results screen. Race clean if you like. The weapons will not use themselves.

The campaign is massive, with a wide range of game modes and challenges stacked on top of each other. Races come with modifiers: tracks reversed, weapons disabled, endurance runs at double or triple the laps, one-on-ones against a supercharged rival. No two events play the same, and the skill ceiling is high if you chase the top medals. Beyond the campaign, custom races let you pick a gamemode, configure it, and fill the grid with up to 16 racers at whatever difficulty suits you. Race, Tournament, Time Trial, Eliminator, Knockout, Survival, Stunt and more: each one changes how a track plays, not just the rules printed on the results screen.

Two-player split screen turns the sofa into a battleground, with enough customisation to set up the race you both want. Team Race splits the grid into sides, and modes like Team Race and Tournament give a lobby something to argue about between rounds. Joining a lobby, coordinating, and jumping straight into rounds is exactly what this is built for. One honest note: open public lobbies can be quiet, so arranging a race with someone works better than waiting for strangers.