Parents' Guide to

Upshift StrikeRacer

By Harold Goldberg, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Free online racing game, but hidden costs abound.

Game Windows 2007
Upshift StrikeRacer Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

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What’s It About?

UPSHIFT STRIKERACER presents a strange story for a massively multiplayer online racing game. It's the 21st century and there is no more death, just immortality. People want to engage in \"self-actualization and higher pursuits,\" like \"the primal male desire for ballistic carnage.\" So in this world, higher pursuits means racing cars while inflicting violence. Plus, in the world of Upshift StrikeRacer, currency is potatoes. Why potatoes? They're \"prized for their beauty.\"

While the story Upshift StrikeRacer is bizarre and badly crafted, the free gameplay is pretty tight and fairly compelling from the get-go. After downloading a 312mg file and opening it up, you're almost ready to play. You'll have to choose a car with names like Groovy or ThudMaster and probably want to make it cool with a fancy body kit and weapons by using potato money currency.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

You'll see a lag through your broadband connection before the race. As the camera pans on seven cars with drivers like you from around the world, the scene is somewhat choppy. But once you get rolling, you'll see beautiful vistas amid the crazy carnage that occurs on the track. Sometimes the frame rate will drop. But overall, the driving experience so realistic, you may want to level up all the way to 60, which will take a lot of time and money, too. It will also take you some time to get the hang of racing and using weapons simultaneously.

The game has one big issue: it's not upfront about its costs. When you click on the FAQs to try to find out how much upgrades actually cost in dollars not tubers, the cost is hidden, as if they're trying to pull something on the player. The game is good and occasionally exciting when things blow up; so there's no reason not to be upfront about the costs. With over 20 racing course maps, 13 kinds of vehicles, and even a single player mode, there's a lot here. Another issue with the game is that there are cheaters in the game. You can even see them proudly post their cheating videos on YouTube.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what it would be like in real life to be a race driver. Did you like racing against people from around the world? Was this online experience better or worse than playing a console-based racing game?

Game Details

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