Rara Racer

Rara Racer is surely the most experimental racing game ever. Does it succeed? Yes and No.

Let’s start with the racing. When you start up, you may be confused. A Microsoft Explorer window pops up (who still uses that? must be a joke) and one of the windows will be open to Youtube where a car racing game is being played. The player, of course, is you, and when you start, your goal is not to be fast, but rather to dodge the oncoming blocks, which become more and more pervasive the longer you last. When you crash, you’ll start over, but the timer wont. The racing “video” only last so long, so you’ll need to traverse all the obstacles quickly.

That will be harder than you think. Not only do the blocks become rather tricky the longer you last, but pop-ups (yes those darn things) will start to appear blocking your view of the game. It’s an ingenious device, and infuriating when you’re about to maneuver something tricky only to have to guess your controls for a few seconds. Its rather intense.

The other thing to mention is the design and art in Rara Racer. I’ve already mentioned that the race plays in a Youtube video, but you’ll also see lots of other amusing stuff, including references to porn in windows that are behind the Youtube video, as well as closed tabs at the bottom of the screen. Later in the race you’ll also notice a scrolling chat on the right side of the screen where two people talk about some stupid video they’re watching (your race of course).

Its all in good fun, the racing game included. And while Rara Racer won’t blow your mind, you’ll likely be surprised by this game. Its better than you think it is, I think. That’s not to say is philosophically complex or artistically brilliant. Its just a plain old fun game.