First Racer Review Summary

At a very low price it offers pleasant handling, good car and track variety, and deep customization, though content feels limited and drifting is frustratingly difficult.

Pleasant physics and handling: Vehicle controls and physics are well thought out and feel good, with a responsive arcade feel. The sense of speed and steering are enjoyable.

Good car and track variety: The game features a large selection of cars and varied tracks that provide enough diversity. Players find both the roster and courses sufficient.

Deep car customization: The customization system is praised as surprisingly deep, with plentiful options for body kits, colors, wheels, and decals. Players find it excellent and expansive.

Drifting praised as fun: Players consistently describe drifting as enjoyable, pleasant, and a highlight of the driving experience. Assist settings help make it accessible even for keyboard players.

Local split-screen multiplayer supported: The game offers local split-screen co-op for two to four players, with configurable horizontal or vertical layouts. This is frequently cited as a key feature.

Game content is too limited: Reviews consistently mention too few tracks, cars, and events, with a short career that can be completed in a few hours. The game lacks depth and replay value, feeling like a cheap distraction rather than a full racing experience.

Drifting is frustratingly difficult: Many players report that drifting is extremely hard to perform, especially on higher difficulties and with a gamepad, making drift events nearly impossible to win. The drift handling is also described as nonsensical, unrealistic, and requiring extreme precision.

AI opponents are unfair and aggressive: AI cars often bump, ram, and block the player without consequences, while appearing to have unfair advantages such as perfect lines, rubberbanding, and increased weight. They can destabilize the player but are immovable themselves, leading to frustrating races.

Graphics and sound are lackluster: Graphics are described as weak, blocky, and modest, with tracks that look similar and uninspired. Engine sounds are frequently criticized as poor, cheap, and toy-like, lacking proper effects.

Online multiplayer is dead: The online playerbase is nearly empty, making it almost impossible to find lobbies or complete multiplayer achievements. Players describe online as useless, unbalanced, and monotonous.

Arcade racing game: Reviewers overwhelmingly describe the game as an arcade racer rather than a simulation. The driving model is arcade-style, with options to make it more simulation-like.

Progression via earning and upgrading: Players earn prize money from races to buy and upgrade cars. The progression system involves purchasing better cars and improving them through upgrades.

Car tuning and customization: The game offers extensive car tuning and customization, including internal and external modifications. Options include body kits, stickers, colors, materials, decals, and wheels.

Drifting mechanics central: Drifting is a core mechanic available in any race mode, with drift assist options and dedicated drift events. Difficulty settings affect drifting difficulty.

Multiple race and event types: The game features race, drift, and off-road events including circuit racing, drift competitions, and Baja-style off-road races. Multiple tracks and modes are available.

Steam Deck compatibility praised: Multiple users report the game runs smoothly on Steam Deck, including with compatibility mode and Proton 11, without stutters. This is the most frequently mentioned performance topic.

Good performance on low-end hardware: Reviewers note solid performance on weak PCs, old laptops, and integrated graphics, including 60 FPS on iGPU and playable on an i3 with Intel UHD. This suggests broad accessibility for budget setups.

Overall optimization well received: Several users describe the game as perfectly optimized or well optimized, with no lag and short loading times. These reinforce a generally positive performance impression.

Occasional FPS drops reported: One user experiences random dips to 45-55 FPS despite medium graphics settings, and another finds the game somewhat heavy. These indicate some performance inconsistency on certain systems.

Remote Play crash issue: A single report mentions crashes during remote play sessions. This is an isolated issue but worth noting for users relying on streaming.

Excellent value at low price: Many reviewers highlight that the game is very affordable and offers great value for its low price. It is frequently recommended as a worthwhile purchase, especially when cheap.

Best bought on sale: Multiple reviewers advise waiting for a discount, as the game is considered worth the price only when on sale. Some explicitly say not to buy at full price.

Recommended for arcade racing fans: The game is strongly recommended for players who enjoy arcade racing games. It appeals to both casual racers and fans of the genre.

Good for casual and relaxed play: Reviewers find it suitable for chilling, short sessions, or playing with friends. It offers a casual yet engaging experience.

Not for hardcore simulation fans: The game is not aimed at racing snobs or hardcore simulator enthusiasts due to its arcade handling and lack of ultra-realistic simulation.

Community fair range: $3.99 - $4.99.

Game completion: 7.0h.

Endgame: 0.7h.

First Racer is reported as fun almost immediately through accessible arcade handling, fast progression, and local multiplayer, though some players find the tracks weak and online play becomes boring.

Friction: Boring tracks outside the harbour tracks and poor driving feel; Hard-difficulty drift races feel impossible to win; Repetitive music; Low online population makes online play boring over time; Upgrading can feel grindy or difficult for some players.

Unlock drivers: Buying engine upgrades right away makes the game easier; Fast progression lets players obtain stronger cars quickly.

Bargain Arcade Casual: Short casual sessions, easy handling with assists, often on modest hardware or keyboard. Motivation: Cheap, immediate arcade fun with minimal barrier to entry. Stance: buy.

Tuner and Customization Collector: Grinds races for money, fully upgrades and visually customizes vehicles, unlocks the car roster. Motivation: Building, upgrading, and personalizing cars into competitive machines. Stance: buy.

Simcade Physics Enthusiast: Attentive to grip, drifting, and car weight; compares handling against established racing titles. Motivation: Enjoying believable handling and a sim-like feel in an accessible package. Stance: sale.

On Windows systems with under 8 GB VRAM, the game is generally reported as playable with acceptable performance, despite some frame dips and occasional CPU rubberbanding.

Windows <8GB VRAM: positive. Players report acceptable medium-settings performance around 45-55 FPS with random dips, plus occasional CPU rubberbanding that did not prevent play.

Steam Deck: Steam Deck feedback is mostly positive: the game is officially verified, controls are approachable, and users report it running after selecting a compatibility mode or Proton version. The main friction is the need to adjust compatibility settings, making the experience playable but not fully seamless.

Linux and Proton: Only two reviews are available, and both are positive about Linux/Proton compatibility: the game launches and runs well on Steam Deck using Proton 11, with one user noting they simply had to switch compatibility mode first. No crash, performance, anti-cheat, launcher, DRM, or native-port issues are reported, and no heavy workarounds such as Proton GE, launch commands, or community fixes are required. The sole Linux-specific friction is manual Proton version selection, which is minor and does not undermine the positive consensus.

Extremely low price: Players repeatedly highlight the game's very low price, often citing steep discounts and describing it as a steal or almost a gift. Many mention specific sales like 90% off, making it an exceptionally affordable purchase.

Short game length: The game is often described as short, with completion times ranging from a couple of hours to around 10 hours. Some appreciate it for being concise without filler.

Trading cards offset purchase cost: Many reviewers mention that Steam trading cards are included and can be sold to recoup most or all of the purchase price, especially when bought at a 90% discount.

Small-scale indie title: Reviewers describe it as a low-budget indie game with simple graphics and a compact scope, often noting its small storage size.

Mixed comparisons to NFS: The game is compared to various Need for Speed titles, both favorably and unfavorably, with some likening it to older NFS games and others noting differences in drifting and multiplayer.