art of rally Review Summary

A highly praised rally racer with stunning visuals, distinct car handling, and a great soundtrack, though steep controls and missing pace notes raise the learning curve.

Outstanding graphics and art style: Graphics are frequently praised as stunning, beautiful, and colorful, with a distinctive and timeless art style that remains pleasant and not overly demanding.

Highly praised rally racing game: Reviewers consistently describe the game as an excellent rally racing game with a fun and addictive experience. Many consider it one of the best in the genre.

Distinct handling per car: A large number of feedback highlights that each car has unique handling, sound, and personality, making the driving feel varied and authentic.

Excellent soundtrack and music: The soundtrack and music receive high praise for being varied, spectacular, and fitting, often cited as one of the best in video games.

Great arcade-style rally experience: Players enjoy the accessible arcade rally gameplay that captures the spirit of rally while being easy to pick up and play.

Steep learning curve for controls: Many players find the controls difficult to get used to initially. This can lead to frustration and some giving up quickly.

No pace notes: Several reviews note the absence of pace notes or a co-driver, which is unusual for a rally game. This forces players to memorize stages instead of relying on standard rally aids.

Performance degradation over time: Players report that performance degrades after extended play, with framerate drops and stuttering. This can make the game unplayable after a few hours.

Slippery handling and poor grip: Cars slide excessively, even at low speeds, making straight driving difficult. The handling feels like driving on ice or soap.

Poor optimization for low-poly graphics: The game is resource-heavy and poorly optimized despite its simple visuals. Performance is disappointing relative to the graphical fidelity.

Rally racing game: The game is a rally racing game, often with arcade and simulation elements, low-poly or stylized graphics, and a focus on rally stages and cars.

Balanced arcade and simulation: The game mixes arcade and simulation elements, with adjustable assists and physics that feel realistic yet accessible.

Cars have distinct handling: Different cars handle differently, with unique physics and characteristics that affect driving. Car classes and groups further differentiate handling.

Free roam mode: A free roam mode allows exploration of large maps with collectibles and no driving boundaries or damage.

Controls have learning curve: The controls and handling require time to get used to, with a learning curve that demands practice to master.

Graphics optimization below expectations: Despite simple graphics, the game is not well optimized. Performance is disappointing for a low-poly game, and optimization could be improved.

Micro-stutters and freezes: The game suffers from micro-stutters and occasional micro-freezes. These stutters can be game-breaking after playing for a while.

Runs great on low-end devices: The game performs well on low-end hardware, including potato laptops, with low settings. It has low system requirements and is accessible to a wide range of devices.

Runs good on high-end settings: On high-end hardware, the game runs smoothly at maximum settings, achieving high frame rates like 240 FPS without stutter. Some users get consistent 60 FPS at 1440p after minor quality adjustments.

Foliage setting fixes frame drops: A known issue with NVIDIA GPUs causes frame drops that can be resolved by changing the foliage rendering setting to 'instanced' instead of 'indirect'. This workaround significantly improves performance.

Fun for casual racing fans: The game is recommended for players looking for a fun and quirky indie racing experience that brings a smile, striking a balance between arcade and simulation. It suits those who love casual racing games and historic racing.

High general recommendation: Many players give a strong, unconditional recommendation, saying they cannot recommend it enough and would recommend it without thinking twice. It is a very much recommended game overall.

Best on sale, not full price: A significant number of players advise against buying at full price, recommending waiting for a discount of at least 50% before purchasing. They consider it worth it at a lower price but expensive at full price.

Strong rally fan recommendation: Many reviewers strongly recommend the game to rally and motorsport fans, calling it a must-buy for anyone with even a passing interest in rally or cars. It is also recommended for newcomers to rally or racing in general.

Worth the money: Several reviewers find the game worth every penny and well worth the price. It is considered a good purchase, especially for those who enjoy racing games and beautiful graphics.

Community fair range: $15.00 - $25.00.

Game completion: 100.0h.

Story completion: 10.0h.

Session length: 0.3h.

Art of Rally starts difficult with a steep handling curve, but enjoyment typically arrives once the handling clicks, especially after a successful drift around a corner; it then becomes satisfying and addictive.

Friction: Steep learning curve with no elaborate tutorial easing advanced handling.; Difficult and imprecise/finnicky steering at first.; Too much sliding at the beginning.; Significant lag spikes during the first few hours.; Need to get used to the car's steering.; Adjusting from other racing games with different assist levels..

Unlock drivers: Handling clicks after chaining turns and drifting successfully.; Successfully drifting around a corner without pulling the brake or stopping the gas.; Mastering trail-braking and car control.; Faster cars reduce the early sliding issue.; Starting with a fitting difficulty.; Achieving a flow state..

Rally Nostalgia Veteran: Drives classic cars across varied countries, appreciates the atmosphere, and compares handling and assists to older rally games. Motivation: Reliving rally history and supporting a game that celebrates classic rally culture. Stance: buy.

Sim-Racing Purist Critic: Disables assists, expects pace notes and detailed vehicle behavior, and compares the game directly to rally simulations. Motivation: Finding authentic rally-sim depth, pace notes, and realistic driving physics. Stance: no buy.

Casual Arcade Newcomer: Plays on medium difficulty, enjoys career progression, and occasionally tries time trials for extra challenge. Motivation: Learning rally driving at an accessible pace while unwinding with a stylish arcade racer. Stance: buy.

Most cohorts report positive or playable performance, but Windows 8-11GB VRAM and Windows 16GB+ VRAM show negative evidence, with severe stutter and significant Mac performance issues.

Windows <8GB VRAM: positive. Most reviews recommend the game, but some users report frametime spikes, stuttering, and poor performance on certain Finland and Japan maps; limiting FPS or lowering settings helps.

Windows 12-15GB VRAM: positive. Most reports are positive, with stable performance after tweaks, though some users had to lower graphics or switch vegetation rendering to reduce stuttering.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: negative. Both provided reports describe performance problems, including slideshow-like stutter with indirect foliage, pop-in, and constant lag spikes that ruin the experience.

Steam Deck: Audit of the Steam Deck experience shows the game is Steam Deck Verified with a native Linux build and runs out of the box, with overwhelmingly positive handheld feedback (flawless performance, 'butter smooth', ideal for short 10-20 minute sessions). The main friction points are heavy battery drain when running max graphics, a minority report of imperfect native performance on certain Linux distros requiring settings tweaks, sluggish/unstable controls noted on keyboard and Deck controller, and missing wheel support. No reviewer reports Proton Experimental toggling, external launchers, anti-cheat errors, crashes, or unreadable UI. Because the game launches and plays natively without forced Proton or launcher navigation, the friction remains in the Seamless range, with only minor, non-blocking tuning noted.

Linux and Proton: The game provides a native Linux build and is reported to run flawlessly on Steam Deck. One user reports minor tuning needs on Arch/CachyOS, and a separate user warns against Linux machines without detail. Overall Linux/Proton friction is low, with only minor tweaks or isolated negative feedback.

Monetization: The audit found no direct evidence of predatory monetization. Reviews confirm there are no in-game purchases; paid content consists of traditional DLC such as the Australia DLC and music packs, while other complaints focus on base price and DLC value. Comparisons to other games and price complaints were treated as non-MTX evidence. The score remains in the Fair/Pure range.

Runs Great on Steam Deck: Players report that the game runs very well natively on Steam Deck and is verified for the platform. It also supports PC, laptop, and Mac.

Paid Australia DLC Adds Content: The Australia DLC is a paid addition that includes new cars and new maps. It adds to the total cost of the game.

Comparisons to Other Racing Games: Reviewers frequently compare the game to Dirt Rally, Forza, and GT7 for its thrill level. It is also likened to more realistic rally titles.

Builds on Absolute Drift: The game builds on the developer's previous title Absolute Drift, with similar structure and learning process. Some sounds are borrowed from Absolute Drift.

Handling Compared to Classic Rally: The handling is often compared to early Colin McRae games and Richard Burns Rally. It is also compared to Sega Rally and Colin McRae for nostalgic feel.