ExoCross: First Impressions

The most avid followers of iRacing and its website are aware of the new release from Orontes Games in collaboration with iRacing: ExoCross. This existing arcade racing title is being transformed, and we had the opportunity to test it and share our first impressions.

ExoCross is an off-road racing game featuring 4CPT vehicle physics (4-Wheel Contact Patch Traction technology). A soft tire model allows for time trials and multiplayer wheel-to-wheel races. The title was released on July 23rd, priced at €38.99, and is available on all platforms (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC), enabling iRacing to explore a potential console release.

In essence, ExoCross is primarily an experiment in new technologies and features that could be incorporated into its bigger sibling.

First Impressions

The game is quite lightweight, taking up no more than 5GB in its current state. The initial launch takes you directly to the main menu, which is somewhat plain for my taste, but we must remember what ExoCross is all about. It appears quite simple at first glance but contains all the essentials.

There are a total of six game modes: Championship, Challenges, Quick Race, Time Trial, Online Race, and Special Events. These are more than sufficient to keep players engaged if the driving is fun and dynamic.

Championship

The championship mode consists of six series, each with four races. Each series takes place in a different biome available for racing, as the “story” of ExoCross tells us that off-road racing has been taken to Proteus, a planet similar to Earth.

In this championship mode (and in others except for online races), you will compete against AI, with difficulty settings ranging from easy, intermediate, hard, to extreme.

Challenges

The challenges are similar to the licenses in titles like Gran Turismo, designed to help you familiarize yourself with each biome. You compete to earn medals and beat your best times.

With four biomes, there are a total of 12 time challenges per biome, resulting in 48 time challenges to strive for gold medals in each.

Quick Race and Time Trial

These are the standard modes found in every arcade racing game that we all know. There is nothing particularly unique to note except that everything is unlocked so you can use any vehicles and tracks you desire at any time.

Quick race configuration is simple. You can change the number of laps, difficulty, number of opponents, and your starting position.

Online Race and Special Events

I think the online races are the least polished at the moment. In my experience, I was only able to test them briefly due to server errors, finding only one available room, or championships that were almost over. Despite this, I did not notice significant latency or extreme netcode issues. With small room sizes, the races felt stable and could be fun.

Special events are time trials on a specific track or section of a track, where you compete to climb to the top of the leaderboard. The current special event ends on August 6th and will be replaced by a different one.

Driving and Handling

Getting into the most important aspect, the handling is quite enjoyable. You can assign assists such as stability control, ABS, and traction control for a more comfortable experience, but it is still a lot of fun. The nitro mechanic and the ability to recharge it when drafting behind another car lead to plenty of competitive battles for the win.

It is evident that this is an arcade game, but I think anyone who watches the gameplay and sees the style would never mistake it for a simulator. It’s a game meant for having a good time; it’s dynamic and very pleasant to drive despite having a bit of a challenge.

Although you can use a steering wheel to play, I wouldn’t recommend it at all. I think it’s much better suited for sitting in your chair, grabbing the controller, and racing through the mud.

Content

Currently, there are 19 different tracks and a total of 3 cars with varying power levels and difficulty. You need to unlock these cars in championship mode to use them.

Each car has a degree of customization; you can assign it a primary and secondary color, the flag of your favorite country, and a number.

Conclusion

In the end, these are just first impressions, and the initial impressions are quite decent. In its current state, it is quite apparent that it is an experiment aimed at generating additional revenue for the main project, but they have a foundation to continue developing and releasing more content for ExoCross.

It’s true that the price seems quite high for its current state, despite its good handling, dynamic gameplay, and how it adapts iRacing technologies to a fully arcade game. Nonetheless, I hope it continues to be updated with new content.

You can buy ExoCross on Steam HERE.

Happy Racing