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Sometimes a second crack at the whip can make all the difference, and DrawRace 2 is perfect proof. Red Lynx’s first attempt was a novel concept but lacked the oomph to stand out in a crowded market of timesink apps, but a few considered nips and tucks has allowed the game’s excellent concept to flourish.
The reason it’s such a blistering success is because RedLynx has uniquely rethought its approach to the racing genre. Whereas other developers see the iDevice as a virtual steering wheel, Draw Race 2 goes about it a different way, mixing the touchscreen with the racing line – the optimum way to tackle corners, also known as the wibbly green strip from Forza and Gran Turismo.
With a top-down view of the track, you draw a line around two laps of a multitude of courses and then watch as a little 3D car does its best to follow your inputs. The craftiness comes from the fact that your speed is controlled by how fast you draw the path, which turns the game into a crafty balancing act by forcing acceleration and accuracy to constantly clash.
Even perfect laps don’t guarantee success, with that devilish second lap always waiting in the wings, and the levels of precision on display here mean two attempts are rarely the same. After the first or second race you’ll usually find yourself requiring multiple attempts to tackle each challenge.
Alongside the basics you now have a boost button, added for the sequel to give players more of a reason to pay attention after scrawling their rudimentary paths. Boost charges as you take corners, and can be used (ideally as you come out of a corner or hit a straight) to get the edge on your AI opponents.
Like Trials HD, the joy comes from surrendering to the agonising loop of start-pause-restart cycles. Sometimes you’ll have to work to keep the frustration levels down (any of the snowy tracks cause my veins to bulge) but the overall payoff of satisfaction makes such agony worthwhile.
There are dozens of events to partake in, each requiring you to return multiple times to challenge a growing number of opponents. I’ve been playing for a couple of weeks and have just finished half of the campaign. This is a comprehensive iOS title, and with so much quality content on offer it’s very hard to imagine what RedLynx could possible add for DrawRace 3.
