Nitro City Racing - Review

Nitro City Racing is the kind of game that looks like it should be a chaotic, neon‑lit arcade blast, the sort of thing you’d pick up for a quick dopamine hit between bigger releases. The trailers promise drifting, boosting, and a city full of hazards. The Xbox store page leans into the “pick‑up‑and‑play” vibe. And Eastasiasoft’s catalogue is full of these small, punchy arcade titles that usually know exactly what they are.

But Nitro City Racing never quite finds its gear. It’s not a disaster, but it’s also not the breezy, high‑octane throwback it wants to be. It’s a snack‑sized racer that feels like it needed a bit more time in the garage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkOGLc3DX50

Moment to moment, Nitro City Racing is simple: race around compact tracks, avoid obstacles, hit boosts, and try to keep your car from fishtailing into a wall. The handling is very lightweight, almost too lightweight, giving the cars a toy‑like wobble that can be charming for the first few minutes but quickly becomes unpredictable.

The drifting system is there, but it’s loose and floaty, more like sliding a bar of soap across a wet countertop than carving a clean corner. You can get used to it, but it never feels satisfying.

The AI is similarly inconsistent. Sometimes it rubber‑bands so aggressively you’d think it was tethered to your bumper; other times it politely drives into a wall and stays there. Races rarely feel competitive in a fun way, it's more like you’re wrestling the controls while the AI flips a coin to decide whether it wants to participate.

You get the usual suspects with single races, a basic championship mode and handful of cars and tracks.

There’s no progression system to speak of, no unlocks that meaningfully change how you play, and no real sense of escalation. It’s all very “here are the toys, go nuts,” which is fine for a £4–£6 arcade racer, but it also means the experience peaks early.

This is a game you’ll understand fully within ten minutes and likely exhaust within an hour.

The art style is bright and colourful, with chunky vehicles and simple track geometry. It’s not ugly, but it’s unmistakably budget. Think “Unity asset store racer with a neon filter,” and you’re basically there.

The city backdrops are static and sparse, and the tracks don’t have much personality beyond colour swaps and hazard placement. Still, it runs smoothly on Xbox, with no noticeable stutters or frame drops in the footage.

The explosions and effects are serviceable, though they lack weight, more “party popper” than “nitro‑fuelled carnage.”

Pros

• Bright, colourful visuals

• Runs smoothly on Xbox

• Simple, accessible arcade handling

• Quick pick‑up‑and‑play structure

Cons

• Floaty, unsatisfying controls

• Very shallow content

• Repetitive tracks and modes

• AI that feels random rather than competitive

• Little sense of speed or impact

Nitro City Racing isn’t trying to compete with Forza, Hot Wheels Unleashed, or even Horizon Chase Turbo. It’s a tiny arcade racer built for short bursts, easy achievements, and low expectations.

If you go in wanting a cheap, colourful distraction, you’ll get exactly that. If you’re hoping for a hidden gem with tight handling or inventive track design, this isn’t the one. It’s not bad but it's just thin, fleeting, and mechanically undercooked.

XPN Rating: 2.5 out of 5 (SILVER)

Nitro City Racing is available now!