Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 76 | 30 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 77% | 72 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 93% | 87 | 4 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 12 reviews sampled · 8 total reviews in window · weighted 3.5 up / 0.3 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (46)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
“If the look of Hotshot Racing appeals to you and you can appreciate the aesthetic delights of something that looks deliberately low-fi and polygonal, the action it offers on the track does an excellent job of backing up the game's style with substance. It may have its quirks and it may turn you into a paranoid conspiracy theorist ready to tell tales of rubber-banding to anyone who'll listen to you, but hey: that just adds to the authenticity of the era it's based on. This is a fine racing title that truly nails its driving mechanics and delivers an exhilarating experience that will captivate newcomers and veterans alike.”
read full review ↗ - 91
“With its low-poly look coming straight out of classic Sega arcade titles like Daytona Racing we have Hotshot Racing, and while it may not have incredible depth or nuance damn if it isn’t a whole lotta fun...”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Without its atrocious AI Hotshot Racing is okay. With it, it's a racing game to avoid. Genre aficionados, especially those who lean towards the more arcade side of the scale, will manage to quench their thirst for a bunch of evenings, but it's unlikely this will stay with you for long.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Hotshot Racing is an enjoyable racing game that will almost certainly be enjoyed by its target audience. There isn't much content, though, and it's an extremely basic, simple game that will be extremely familiar to anyone who played racers during the 90s.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Hotshot Racing is an unapologetic return to arcade action, and it's brilliant fun. This game's charming retro aesthetic, sweeping powerslides, and glorious handling are a constant joy, and a perfect antithesis to the myriad simulators on PS4. Some might find the courses don't provide much of a challenge, and we'd gladly have taken a little more content, but you'll be hard pushed to find a better example of straight-up arcade racing this generation.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Once I got the hang of drifting, I really started enjoying Hotshot Racing, but it will not sustain me as a solo player for long. Its utility (for me) will be multiplayer shenanigans, which is just fine.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Hotshot Racing is an incredible nostalgia trip that I cannot recommend enough. Game Pass owners should note that the game is included in Microsoft’s service, so there is no excuse not to give it a try. This is the most fun I have had with a racing game in quite some time.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“I was surprised by how much I liked Hotshot Racing. It’s not normally my type of game but I had a lot of fun with it on the Nintendo Switch. I think that those that enjoy arcade racers should definitely check it out.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Hotshot Racing is a joy, it’s got a great amount of content to it and is generally a blast that came out of nowhere.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“HotShot Racing is a must buy if you are looking to rekindle your love affair with arcade racers. Just be prepared to battle the rubber banding for the finish line.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“An enjoyable and detailed racer successfully invokes the spirit of the 90s arcade, even if it doesn't quite have a spark of its own.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Hotshot Racing is an ode to oldschool arcade racers. It brings a lot of fun along with very little content.”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
PC Invasion
Push Square
NintendoWorldReport
ZTGD
Forever Classic Games
Gamerheadquarters
FingerGuns
Eurogamer
SECTOR.sk…and 34 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Hotshot Racing Update Now LiveOct 27, 2020