App Army Assemble: MAXIMUM CAR

So Burnout's never coming to mobile. Normally, we'd lament this fact but this isn't a normal week. This week, MAXIMUM CAR launched on iOS.

For all extents and purposes, MAXIMUM CAR IS Burnout, but designed from the ground up for mobile. The visuals are all trendy voxel, the controls tappy and swipey, and the modes designed for shorter playing sessions.

Other than that, this is Burnout as you know and love it. You race at ridiculous speeds on busy roads against AI opponents and try and ram them off the road. There's nitro boosts, car customisation, and a multitude of different tracks to race on.

At review, we gave it a Silver Award and described it as "a game that places enjoyment front and centre. And the whole time you’re playing it you'll be super glad that it does."

But don't just take our word for it. We also let our stalwart community in the App Army loose on it, and you can read on for their thoughts.

The graphics and sound effects are good but it gets a little repetitive. For me, it needs to be a little more fast paced.

A few more obstacles to dodge, a few more corners to turn, and a faster car would make it a good game.

Kainen Ryan

Burnout this is not. Fun this is. You tap the left and right of the screen to turn, and use a combination of touches and swipes to perform other actions like drift or fire missiles.

Destroying other cars is fun, and the resulting crashes are a joy to behold. If you are lucky you can see the cars flipping above you as you whizz past.

It's a simple game but so much fun.

James Rooney

This game is fantastic. It's super fun, fast, and smashing up cars is the best. It's not quite Burnout though, as it was a bit repetitive.

Tom Clark

It's not a bad game. The graphics are decent and it feels very arcadey. Once I got the hang of the controls it felt very slick.

Chase Geier

It's not bad, but neither is it great. There's just not a lot to do and the controls are a bit difficult to get used to.

Matt King

I'm enjoying it so far. It's like Burnout Takedown crossed with Road Blasters. You'll run into the occasional control issue - particularly when firing a missile or drifting - otherwise it's pretty responsive.

I like the unlock mechanic. You takedown cars a set number of times to unlock them and some of the driver names are suitably silly.

Dcalbie Dcalbie

I love the aesthetic - maybe I'm just nostalgic but I'm enjoying the renaissance of pixel graphics. The controls work nicely and allow you to easily maneuver your car on the track. The problem I had was with drifting and shooting missiles.

Also, after the first couple of races I found it getting a little bit repetitive, I understand this is an early build so hopefully they will add more content. Looking forward to seeing what they come up with.

AlexGol

The developer was clearly aiming for a distilled version of Burnout, and they achieved it. My first race started off a bit bumpy as there were a couple of hairpin bends to remind you to drift.

I assume the game will be free to play, as the infinite race option is the only mode that doesn't require energy. It's a shame that energy doesn't replenish automatically though - you have to collect it manually in the menu every three hours.

There's the option to get rid of energy system completely of course, but it's not cheap.

I don't really like the visuals, but I wish there was an option to build my own car out of voxels. The sound design is good though, and the one-liners are funny in a cynical way.

The best part is the crashes though. They look great - particularly at high speeds.

Ethan Harold

I really like this game. It's casual, and gives you that just one more go feeling.

The gameplay is fun, and the announcer is funny. I'd definitely recommend it.

Rohit Bhatia

I just found MAXIMUM CAR a bit average. It's too simple and easy. The graphics are gorgeous though, and the soundtrack is awesome.

It's similar to Burnout with responsive controls, awesome explosions, and a decent feel to it. It's just not challenging though, and I completed the first area in just 30 minutes.

Tony Teulan

MAXIMUM CAR is similar to Horizon Chase in the sense that it delivers old school arcade fun. The voxel visuals, retro soundtrack, and often self-deprecating announcer really pull you in and keep you playing.

It's a bit repetitive but so much fun. Now we just need a Road Rash clone and all my retro driving itches will be scratched.