MotorHEAT Review for Xbox Live Indie Games

MotorHEAT for Xbox Live Indie Games is an arcade style racing game that surpasses other racing games in the Indie Games section of Xbox Live. MotorHEAT is the third release by Milkstone Studios, which also developed Wool and Little Racers for Xbox Live Indie Games. The premise of MotorHEAT for Xbox Live is that you are behind the wheels of the ultimate racing car, and have no breaks. MotorHEAT has a purchase price of 240 Microsoft Points ($3).

MotorHEAT Basics
Players race against a clock in MotorHEAT for Xbox Live Indie Games. The goal is to continue onto each increasingly difficult level before the time runs out. Players can pick up powerups including invincibility, power boost, score multiplier and time extensions.

The controls in MotorHEAT are very simple. Players can use either the left analog stick or the controller's D-pad to move left and right and avoid cars. Players pull the right trigger in order to activate their "Power Boost." Pulling the right trigger only halfway will yield a half as fast Power Boost, but for twice as long.

What Makes MotorHEAT for Xbox 360 Different?
What sets MotorHEAT apart from other racing games in its genre is that players get bonuses for driving as close as possible to other cars without crashing. Each time a player drives close to another car, their Power Boost meter fills up. Driving moderately close will yield a "good" and only a little amount of energy into the Power Boost meter, whereas a near miss collision will receive an "excellent" and fill half of the Power Boost meter.

The scoring system counts cars you pass and adds multipliers with each level passed. While it is to your benefit to drive close to other cars, you do not want to crash because your multiplier will be lost and you will also lose ten seconds of your precious time. This creates a dilemma between choosing whether or not to strive for additional power boosts or maintain a higher multiplier.

When I first started playing MotorHEAT for Xbox Live Indie Games, I continuously crashed because I was trying to get "excellent" scores. This led to immediate frustration with the game, so I tried a different approach. By only obtaining "good" scores, I was able to continuously fill my Power Boost while avoiding crashes.

MotorHEAT for Xbox 360 has Superior Graphics Compared to other Indie Games
MotorHEAT for Xbox Live Indie Games is one of the better looking indie games on Xbox Live. Whereas most of the indie games that are available on the Xbox Live Marketplace look like bad NES games, MotorHEAT has graphics that look like it belongs on a N64 or PS1.

As far as sound quality is concerned, MotorHEAT for Xbox 360 also has an alright sound track, which can be downloaded for free from MilkstoneStudios.com. The announcer's voice in MotorHEAT also sounds excited the way you'd expect it too (unlike the voice acting in Risen).

Extended Play of MotorHEAT for Xbox 360
While MotorHEAT for Xbox Live Indie Games does not have any achievements to earn for your gamer profile, it does have twenty-two distinct awards to be won in the game. The awards in MotorHEAT range from getting to the 10th level without crashing, to crashing into 150 cars. While the awards won't add to your gamer score, they do provide a reason to continue playing MotorHEAT.

One disappointment with MotorHEAT is that there is no multiplayer option to race against your friends. The only interactive feature for MotorHEAT is racing for high scores on the leaderboards. One can also use MotorHEAT's "extras" to send a text message to users on your friend list gloating about your highest rank, level, and score.

During my analysis of MotorHEAT for Xbox 360, I was able to place 3rd on the worldwide leaderboards within a couple of hours of playing. I do not expect to hold onto that ranking however, as more players pick up MotorHEAT and improve their high scores.

Conclusions on MotorHEAT for Xbox 360
I'd give MotorHEAT a three out of five compared to other Xbox Live Indie Games available. If MotorHEAT had the option to race split screen with a friend either locally or compete over Xbox Live directly against others, then it would be a lot more entertaining and it would have earned at least a four out of five.

MotorHEAT is not a game that can be played continueously, and at its best is enjoyed in short twenty minute doses. Despite its drawbacks and as far as Xbox Live Indie Games are concerned MotorHEAT is one of the better racing titles that is available. For a mere three dollars (240 Microsoft points), MotorHEAT is cheaper than an ice cream cone and will provide more entertainment (with less calories!).

Xbox 360 owners interested in MotorHEAT can download it off of the Xbox Live Marketplace here.

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