You know the old saying about how you can’t make all of the people happy all of the time? If the devs behind Keri Racing have heard that saying, they took it as a challenge. They’ve created a social networking game complete with tycoon, farming, racing, and pet-raising elements, designed to charm anyone’s socks off.
The key to success for Keri Racing, with so many disparate elements, will be tying it all together. My big question when I picked up the game was whether or not it was going to be coherent, or just a collection of different games with the same basic theme. Not that the latter option would have been bad, but the former is definitely more intriguing. I was pleased to find that not only does Keri Racing tie its various modes of play together well, it also creates a fun, colorful universe as the setting.
Controls are fairly simple, since Keri Racing is following in the footsteps of others in the social network game genre. You’ll mostly be navigating menus, and they’re informative and intuitive. The exception to menu-based play, of course, is the racing element. Don’t sweat it, though; Keri Racing’s racing controls are also pretty simple. The main concern will be watching your whip cool down time so you can properly motivate your keri to pick up the pace when necessary.
What are keris? Good question. Keris are colorful, friendly birds (tall, with long legs, like an ostrich), and racing is their passion. Keri Racing goes beyond just racing these birds, however; the scope of the game includes farming food for them, participating in business to raise money for your empire, completing quests for NPCs, raising your keris with love and attention, and racing them. The sheer variety of things you can do in the game keep it fresh. The social aspects of the game play a major role in its appeal for me, too. Not only can you help your Keri Racing friends out with their farms and such, you can also race against them in real time.
There are three different race modes: Terra (real-time racing against friends), Exile (competing for best in show against friends), and Wanted (racing against NPCs that are “wanted criminals”). It’s one more example of the constant attention to flexibility and choices offered in the game. Quests for NPCs are another boredom destroyer, and mini-games serve as emergency back-up too. Variety is Keri Racing’s finest point and it’s especially impressive in a social networking game. My typical experience with SNGs is that I get briefly addicted, but then burn out on the repetitive tasks. That hasn’t been a problem thus far with Keri Racing.
Of course, all the variety in the world isn’t going to help if the app is buggy, laggy, ugly, or just plain obnoxious. Thankfully, Keri Racing is none of those things. Smooth graphics, fun character design, and cute music provided a perfect backdrop for all of the fun.
Keri Racing is available as a free download in the iTunes App Store, check it out!
