Full Review

What has no wheels, is powered by steam and goes really really fast? Actually I'm probably certain there's a legitimate answer to this, but the answer I'm looking for is an Ionocraft. In this time-trial racer from PAN Vision you'll race against the clock (and yourself) in an attempt to outfit and customize your vehicle to your liking.

One shouldn't underestimate the importance of customization either as the placement of things like thrusters, stabilizers and steering jets can greatly affect the performance of your Ionocraft. As you'd expect, placing steering jets further forward will push your nose left and right with greater ease, but place them too far forward and you'll start to drift when you should be accelerating.

It's a delicate balance that needs to be constantly tweaked to suit each of 13 currently available stages. While most levels are relatively narrow, providing obvious direction that need to be followed, alternate paths are available on some, though they often require precise driving to access. This leads to another problem that needs to be overcome - namely your vehicle blowing up. Don't think you can simply bumper-car your way to victory - the faster you move the more damage you take, so one tiny slip up could be the end of your run.

Although it's understandable that the game is going for a steampunk aesthetic, the drab world you drive in is only occasionally offset by touches that show some sort of life beyond your own existing in the world. It would have been nice to have more control over the visuals of the vehicle as well, be it through unlockable skins or custom palettes to really make you feel like it's your own.

Despite being easy to 'finish', unlocking all the levels and items is only the first half of the fun of Ionocraft Racing. Tinkering with your vehicle and racing against the best in the world is what makes this time-trial title a compelling addition to any racing fan's collection.

App Store Info