RPM: Racing Pro Manager – try a text based strategy game to successfully manage a racing team
by Paul Wilks
Jan 25, 2013 8:47 AM –
Install
RPM: Racing Pro Manager is a text-and-still-images based racing game that sees you coordinating the rise to success of a racing team. Manage vehicles, promotions, jobs, races, tours and more in a strategy game that will surely interest petrol-heads. It perhaps lacks the high octane thrills and spills of a proper racing title, and the gameplay is essentially a tycoon game that rewards in-app purchases with success, but if you like motor sports, this might just be something you’ll want to try out.
Price: Free plus In-app Purchases
Tested on: Nexus 4
Content Rating: Low Maturity
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- Lots of different racing activities to participate in!
- Stable gameplay!
Cons
- Text is very small on a phone screen.
- Little or no tutorial or guidance.
- Loading times between screens can be frustrating.
- Over reliance on mission-critical Points (which inevitably require in-app purchases) to do anything- even changing your name costs points!
Features:
RPM: Racing Pro Manager is a racing management game where you manage a racing team to success. Complete training jobs such as shifting practice, recording a lap, drifting, etc. to increase you skills. Race online players for cash and XP, upgrade your vehicles for better performance, manage a crew (made up of online sharing) and collect estates from which to generate different incomes. There’s lots and lots of little details in the game which enhance gameplay as you build your racing empire.
If you really love racing in general- perhaps you follow F1, NASCAR or Rally racing, you might want to check the game and see if your knowledge of the sport can help you play well. I think a big issue with it, however, is nearly everything is reliant on Points which you have to make in-app purchases for. Now, if this consisted of the odd $0.99 here and there this might not be an issue, but points are fantastically expensive. For example, to ‘hire’ a racing girl you have to pay 80 points. But to buy just 60 points you pay $4.99 in real money. Unfortunately so much of what you can buy is in points rather than cash which you accrue through the game. Basically, if you want to do well in the game, you’re going to have to pay quite a lot.
It’s a game you really have to find your own way around too as there is little or no tutorial. The layout of the screens is quite straight forward but you never really know whether what you are doing adds much value to you or your team’s ability to race. Text is really quite small too- even on a large phone screen- so you might find yourself squinting a little to see. This UI issue is further heightened by screen loading times which can sometimes mean you’re waiting several seconds for a page to load up.
One other element of the game I felt was a little distasteful was the reliance/insistence on have ‘Racing Girls’. These ‘mascots’ are reduced to different ‘classes’ which is, in itself derogatory, but also cost a fortune to hire should you want one. I appreciate that they are not ‘real’ but I’m not a fan of this kind of objectification in any medium.
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RPM – Intro page
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RPM – Racing girls
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RPM – Job success
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RPM – Gambling options to earn extra money.
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RPM – In app purchases
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RPM – Further your progress and XP by completing jobs
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RPM – Crew invite codes – recruit more people via social forums
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RPM – Frequent loading page
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RPM – Another niggle- this pops up on your homescreen. Both options take you to the game.
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RPM – Another loading screen
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RPM – Splash screen
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RPM – License agreement
Fun Factor:
I think you really need to be into the sport of racing to enjoy it. There are a number of factors that reduce the fun element of the game; slow loading times, need for in-app purchases, lack of tutorial, etc. and so you really do have to have more of an interest in the theme to keep playing.
Addictive:
Not particularly if I am being honest. I think the app has the potential to be quite addictive but there are too many hurdles to jump in the actual gameplay. It works if you do not mind playing casually and recognise the fact that you really have to make in-app purchases to make any headway in the game. Again, an interest in the racing theme will also help here.
Graphics:
The graphics seem to be well designed and crisp. However, there is no ‘action’ to speak of- just text and images which describe events. The text itself is often small, sometimes badly misspelled and there’s no tutorial to explain the relevance of certain actions or indeed how to make the most of the game.
Accelerometer, Vibration & Sound:
The game has this thunderous heavy rock track that you’d expect from any macho racing game.
Tags:
Android App,
Android Apps,
Android Game,
AndroidTapp.com App Review,
Freemium,
Management,
Racing,
RPM: Racing Pro Manager,
Simulation
Categorised in: Arcade & Action
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