Track Craft creatively uses mixed reality, turning your home into a racing playground. Out now on Quest App Lab, here's our hands-on impressions:
We're slowly witnessing growing competition for the best mixed reality games on Quest 3, and right now, I'd consider Track Craft from Brainz Gamify a contender. MR holds considerable promise, though I've often found MR support for Quest games somewhat gimmicky. Good MR should interact with your home environment in ways VR can't, and Track Craft currently achieves that.
Track Craft taps into childhood nostalgia, and I'd call it MR Micro Machines if such a game weren't releasing next month. After setting up the resizable starting line in your play space, drive your vehicle to the finish line using the triggers to accelerate or brake, earning up to three stars depending on your speed. Finish times are ranked in an online leaderboard, adding a nice competitive touch.
It's a compelling yet straightforward premise that gradually works toward more complicated circuits. Minor obstacles like bowling pins and oil slicks are one thing, but later pre-designed levels introduce a good variety of new challenges, like loop-the-loops, teleporters, and collectibles. New environmental themes across each track pack, like Surf Rock's papercraft aesthetic, keep this visually appealing.
That alleviated my concerns about Track Craft's mileage, though progression depends on earning stars. While I understand this approach for unlocking further Track Packs, I don't understand why Brainz Gamify has gated what I'd consider Track Craft's best feature behind this system - the level editor.
The level editor is what gives Track Craft its true longevity. You can build your tracks using a broad slate of pieces, test your designs as you go along, paint them, and apply different environmental themes. I really enjoy the creativity this provides and, once ready, those can be shared with the online community. Gating this behind a 100-star requirement when tracks only earn a maximum of 3 stars feels unnecessary, though unlocking it doesn't take terribly long.
There's still more to come for this early access release, so a full "review" would be premature. Brainz Gamify informs me that both a "Trackmania-style ghost multiplayer mode" and a new themed Track Pack will launch in January. It's a promising start for now, and creating circuits across my living room is quite entertaining. I'm keen to see where Track Craft goes next.
Track Craft is available now on Quest App Lab, with Pico 4 and Pico Neo 3 Link versions planned for early January.
