Driving Strikers is the first commercial release for indie developer Reality Jump and is available now from publisher Wave Game Studio. The Rocket League-esque title is also available on Steam and has online cross-play with the Dreamcast version.
At it’s heart, Driving Strikers is a multiplayer game that aims to provide a stable online experience for those who still get their Dreamcast on the interwebs. Those looking for a full one-player experience will not find it here as there only single matches and a short league to play on your own.
Matches are played either one vs one or two vs two and require you to score more goals than your opponent. You achieve this by controlling your car with the analogue stick and punt the ball towards the goal. There is a boost mechanic that gives you a short burst of speed that gets you ahead of the opponents as well as slam them into the arena sides.
You can also jump to attack the ball if it flies into the air and reverse your car if it gets stuck. Overall, the gameplay is simple but fast-paced and is geared towards those who enjoy a fun, frantic experience and competitive play. Finishing the league will unlock some extra arenas and teams but once these are complete the only aspect left is the local or online multiplayer.
Graphically, Driving Strikers is quite bland but this is due to most of the processing power being saved for the technical bits and bobs needed to create a functional, stable online game. That being said, the car models and arenas are bold and bright with enough detail to make everything clear. The music is great and the announcer has that classic booming voice that gives a real arcade feel to proceedings.
Getting online is easy if you’ve already set your Dreamcast up for it. Driving Strikers works with the DreamPi or Broadband Adapter and only requires you to set up an account on the server via a smart phone the first time you connect. The online mode is single matches only but is stable and holds a decent framerate with only a slight sign of lag here and there.
Overall, Driving Strikers is a technical achievement that has added a great game to the Dreamcast’s online roster. It’s not aimed at single-player gamers and has no real longevity after you win the league. Those that enjoy a Friday night with mates playing party games or those that want a new online experience for their Dreamcast should definitely be buying this one.
