Before previewing a game, I like to do my due diligence and spend some time looking into how it ticks and what it’s trying to do. It’s a bit of a clinical approach, I suppose, but it’s one that works for me and lets me feel like I’m giving every game a fair shake.

When you’re only trying out one game, that’s simple, but it’s much easier said than done at events like Summer Game Fest. Instead of putting a few solid hours into one title, you’re being whisked around a show floor, running between appointments, experiencing every type of game under the sun. Literally, since most of these events take place in the Summer.

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That makes it tough to look into every game, but that element of surprise is also one of the best parts of covering events. I came across so many hidden gems at Gamescom 2023, and this year’s Summer Game Fest gave me another surprise title I haven’t stopped thinking about since I played it - DeathSprint 66.

Let's Get Ready To Run-mble

I might not have done my research for DeathSprint 66, but I didn’t really need to. As soon as I sat down, I was hit with one of the best elevator pitches I’ve ever heard - “it’s on-foot Mario Kart for adults”. Even though the first half of that statement is just Sonic R, I was sold from that moment on.

That comparison to Sonic R is apt, as DeathSprint 66 is pretty much the best version of that concept and exactly what I’d want to see from a Sonic racing game rather than having him pointlessly hop in a car that’s probably slower than he is anyway. Instead of rolling around in a go-kart as a loveable platforming mascot, you take control of a generic cyborg who sprints instead of accelerating and crouch-slides around corners in lieu of drifting.

The on-foot approach adds another layer to racing that majorly appeals to the platforming fan in me. While most kart racing games let you do a little hop over obstacles, DeathSprint 66 lets you jump around to your heart’s content and even lets you run on walls and grind on rails. If you need another elevator pitch, DeathSprint 66 is basically like competitively speedrunning a 3D platformer.

Adult Mario Kart Is A Lot More Murder-y

If the similarities to Mario Kart are what grabbed you about DeathSprint 66, you’ll be happy to know that they don’t just stop there - it even has deadly versions of some of the series’ most iconic items. There are buzzsaws instead of Green Shells, bull rushes in place of Bullet Bills, and even proximity mines as a less friendly version of the infamous Banana Peel.

DeathSprint 66 also has a special shame suit that you have to wear if you end up dying too many times during a race. Yes, I ended up having to wear it and yes it hurt my feelings.

These weapons were the only thing that didn’t gel with me much during my brief time with the game, as I found that they were a little difficult to manoeuvre and, aside from the always-helpful shield powerup, ended up causing me more trouble than they were worth. I’m sure that it’s just due to the game being in development. It was pretty buggy, after all. But I’m hopeful that the final release (which I’m now counting down the days to) makes them feel a little more helpful.

Even if I mostly avoided using weapons, the most important thing to note about DeathSprint 66 is that the main movement mechanics feel great and are easy to get the hang of, which I guess comes from taking inspiration from gaming’s second-greatest kart racer (the first is Crash Team Racing, if you’re wondering). I surprised myself at how quickly I managed to zoom ahead of the other racers, avoiding gorey death traps and instant-kill drops to secure a respectable second place on my first go.

Every Level's A Rainbow Road

That first race was clearly meant for new players as I was then chucked into a more advanced track with plenty of death traps for me to avoid. This is when things went south for me, as my surprising performance turned into death upon death upon death. You’d think that would put me off, but it actually makes me more excited to properly learn the mechanics and overcome the two challenging tracks that put me to shame.

As unique as the platforming mechanics are for a racer, that high difficulty curve will be one of the things that make DeathSprint 66 stand out in the crowd. If, like me, you’re a bit tired of playing Moo Moo Meadows and Sunshine Airport with your eyes closed, then DeathSprint is going to be the kick in the bum you need.

I only had around 20 minutes with DeathSprint 66, but its simple yet challenging premise and satisfying racing already have me looking forward to the full release. And hey, it’s not like we’re getting a new Mario Kart or Crash Team Racing any time soon, so I’ll take all of the kart racing adjacent games I can.

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