Based on Remedy's first PC game (this is the developer behind the Xbox 360 creepfest Alan Wake), Death Rally is a very straightforward killzone racer. In machines made for fender-benders, you speed and slide around a series of tracks, trading both paint and bullets with rival racers. Drafting behind a rival racer and picking him to pieces with your machine guns results in cash, as does your placement when the race ends, beating previous lap times, and eliminating the "boss" of each track.
You start with a basic buggy called the Vagabond. Smartly, it's not a clunker. Right away, you have the tools to get in there and mix it up, possibly even coming in first or second on one of the easy track. This solves the problem so many racing games fall into: don't frustrate the player right off the bat with a crappy car and no chance of enjoying a win. Soon enough, things get tougher and you have to deal with increasingly trickier tracks and opponents. Fortunately, cash earned from completing races or picked up on the tracks can be spent to upgrade your ride with better top speed, handling, and armor.
You also pick up parts that unlock new weapons and new vehicles. Don't get too attached to the Vagabond. Soon, you unlock death vans and hardnosed rigs capable of real havoc. And when you slap better weapons on them, such as a launcher or shotgun (all weapons can be upgraded, too – I'm fond of a level 9 shotgun), you are a monster in the making. Swapping out vehicles and special weapons is a good bit of fun, and it encourages not always going for first place. There can be real cash into accepting third place – but only because you lagged behind and chewed up the bottom three rivals with your gatling gun.
I like Death Rally's simple controls. There is no gas or brake pedal. You just use a virtual stick to steer your car around the track and a separate button fires special weapons. However, I do wish there was an option for players that are sure to disagree with my assessment and perhaps want a different scheme. Death Rally can be a touch squirrely (hint: always upgrade handling), and the option to tighten up the stick or tweak sensitivity might have helped that.
Another oversight: multiplayer. Now, Death Rally is getting this feature in an update that's coming sooner rather than later. But that doesn't really address the fact you're being asked to pay full price now. Not even local WiFi could make it?
What cannot be disputed, though, is Death Rally's sumptuous graphics. It looks great on an iPad, but on an iPhone 4? Wow. Everything is razor sharp and with little sign of stuttering. The tracks are complex and busy (perhaps a little too busy in places, as sometimes railings and rocks are tough to spot until your car comes to a dead stop because you hit one), but the cars themselves are the real stars.
Note: Death Rally is only compatible with iPod touch 3rd gen (32GB and 64GB), iPod touch 4th gen, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad, and iPad 2.
