F1 Race Stars would be Mario Kart for iOS if it wasn't for the icky pay-to-win system
Shell out
Codemasters has tried its hardest to make Mario Kart for iOS with F1 Race Stars. But it screwed up one vital component.
It has a monetisation model that veers a little too close to "pay-to-win" for our liking.
F1 Race Stars has the same lighthearted approach to competitive racing as Mario Kart and it's a far cry from the realistic F1 games out there.
Cars auto accelerate, and the option of tilt, buttons, and thumbstick controls is welcome, and they all work rather well. Even power sliding around corners is satisfying.
There is also a range of power-ups to collect around each of the the tracks that can be used to disrupt your opponents. Large bubbles and bombs, for example.
The tracks are a little short and lack the imagination of Mario Kart's fantastical, twisting roads. But they're competent enough.
Where F1 Race Stars falls flat is in its eagerness to let you win: doubly so if you want to spend some coins.
Part of what makes Mario Kart so fun to play is that there's a chance that anyone can win the race. The notorious blue shell is testament to that - homing in on the leader and taking them out.
Conversely, in F1 Race Stars, shortcut gates and power-up gates can be driven through at the cost of coins. These give you a huge advantage and the rest of the pack won't likely catch up.
You can also buy gems and coins to get better upgrades for your driver, or abilities for your car. And even though the unlockable drivers have different abilities, they're so expensive that it takes many gameplay hours to afford them.
Still, it's not like it's impossible to enjoy. So go ahead and download it for free on the App Store if you want to try it.
