Burning Road
| Industry | Video game development |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Burning Road |
Burning Road is a 1996 racing video game released for the PlayStation, created by the French developer Toka. This arcade-style racing title draws significant influence from Sega's Daytona USA. It was succeeded by a sequel in 1997 called Explosive Racing. In December 2023, both games were adapted for Xbox Series X/S and Microsoft Windows platforms by LLS Games, under the names Burning Road X and Explosive Racing X.
Gameplay
In this game, players compete against a countdown timer, passing through checkpoints to prolong their race time. Gamers can choose from various tracks, vehicles, and transmission settings across three difficulty tiers: Easy, Medium, and Hard. A radar display indicates nearby rivals, while the current race leader is marked with a silver trophy icon accompanied by a brief "race leader" notification.
Three distinct modes are included: Practice mode features a single race against seven AI opponents with the possibility of unlocking mirrored versions of tracks; Championship mode involves progressing through a series of tracks where players must meet time criteria; Link mode enables two-player competition via the PlayStation Link Cable without AI participants. The vehicle roster consists of four options—three standard cars and one monster truck—with choices between automatic and manual gear shifting.
Reception
Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot described Burning Road as a Daytona USA clone characterized by more angular graphics but noted that it offers competitive value when compared to Ridge Racer Revolution. GamePro criticized the title for its limited content, pointing out only six relatively simple tracks and the absence of a two-player split-screen mode, additionally expressing dissatisfaction with its theme music. Meanwhile, Next Generation commended the game’s visual presentation, smooth frame rate, and artificial intelligence but criticized the small number of tracks and aggressive gameplay style, which may deter traditional racing enthusiasts. They concluded that while enjoyable, the game lacks several important features needed to stand out.