Mantis Burn Racing: Battle Cars (PlayStation 4) Review

Battle Cars is immediately accessible upon installing. A brand-new season dedicated to this pack is added on, but it does not require completing the previous tracks to unlock it. Jump right in, and select from one of the three new cars: a lightweight, medium range and a heavy vehicle. These new cars pack a heap of armour, which, unlike previous modes, is desperately needed this time around. This is due to the fact that these cars come equipped with a car-shredding machine gun and mine thrower, which works the same way as a banana peel from Mario Kart, except with an explosive end.

However, these added weapons are not available right from the get-go. In order to curb the drivers and prevent absolute mayhem from the green light, the machine gun will become available once the car has passed the first checkpoint. Then, the race turns into an absolute dead zone, with Death Race-inspired destruction. The devastating mines take a little bit longer to unlock, as it requires completing the first lap. However, this is needed because once those mines come into play; the entire track becomes a long game of minesweeper. Turning corners quickly becomes a dangerous gambit, as the clever AI opponents strategically drop those mines to catch unsuspecting racers. However, only three mines can be used per lap, but it refills upon crossing the finish line to begin the next lap.

The machine gun works as expected, as it simply fires in a straight direction, meaning that on top of having to race the cars around the tracks, learning how to aim at other drivers also becomes another thing to focus on. It works best at close range, as it can quickly tear up a car and turn them into a raging ball of fire. With unlimited bullets, the only limit to these guns is the longer range, and that it can overheat, which then causes a temporary cool down period before it reloads for further use.

Repair icons appear on the tracks and driving over them replenishes whatever health may have been lost. These quickly become a desperate attempt to stay alive, though the car's armour is quickly ripped to shreds that trying to reach the icons before "dying" is a fool's errand. However, the thrill of reaching them just in time is an exhilarating ride.

Two new events are added, which take advantage of these new weaponised gameplay mechanics. The best of the two is easily "King of the Track," where a random car begins the race as the elected "King." Every checkpoint they reach with the crown earns them a point. However, the crown is passed on to whoever can destroy the "King," thus allowing that car to then earn points. The first car to reach six points wins the event. This entire event is chaos from the beginning, and while it is hard to be in a position to become the "King," it is an even tougher venture to hold the crown.

The other new event is "Survival" mode, which is exactly as it sounds. Each car gets one life, and upon being destroyed, is out of the match. The car who has driven the most mileage wins the event, keeping the aim of this race to focus on driving instead of on just the destruction aspects. "Accumulator," which was previously included, has been adjusted to better suit the machine gun-toting cars. In addition to getting points quicker when leading the race, bonus points are awarded or deducted when blowing up other cars or being blown up.