Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Stunts delivers a thrilling racing experience by placing you behind the wheel of a variety of high-performance cars as you tackle purpose-built stunt tracks. From gravity-defying loops to corkscrews and massive jumps, each course is designed to push your driving skills to the limit. The core mechanics are straightforward—accelerate, brake, steer—but the real challenge comes from mastering the physics of each stunt obstacle and keeping your car on the tarmac.

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The game features multiple surface types—paved road, gravel, and ice—each with distinct grip and traction characteristics. Paved roads offer predictable handling, gravel introduces a slippy, drifting feel, and ice sections demand feather-light throttle control to maintain any semblance of control. Stray off the course and you’ll encounter grass, which mercifully slows you down, or water, which instantly sends your car into a fiery crash and forces you to restart that section.

AI opponents are categorized by difficulty level, so you can ease into the experience against cautious drivers before challenging the more aggressive racers. Their performance varies based on the track complexity, meaning you’ll need to adapt your own approach if you want to outpace them on loops or nail perfect landings off jumps. Additionally, the instant replay feature—with multiple camera angles—allows you to analyze mistakes, celebrate spectacular stunts, or simply enjoy the chaos of a wreck in slow motion.

One of Stunts’ standout features is the robust track editor. Whether you want to recreate real-world circuits or invent brand-new death-defying loops, the editor gives you the tools to construct courses piece by piece. You can place straightaways, banked corners, elevation changes, and stunt objects exactly where you want, then test your creations immediately. This level of customization drastically extends the game’s replay value and keeps you coming back for more inventive track designs.

Graphics

For a title released in the early ’90s, Stunts’ 3D graphics engine is impressive. The polygon-based car models are simple yet instantly recognizable, and the environments—though sparsely detailed—convey a clear sense of speed and verticality as you hurtle through loops and launch off ramps. Colorful track components and bright backgrounds help you distinguish upcoming obstacles even at high velocity.

The draw distance is generous for its era, letting you spot twists and stunt elements well in advance, which is crucial for planning your approach and timing your accelerations. Textured road surfaces differentiate paved, gravel, and ice sections, providing visual cues that mirror the game’s physics. While there’s no dynamic lighting or modern shader effects, the flat-shaded aesthetic contributes to a clean, readable image that serves gameplay above all.

Instant replay sequences shift camera angles to give you cinematic perspectives of crashes and successful stunts. Whether you opt for a close-up on your car’s undercarriage as it flips through the air or a wide shot that captures your fiery plunge into the water, these replays add polish and encourage experimentation. Watching a perfectly executed loop from a rear chase cam can be as satisfying as crossing the finish line first.

Story

Unlike narrative-heavy racing titles, Stunts focuses purely on the competitive thrill of stunt driving rather than weaving an elaborate plot. Your progression is measured by your performance against increasingly skilled AI opponents on a selection of predefined tracks. Each victory unlocks new challenges and serves as a testament to your growing mastery of stunt physics and track layouts.

The lack of a traditional storyline might seem like a drawback for some, but it also means there’s no downtime between races. You jump straight into the next stunt event, keeping the adrenaline high and the pace rapid. The game challenges you to improve lap times, avoid spectacular crashes, and conquer more elaborate track designs without the distraction of cutscenes or character interactions.

For players who crave a narrative layer, the track editor offers a creative outlet. You can craft thematic courses—such as a loop-laden “daredevil arena” or an ice-dominated “death slide”—and imagine your own backstory for each design. While these narratives live in your head, they can inject a sense of purpose into each run and inspire you to share your courses with friends.

Overall Experience

Stunts remains a landmark title for anyone interested in stunt racing and track customization. Its blend of accessible controls, varied surface physics, and over-the-top stunt obstacles creates a uniquely addictive formula. The inclusion of AI opponents with scalable difficulty means you can continually challenge yourself, whether you’re a casual player or a hardcore time-trial enthusiast.

The game’s longevity is bolstered by the track editor, which transforms Stunts from a fixed set of races into a creative sandbox. Enthusiasts have spent countless hours designing and sharing new tracks, ensuring that the community-driven content has kept the game alive long after its release. This creative aspect, combined with instant replays and multiple camera angles, ensures that every race can be savored, analyzed, or shared.

While modern racers boast photorealistic visuals and extensive progression systems, Stunts’ straightforward approach focuses purely on the joy of stunt driving. If you appreciate the retro charm of early 3D graphics, thrive on perfecting tricky precision jumps, or want to unleash your creativity in a track-building suite, Stunts is a must-experience classic that still offers plenty of excitement today.

Retro Replay Score

7.7/10