Real Racing 3

 iOS
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 30
  3. Negative: 3 out of 30
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  1. IGN
    Feb 27, 2013
    91
    This is the best racing game available on mobile devices.
  2. GameOver.gr
    Mar 15, 2013
    90
    An eye-candy of a game for your portable iOS or Android device that comes for free. You could spend some money in upgrading or buying new cars, but you can really enjoy Real Racing 3 as it is without spending a dime.
  3. Gamer.nl
    Mar 7, 2013
    90
    Firemonkeys and Electronic Arts prove that a good freemium game can be released without making players feel like they need to pay to win. Real Racing 3 also shows how pretty mobile games can get nowadays, and that smartphones have become serious gaming platforms. A must buy, although the term isn’t applicable in this case.
  5. Gamereactor Denmark
    Mar 4, 2013
    90
    Amazing visuals, great controls and superb car physics. You might hate the freemium model introduced in Real Racing 3. But if you decide to skip the game because of this, then you will miss out on the greatest mobile racer ever made for mobiles and tablets. Sure, you can always buy the cheapest pack which includes a nice BMW. After all that will only be a third of the price for Real Racing 2. Go ahead no one is looking. If not, then lock your credit card away and drop repairs until you get enough in-game currency to put some cars in your garage. After that there’s no turning back. You will be hooked.
  6. MacLife
    Feb 28, 2013
    90
    Scaled down in some respects and expanded in others, Real Racing 3 might irk some old fans, but it's a remarkably giving free-to-play affair.
  7. Pocket Gamer UK
    Feb 28, 2013
    90
    Expansive, gorgeous, hardcore, free: Real Racing 3 sets the new standard on mobile for racing games.
  8. 148Apps
    Feb 27, 2013
    90
    Free-to-play or not, Real Racing 3 is a fantastic game that no iOS gamer should be without. Especially if they have Game Center friends to compete with.
  9. Vandal
    Feb 28, 2013
    88
    Behind its impressive visuals, there's a game with plenty of options, meant to stay for a long time on our devices. The free-to-play model might be controversial, but after all, it allows the player to decide whether keep on playing or not.
  10. IGN Italia
    Mar 8, 2013
    85
    Real Racing 3 is the best driving simulator for iPhone, iPad and Android systems, period. The "free to play" model, though, might be too aggressive for some players, but the choice is up to you: play it for free, with patience, and you have a game that can squeeze in your everyday's routine. Or you can just open your wallet and cut some (pretty expensive) corners.
  11. AppGamer
    Mar 6, 2013
    80
    Multiplayer is sadly lacking in Real Racing 3, replaced with a half-way house system that promises to allow you to race against the ghost cars of your friends, but really only seems to collect their lap times rather than their actual laps. It's better than nothing, but still feels like a missed opportunity.
  12. Multiplayer.it
    Mar 4, 2013
    80
    Real Racing 3 is a game that clearly shows Firemonkey's quality, with a production value that could be easily associated with console games. Unfortunately, choosing to go free to play ultimately generated some serious balancing issues and frustrations, reducing the overall value of the final product.
  13. Gamezebo
    Mar 2, 2013
    80
    Real Racing 3’s good handily outweighs its bad. There’s plenty of variety in race types, more vehicles than you can shake a stick at, and even if it’s not ideal, old school racing fans can still have plenty of fun with the assists on.
  14. TouchArcade
    Feb 27, 2013
    80
    If you're a free to play gamer used to the often basic games that litter the Top Free chart on the App Store, Real Racing 3 is going to knock your socks off.
  15. TouchGen
    Feb 23, 2013
    80
    ‘Real Racing 3’ is all about the three R’s. Not the ones we learned at school (or as I’m increasingly discovering to my horror, I didn’t properly learn), but Real Cars, Real Tracks and Real People.
  16. InsideGamer.nl
    Mar 15, 2013
    78
    Real Racing 3 is graphically still very impressive with 46 beautiful cars at your fingertips. These all control greatly, but never achieve the finesse of an actual racing simulation. The choice to go with the freemium-model might frustrate, but can be handled when playing smartly. With time-shifted multiplayer, Firemonkeys makes a small step in the right direction. Unfortunately this seems to have happened at the expense of actual multiplayer, that shines in its absence along with a few other options. But even without these options Real Racing 3 is one of the better and prettiest racing-games for your tablet or mobile phone.

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Most Discussed iOS Game of 2013
32
#32 Most Shared iOS Game of 2013

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
5.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 108 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 108
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 108
  3. Negative: 35 out of 108
  1. Badison
    Mar 3, 2013
    10
    This is a visually stunning and well design racing sim. Camera angles are handled well and the sense of speed is excellent.

    A lot of the    This is a visually stunning and well design racing sim. Camera angles are handled well and the sense of speed is excellent.

    A lot of the criticism surrounding the payment/waiting system seems to be closely tied to how much you play it. I've found that playing for 30 min spats has worked out fine. Furthermore, if you drive clean, then you're rewarded by needing less repairs. This is one aspect of the design I wish more games took into consideration. Anyone saying you can't go through a race without accruing damage is probably driving sloppily to be honest. Also, you can raise with damage, but you take minor performance hits to acceleration, top speed, etc. Some console sims DO penalize you for driving off the track or ramming other cars in terms of tire wear or the need for repairs. To me this seems pretty suitable for a mobile game to incorporate. The more skilled you are the more quickly and easily you'll progress.

    There are wait times for upgrades, but if you have more than one car (which is the case as you progress), then you'll be able to switch to another car. The time shift racing aspect definitely gives it a nice amount of competitiveness as well, as long as you have some gamecenter/facebook friends using the game. You'll still see other players around the globe playing, but it's fun to see a friend one-upping your own records. All in all, this is a great game at a very low cost. It is a sim at hear, so I wouldn't expect it to appeal as much to someone expecting a Need For Speed type arcade experience.    … Full Review »
  2. Durandle
    Feb 28, 2013
    3
    An amazing achievement of graphics and game-play on a mobile device. Sadly, EA got involved, and most of the design decisions have thusAn amazing achievement of graphics and game-play on a mobile device. Sadly, EA got involved, and most of the design decisions have thus revolved around the one big question... "How can we force our users to pay more money". The result is one of the most horrible gaming experiences I have come across, where forced waiting times, forced upgrades and unavoidable vehicle damage (ie just *using* a vehicle gives it damage) attempt to extract as much real money as possible. Its cynical and oh so frustrating to see in what would otherwise be a show-stopping experience.… Full Review »
  3. chemicalreaper
    Mar 1, 2013
    6
    An absolutely gorgeous game (especially on the iPad's Retina Display) marred by only a few shortfalls: the generally unobtrusive, yet everAn absolutely gorgeous game (especially on the iPad's Retina Display) marred by only a few shortfalls: the generally unobtrusive, yet ever present, attempts to get the player to spend real money via IAPs; the "if you don't use our currency to speed up delivery, we'll make you wait" trick for upgrades and repairs; and the fact that while your car is easily damaged (and its performance is negatively affected), other cars are not at all affected not even superficially by your collisions with them. AI is generally stupid, too: if you try and pass another car on the inside of a corner, they'll haphazardly and senselessly crash into you.

    The ultra-negative reviews are just hating because hating on EA and Activision is the 'cool' thing to do now on the internet... I guess they think that it increases their street cred, or whatever. Either way, this game is actually pretty good: it's really not that hard to ignore the IAP cash-in attempts (the wait times are usually pretty short), and you can switch to other cars in the meantime, and the graphics and gameplay are by far the best I've seen in an iOS-based racing game.    … Full Review »
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