Only a select few pilots have ever attempted the intricate, high-G courses of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, but now you can find out firsthand what it’s like to compete against the world's best racers, low to the ground, at 200 knots. Red Bull announced Jan. 25 that Red Bull Air Race–The Game is available for free download (exclusively for PC), having won fans during beta testing by the online gaming community GamesCom.
Publisher Wingracers Sports Games and developer Slightly Mad Studios earned GamesCom recognition for the beta release as the top racing game of 2016, and designed the game to suit fans seeking an ultra-realistic experience, though it does not have to be. Users may opt to follow the official Red Bull Air Race rules and regulations, adopting the persona of real-life Red Bull pilots including Michael Goulian and Kirby Chambliss (the two American pilots currently racing in the Master Class), or choose from a variety of “fantasy” aircraft and tracks, including the Grand Canyon.
Think you’ve got the stuff to beat the best? Users can choose difficulty levels ranging from casual to pro, and fly against up to 11 other users in online matchups. The game is optimized for NVIDIA GTX-series graphics cards, and requires Windows 7 or a newer operating system, at least 4 GB of RAM, and broadband internet.
The real-life Red Bull Air Race World Championship kicks off the 2017 season in Abu Dhabi Feb. 10 and 11, followed by San Diego April 15 and 16.