While more works needs to done. This "demo" version of the game is an amazing peek at what can become of this game. I believe that to be something that will in fact happen.

It's important to note that, regardless of how well this will be made, it won't be for everyone. It's very much focused on the old 90's JDM era in Japan, where it was perfectly normal and in fact very common for the night time to turn the highways into a race track. It's an amazing take on this era into a game, similar to that of the old NFS games but going even further into that old feeling with VHS filters, film grain etc (most of which can be toned down or turned off if wanted).

If you're on board still after the stylistic choice, then that leads us to the actual gameplay. As some reviews state, there was some initial problems. Most notably with the AI. While they're still not ideal perhaps, they've already brought us updates to try and fix these issues. I very much appreciate a dev that listens. So while the AI might seem a bit too easy at times (as of writing this), I still very much enjoyed the battles and their choices in car behavior. A great balance and foundation as been set for the future of this game in my opinion.

Furthermore, the game offers an impressive amount of customization. Just about everything can be changed. Something I noticed, which I love, is the fact that the game lets you upgrade your car more than the cooling system might allow. Hence the present engine temp gauge. It allows you to set it to a risky build if you so wish to take that gamble. Perhaps it will pay off, or perhaps you'll be left overheating the engine. I've sadly yet had the chance to explore if there's actually any consequences for doing something like that though. The customization in comparison to something like NFS, just feels more rewarding in this game somehow. It's a more fun process. You can actually walk around the car and remove panels and replace them with your newly bought item from the store. NIGHT-RUNNERS knows how to bring joy into the choices, and without overwhelming you with too much at the same time.

Lastly, negative things I personally found, was the fact that you can't change/bind the controls to what you want. You're stuck with one scheme, either for keyboard or a controller. However, this is ofc not the full game, so I'm sure we'll see updates this in the future.
The game is a bit limited in map size and certain stuff is missing/work in progress, so there's that. But it's again, a free version of a future full release.
There's sometimes also a slight confusing feeling before you learn the ways of the game and how things work. On the other hand, I'm also glad it doesn't treat you like a baby as many other games do with non-stop tutorial windows. It did not take that long to get the hang of everything, so I believe it to not be that much of an issue. It's a rather simple game after all. But that brings more fun than most car games have in a long time. Looking forward to the full game.

8/10 - So much joy from a free "demo" of a game. Brilliant.