Renowned free-to-play MMO developer Gala-Net provides a taste of life in the fast lane with its free-to-play online racing game, Upshift StrikeRacer. It's Spy Hunter meets Burnout meets Full Auto as you race to the finish line using an arsenal of weapons and powerups to take out opponents along the way. Upshift lets players customize an ever-growing number of vehicles with a seemingly infinite selection of fearsome weaponry, and players can mix and match upgrades to fine tune cars to suit their own personal tastes in carnage. Quite a bit different from Gala-Net's line-up of MMORPGs, Upshift focuses more on quick-start racing - you can queue up with other players for a new race or even host your own. At the home screen you'll find the shop, where you'll be able to purchase new parts, weapons and unique items using the in-game currency called "Reputation" or you can drop some actual cash to purchase some of the pricier uber goods using Gala-Net's GPotato system. The control scheme is fairly simple: Arrow keys to steer/accelerate, spacebar to drift, Shift to use turbo boost and A, S and D to use items and weapons. The controls are pretty forgiving, so casual racers won't find themselves flying off the course at every turn. The visual presentation of the game is also quite nice, with well-detailed car models and equally impressive courses, ranging from dirt-laden construction sites to rubber-meets-asphalt urban areas. Certainly, Upshift StrikeRacer gives those looking to get right into the action a hearty amount of fun and value. It's exceedingly easy to log in and join a race, and before you know it you'll be raining death down on opponents as you speed towards the finish line Ricky Bobby style.
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