Apex Circuit
Arcade racing with a simulation heart
A gorgeous, generous racer held back by a thin career mode.
Handling is the whole game in a racer, and Apex Circuit's is a triumph of accessibility. On a pad, cars feel planted and forgiving; on a wheel, a whole extra layer of nuance opens up, and the transition never feels like two different games bolted together.
The tracks are the stars. The canyon circuit at golden hour is the best-looking stretch of road I've driven in a game, and crucially it drives as well as it photographs — blind crests and off-camber corners that reward memorisation.
Where it stumbles is structure. The career mode is a handsome shell that runs out of meaningful goals well before you've run out of cars to earn, and the AI leans on rubber-banding to keep races close on higher settings, which undercuts clean laps.
The multiplayer and time-trial modes pick up much of the slack, and a healthy community is already trading ghost laps. If you race for the driving rather than the drip-feed of unlocks, this is an easy recommendation.
Apex Circuit is a driver's game first and a career game second. Come for the corners, not the campaign.
What works
- Handling model that scales from pad to wheel flawlessly
- Canyon and coastal tracks that beg for one more lap
- Photo mode worthy of a magazine cover
What doesn't
- Career progression runs dry too early
- AI rubber-banding is noticeable on higher difficulties
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