Astrolabe Games and Frozen Lake Games have announced that retro-styled Old School Rally is releasing into Early Access on July 19, 2024.
If you asked me to tell you where Old School Rally draws its styling from, I’m not sure I could tell you beyond “the ‘90s.” It reminds me of Top Gear Rally, but that had circuitous tracks rather than linear ones. It doesn’t really look much like Sega Rally Championship, which is generally what I think of when it comes to old school rally games.
Instead, Old School Rally seems to be “old school” mostly in aesthetic, which it does rather convincingly. That’s what really drew me to it; I’m a sucker for the chunky polygons and unfiltered textures of the PS1 look. Beyond that, it looks like a capable racing title.
The Early Access release already has a lot of features under its belt, including time trial ghosts and racing wheel support. Frozen Lake has also made some tweaks and improvements based on feedback they gained from a recent demo.
The developer is aiming to have the Early Access period last less than a year. At launch, they say it’s a “robust experience with numerous cars and tracks to enjoy and various modes including Rally mode and Time Trial mode.” They’ll be adding more cars and tracks over time.
Old School Rally releases on Steam Early Access July 19, 2024 on PC.