Teardown: Folkrace, a racing DLC added to a really good heist simulator.
Teardown was originally released on the 21st of April, 2022, after having spent quite a bit of time getting ticketed within Early Access. It was designed by seasoned developers based in Malmo, Sweden. The developers, Tuxedo Labs, came up with the interesting idea of mixing a few genres and concepts, creating an interesting world made up of voxel-style designs, the concept of total destruction, and almost life-like physics.
The base game of Teardown runs with the concept of being a thief and doing whatever is necessary to get to the objective, even if that means breaking everything into tiny little blocks to get to it by using a wide range of objects and tools to get the job done, The base game offers the players different modes to choose from, these modes consist of the games Campaign mode, Sandbox mode, Challenge mode, and the expansions tab – which is what we will be diving into today.
Within the Expansions tab, players will be offered three game modes to choose from should the player have purchased any of the expansions. Within the options, players will be able to partake in game modes such as Art Vandals, and Time Campers, and the mode we will be reviewing today; is Folkrace.
The Folkrace DLC offers players two modes to choose from, sandbox and campaign, choosing to go into the campaign will take the player into the story mode of the game where the player will wake up in what looks like a convenience store.
Moving around and getting a feel of the controller aspects of the game can be a bit confusing as there’s no tutorial when jumping in. Once the player has figured out how to work things, the player is free to check the incoming messages from a character named Björn.
In these messages, Björn complains about being bored, asking the player when they will be coming to the garage, and further talking about another character named Gordon Woo and how they are throwing money at the Folkrace, hinting towards a betting race situation. You know, like in Fast and the Furious or Need for Speed, racing for cash and, or possibly, pink slips.
Within the third message, Björn goes on to tempt the player by saying that even with the rust bucket the player owns, they will be able to make more money out of the race rather than being a gas station jockey, further stating that the player will be able to sign up for the race once the player gets over to Björn’s house.
Once that’s out of the way, the next objective would be to turn off the light in the store, the first switch being easy and the last one being located outside. The player will have access to four items used such as the Sledge Hammer, Spray Paint, an Extinguisher, and a Leaf Blower.
Now, getting to the second switch, I personally didn’t know how to get to it and just opted to bash it off the wall using the sledgehammer, the games’ pixel looks are quite stunning, and very addictive to see and explore.
This approach to Folkrace DLC makes it quite unique as the destructive nature of the game kind of feels like bringing the best kind of destruction to a beautifully built world that breaks and shatters like Legos; definitely, something that one would expect from games like Minecraft and Trove.
Once the player has made it to the garage, the player will have to make it to the PC and register for the first race which would be located in the Korea tab on the PC ironically within the account, there are only 50 Dollars which will grow as you race and win.
The first of the races in this campaign will be for newbies, and as explained in the Folkrace DLC, earning stars by securing a podium finish in each race will generate income and unlock additional champions along with cars and engines.
Each race will take part in different settings are ranked by different tiers and will have requirements in order to participate in the racing. Each environment will be different and pose different challenges along the way and yes, the cars have nitrous to make them really go ‘vroom’.
However, although the game has obstacles that make getting to the front difficult, it is not impossible to achieve as everything like in the base game is destroyable. So, on the first lap, it’s important to figure out the direction of the start-finish line, once the player has that down, full-speed driving through buildings and obstacles will be the best strategy for getting ahead of the other racers.
Once the player has completed the first race, Björn sends a message basically giving the player the ‘I told you so’ speech while also giving you free rein of the garage in order to upgrade and ‘de-rustify’ your rust bucket. Making their way back to the PC, the player’s next task will be to access the workshop mode of the game.
Within this mode, the player will be able to change both the engine and skins of their cars using the cash made from each race. Do take note that skins and new engines will only be made available when the criteria of stars and cash are met, the more you earn and the more stars you have, the better the outcome of the upgrades will be.
It is also revealed that once the basics of learning about Folkrace are met, the player will be able to launch the classic heist missions from the main screen of the computer by earning money for completing these missions.
The player will be able to spend the cash made on the cars and upgrades that are to come, it’s quite a nice touch by combining the aspects of being a thief and using what the player has earned on the new Folkrace DLC for the car kind of feels like a unique and devious kind of Hustle.
Using this method, the Folkrace DLC basically allows the player to improve the chances of a win a lot faster than just plain old racing, this approach brings the game an interesting touch by being able to switch between the two. Should the players get bored of one aspect, they can simply move on to another and still cross-use the funds made.
Onto the controls of the Folkrace DLC, although when on foot, everything runs smoothly and controls are easy to pick up on. When it comes to being in the car, the movement of turning and driving on the road itself feels a bit stiff.
As mentioned before, each environment brings something different to the table, with the areas ranging from swampy settings with slick grounds for drifting, to busy industrial areas and desert-like farms, each bringing different challenges, both on the road or in the surrounding environment.
However, if it feels like the car is going to struggle in certain areas, the nitrous not only acts as a speed boost but it also adds a level of more control over where the car is going. This game combines the interesting visuals of games such as Minecraft with the nostalgic feeling of Need for Speed or Fast and the Furious. It’s both an odd combination and an interestingly fun take on a game.
As the player furthers their progression and access to more races and stars, the more of a challenge the game becomes with players facing faster and better drivers on the road to victory.
Aside from normal first-place racing, there is also an elimination mode. In this mode, after each timed cycle, the racer found to be in last place by the end of the timer will be eliminated, this process will continue until there is only one left.
In the end, the Folkrace DLC is an interesting and fun addition to the base Teardown game, combining the nostalgia of old racing games and the look of voxel-style designs of the environments and cars. This really was a brilliant addition to what the game already has to offer the players and is well worth giving a download.
