GT Manager Review

Manage Your Own Racing Team

Most racing games have players take direct control of a single driver as they race to win the gold. GT Manager gives driving gamers a new experience in the racing genre as players manage a team of drivers who control themselves while racing. Publisher The Tiny Digital Factory provides a racing game that focuses on the behind-the-scenes of racing over direct control of drivers.

After a brief tutorial in which players are given their first driver, the game provides access to its different features. One aspect of race preparation is the different facilities available for use. Initially starting with a car factory, a marketing building and a drivers’ building, more facilities unlock as players level up by winning races.

Besides fine-tuning cars and training drivers, players also have access to sponsorships they unlock through rewards or winning races. These sponsorships give players extra perks and money depending on how they place in races. Overall, the game provides many ways to manage and upgrade racers and their cars to create the ultimate racing team.

Different Race Modes

Players choose from several racing modes, with the main differences being the number of laps and the prizes available for winning. The modes otherwise change nothing in regard to gameplay. Sprint and Endurance are the two races available from the start, with Sprint consisting of five laps and Endurance consisting of nine. At level four players unlock daily races against other players.

Two drivers may be entered into a race, giving players double the chance of scoring high in the rankings. Players take control of their drivers’ speed during races. As the manager, GT Manager players control how fast their cars are going via three levels of speed. They also control when the cars stop for a pit stop and what types of wheels the cars use.

It is important to manage these aspects of the race carefully. Failing to do so could result in the drivers’ engines overheating or running out of fuel. Combined with a fast-forward button to zoom through races, the game provides an easy interface for players to use while racing. However, players may find themselves overwhelmed if they use the fast-forward option too often as they may suddenly find themselves low on fuel.

A Good Change in Pace

Unlike other racing games that can be repetitive after a while, GT Manager keeps things fresh with its approach to racing. Player management of the facilities and teams shakes things up from the normal racing simulator. For a mobile game, it rarely forces advertisements or real-life money options on the player. Although options for spending real-world money are available, a person playing the game is more likely to look for them on their own rather than the game showing them.

The plethora of customization options and features makes this game a stand-out title. Players slowly but consistently unlock more buildings, racers and cars over the course of their wins. Though it may lag a bit on older phones, the game overall runs smoothly with an overhead look of the race that gives players the perfect bird’s eye view. Fans of the racing genre should definitely take GT Manager for a spin.