Cars 3: Driven to Win Reviews

Cars 3: Driven to Win is ranked in the 30th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Jun 21, 2017

Driven to Win's Takedown mode feels like exploitation, the video-game equivalent of tying fireworks to G.I. Joes.

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4 / 10
Aug 9, 2017

Cars 3: Driven To Win is ultimately another disappointing movie-tie to add to the increasing pile. Though it reaches beyond the very lows that this genre subset has ever sunk, the game is still far from being a wholly worthwhile experience. At its very best the game is just okay, and at its worse it is tedious and boring.

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2 / 5.0
Jul 7, 2017

While Cars 3 is technically functional, this is one game that’s best left in the junkyard.

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Renan Fontes
Top Critic
4 / 10
Jul 27, 2017

Despite what seems like a sincere attempt at trying to stray away from the typical licensed game pitfalls at first, Cars 3: Driven to Win strays off course almost immediately and winds up just another disappointing movie tie-in. The amount of content packaged in almost feels illusory at times, as the presentation gives the impression of a deeper experience. The Hall of Fame mechanic promotes tedium instead of overcoming challenge, and a lack of online multiplayer severely holds the content back. Tracks with no discernible identity and mechanics that feign complexity only serve to make Driven to Win feel even more like a blatant advertisement. With Mario Kart 8 already out for the Switch and better than ever, there's little reason to give Lightning McQueen the time of day.

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6 / 10
Nov 20, 2017

It’s not necessarily a resounding victory lap for Lightning McQueen, but he’s certainly still far from retirement. Many will still find getting behind the wheel in Cars 3: Driven to Win to be an entertaining ride, but to forever linger in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe‘s shadow, this is a game that is more suited to those that love the world of Cars and want to extend their time with it beyond the movie.

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Jul 23, 2017

This game is great for those younger players, but adults may find it a little too samey, a little too quickly.

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60%
Oct 13, 2017

Cars 3: Driven to Win is a decent arcade racing game mainly worth playing because of the film license. However, if you don't want to play as Lightning McQueen, play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe instead, which is just objectively better.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

6 / 10
Jul 20, 2017

Cars 3: Driven to Win isn't really a bad game. It can be fairly enjoyable in short bursts, especially in co-op. At the same time, however, it's not what I'd call a good game either. It's decidedly average, chock full of content and variety, but let down by being prescriptive, uneven in difficulty and quite frankly, a bit dull.

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6 / 10.0
Sep 27, 2017

Like its predecessor, Cars 3 is a decent tie-in that shouldn't have any trouble entertaining a younger audience, although it's a little hard to suggest the purchase to more expert gamers.

Review in Italian | Read full review

6 / 10
Jul 9, 2017

Cars 3: Driven to Win falls for some of the pitfalls that are expected of a game released to coincide with a movie's arrival in theatres. Rather rushed, rough around the edges and with minor but persistent annoyances, older players will certainly recognise the symptoms.That said, it hits top gear in some respects. Its gameplay mechanics are rather fun once grasped, there are a variety of modes and tracks to master, and despite its sidenote of a narrative it goes big on the film series' charms. Young gamers and fans of the films will likely get beyond its flaws and rather enjoy what it does well, and it comes across as a game that was pushed out the door early but, nevertheless, was developed with some pride. It's a bit of a 'banger' in car terms, but it has a good lick of paint and a good engine - one to pick up on a whim or at a discount, perhaps.

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Aug 10, 2017

Cars 3: Driven to Win is a competent kart racer that is accessible to players of all skill levels.

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6 / 10
Jul 21, 2017

When all is said and done, Cars 3: Driven to Win is a decent arcade racer that fans will enjoy. The racing is good fun once you get a handle on it, and we can see kids having a great time with the family in its four-player split screen. It's difficult to recommend it to anyone else, however. While there are plenty of ways to play, there lacks a certain depth that will keep you entertained for more than a few hours. Having said that, the PS4 is sorely lacking in arcade racing titles, so this may be worth a look if you're in the market for some bright and breezy driving – and can stand the repetitive voice lines.

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6 / 10.0
Jul 24, 2017

Despite nailing the Pixar look and offering loads of content, Cars 3: Driven to Win heads off-track because of its unforgiving difficulty.

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6 / 10
Jul 24, 2017

Cars 3: Driven to Win is a fun and eclectic racer, and one that boasts plenty of content that'll keep fans of the films happy for many hours, especially younger gamers who may well overlook some of the flaws. It's a shame then that the game's poor performance, lack of polish and often unfair difficulty level make it that much harder to recommend to anyone else.

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VGN
Top Critic
6.3 / 10.0
Sep 25, 2017

Cars 3 is yet another tie-in that tries to take advantage of a big IP by delivering a modest experience to their fan. The game lacks of a variety in game modes and does not shine when it comes to graphics, especially on Nintendo Switch.

Review in Italian | Read full review

64 / 100
Jul 2, 2017

Cars 3: Driven to Win has the potential to be an enjoyable enough kart racer, with plenty of content and true-to-film art style. Unfortunately, frustrating AI and poor presentation, on top of a full asking price, keep this title from reaching a podium finish.

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6.5 / 10.0
Jul 16, 2017

Cars 3: Driven to Win is not your typical movie inspired videogame, far from perfect but it’s actually a fun racing experience for everyone.

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6.5 / 10.0
Jun 16, 2017

Cars 3: Driven to Win does have its own merits and can be enjoyed for a short amount of time when playing it alone, and playing it with friends is worthwhile. With the lack of online features, it gets boring and dull and repetitive all throughout when you’ve finished all Skills Check challenges and defeated all 4 bosses. I’d say, Cars 2: The Video Game is still the best one in the series despite it rejecting online play.

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65 / 100
Jun 28, 2017

Cars 3: Driven to Win is a very simple game. It has a noteworthy content, however it becomes repetitive after some time, even with the local multiplayer. Besides that, the absence of a real story mode and an online multiplayer is a bummer.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

6.5 / 10.0
Jun 21, 2017

All in all, Cars 3: Driven to Win is one of the better titles in a sea of movie tie-ins. You won't find any groundbreaking stuff here, but the game is definitively above average for what it is, and an easy kart racing recommendation for families. I don't know if I could necessarily recommend it right now with it's $60 price tag, but if you see this game discounted even by $10, it's definitely worth picking up.

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