Gravel
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Gravel Trailers
Gravel - Trailer Gamescom
Gravel Gameplay - Pacific Island Sunset
Gravel - Announcement Trailer
Critic Reviews for Gravel
Gravel is a game displaced. It's a competent and occasionally pretty pick-up-and-play arcade racing game at its core, but it has the whiff of a game released in the wrong era – a scent it just can't shake. A 2018 rendition of '90s ambition. Gravel certainly channels the spirit and straightforward simplicity of Milestone's own 1997 arcade off-roader Screamer Rally but it has no unique hook for today's audience; no over-the-top arcade pizazz that folks will still be discussing 10 or 15 years down the track. It's functional and fun enough in small bursts, but arcade racers have come a long way over the past two decades and Gravel doesn't bring any new ideas to the paddock.
Gravel's arcade sensibilities conjure occasional moments of flat out fun, but unimaginative track design and a lack of depth means most races are just dull.
New arcade racers have been few and far between over the last half decade, and Gravel is just one attempt to reignite the genre. There's some good racing to be found here, with plenty of licensed cars to take through some lovely scenery, but it doesn't get your heart pounding with excitement. Gravel might be a fairly decent racer, but its biggest sin is that, despite the fireworks and exotic locations, it's just a bit boring.
Milestone's Gravel rocks! A solid arcade driving game which features mainly off-road races with a convincing sense of speed and a good variety of competitions, vehicles and tracks. Too bad for the thin longevity of its campaign and the complete lack of alternative single-player modes, which greatly reduce Gravel's specific weight.
Review in Italian | Read full review
With its simple gameplay, Gravel can win the hearts of all fans of arcade driving. However, its proposal is exhausted after a few hours when the main game mode "Off-Road Masters" ends due to the lack of enough unlocks to keep the game alive.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Gravel offers fun racing with a variety of cars and environments.
Despite one or two cruel difficulty spikes, Gravel is one of the better examples of off-road racing in a while. Its mix of semi-realism and over-the-top arcade style makes for some exciting races, while its progression system keeps it accessible to almost anyone.
If you are a huge racing game fan that is interested in what the game is trying to do, it may be worth checking out, as it's not a poorly-made game. Otherwise, I'd wait for a price drop before adding this to your collection. Gravel does have a lot of room to expand for a sequel, so I do hope Milestone gives this type of racing game another stab with more memorable results.
