App stores are filled to the brim with games and apps of all sort but Pakistani developers, although known for their prowess in web development and freelancing, haven’t been able to carve out their own space in app development.
Now, every once in a while, we do come across an app or a game that deserves to be highlighted. Overtake, an adrenaline-filled, fun, fast, driving game is one of those games.
Overtake – Car Traffic Racing
Overtake is the first game from a small Pakistani company called “Virtual SoftLab”, founded in 2015 by Ahsan Muhammad Khan. Having done his Masters in Computer Science from Karachi University, Ahsan has more than 10 years of experience working as programmer, architect, systems integration and SAP consultant. Last year, he quit his job to start working full-time on game development.
Currently, Virtual SoftLab’s team consists of only four people; Jiri Wolf as the 3D artist, Aron Gerencser and Mariam Ahmed Malik for PR and Marketing, and Ahsan himself as the main developer as well as the founder of the company.
The objective of the game is pretty simple; all you have to do is drive through intense traffic as fast as you can, without crashing into any object (including the side railing). There is no accelerator; you can only control the car by steering or by applying the brake, adding to the game’s difficulty level.
The game has three modes; One Way, Two Way and Wrong Way, which are pretty self-explanatory on their own. It is also synced in with Google’s Play Game services. There is a “Top Charts” leaderboard where you can set the score and compete against your friends.
The faster you go, the higher score you will make, and the higher the chance of having a crash. There is a damage meter on the top-right and when you have bumped into enough objects, the game ends.
You can choose from up to 5 Maps and 8 cars. Cars can also be customized to suit your own preferences. New maps or cars can be unlocked using in-game credits. You can also buy in-game credits through an in-app purchase by going to the Store from the main menu.
There are a lot of endless driving games on the app store but I was still impressed with the game’s physics. Driving is not only realistic, but also incredibly fun. Blazing through traffic at a speed of 183 kilometers per hour in the white coupe, all it took was a slight clip with a passing truck to completely redden my car’s damage meter.
The only problem I have with the game is the somewhat outdated menu and controls, which simply aren’t up to the par for a mobile game made in 2016. I also ran into some slight visual quirks, like the game’s slightly jarring ending when you have completely totaled the car, but not enough to put me off from playing the game itself. I conveyed my complaints to the developer, Ahsan, and he has assured me that they are already working on it and will be fixing these issues in an update soon.
Download Overtake – Car Traffic Racing for Android
Overtake was released this week on Android and currently, it sits in the Google Play Store with a few hundred installs and a 5-star rating from 12 reviewers. An iOS version is also in the works and will be released in the first half of 2017.
Judging by gameplay alone, this game is definitely worth a try. Do let us know your opinion about the game in the comments section below.
Why devs are always lazy with iOS versions?
Brilliant initiative nevertheless.
App dev nai ho na ios par kam karna ziadah difficult hota hai
True. Not my forte but iOS is a neglected platform by all means.
ios development require mac-book app lay kay day do dev ko
@disqus_EjLjxXOTJ1:disqus Thanks for your feedback. We are planning to release the iOS version next year. We are not neglecting the iOS. Actually it’s bit easy to target iOS because you just have to test your game for 5-6 devices as compare to vast array of different Android devices.
It’s just because we did not have access to Apple development tools and as we have very limited resources, we decided to go live on Android first, got as much feedback as possible, improve the game and release the game on iOS and windows mobile(later).
Writer ko appreciate karna chaiay is game ko , menu outdated is liay hain kay is dev nay 2.3 or above ko support kia hai agar yeh 4.0 tak rakhta tu achay menu mil jatay hain
@disqus_HdePe9pGu8:disqus Thanks for your support but the fact is menus has nothing to do with the Android version. We will try to improve it in the next version. :-)
Seems awesome work :) going to try.
@TaniX2:disqus , thanks, please give it a try I hope you will like it :-)
۔۔۔پاکستانی خود تو کچھ کرتے نہیں ہے کوئی اگر کر لیتا ہے اس کی اتنی لینے کی کوشش کرتے ہو بیچارا بیزار ہو جائے۔ میں میکر کو سیلوٹ کرو گا اس نے کم از کم وہ کیا جس کے لئے اس کا دل چا ہا چاہے جس طر ح بھی کیا کم از کم شروعات تو کی۔
@khalidyaldram:disqus thanks, try the game I hope you will like it :-)
Brilliant game, I installed it on Samsung S6 and there was no lag and it worked very smoothly unlike some of the other games I have tried recently, bravo to the Virtual soft team!
Thanks, we are glad that you liked it.
This is brilliant work. The Pakistanis commenting on this article should please realize that indie game dev is very hard work, especially when you are trying to make ends meet and are trying to pursue your dreams. It is not software engineering, it is the creation of interactive art. I wholeheartedly support Pakistani indiedevs, and am myself a part of this community of vibrant, creative people. Please support Pakistani indie game developers in any way you can, so that we can make a mark in the world as world class game creators. The competition is extremely tough as I have come to realize, so we need to stick together and make a strong and growing games development environment in Pakistan. Excellent work Ahsan, I salute your determination. I would like to get in touch with you so please do hit me up on twitter at mech3d.
Thanks, please check your twitter msgs :-)
Bhai please koi Pak Army se related game bnao. Bht famous ho gi. Or iss game mein bhi Pakistani cities or villages se related locations dalo, players ko bht attract kre gi or pasand ae gi.
Thanks for your feedback :-)
Enjoy :D :D
This reminds me of early days of Need for speed… Car physics and beautiful environment enhance the beauty of the game.
The concept of Brake, steer and overtake is fun. We all should download and support the brilliant work by Pakistani developers.
Awesome stuff mate!!! Keep it up!
Nice To know a Pakistani Developed this game
I thought i am the only one game dev in Pakistan :)