Hajwala 2 Review - Fun races with too many frustrations

While such big-budget racing games as Gran Turismo and Need for Speed have set high bars for the genre, making a smaller driving game that satisfies race fans is still possible. It's just a matter of including aspects they want and not ones they don't.

I thought of it a lot while playing Hajwala 2, a racing game developed and published by Rababa Games as a sequel to its high-octane racing title Hajwala which first came out in 2018. Hajwala 2's solid race mechanics are undeniable, but the game also has some unnecessary parts and misses key elements.

Gameplay and Visuals

Available for PlayStation 5, Hajwala 2 is an open-world, arcade-ish racing game in the vein of Need for Speed or Forza Horizon 5 with all the assists turned on, as opposed to a simulation like Gran Turismo 7 or, well, Forza Horizon 5 with the assists turned off. And yes, that does mean you have a recharging nitro tank for when you need some extra speed. 

The game features both multi-lap and point-to-point races, as well as ones where you're up against the clock. Though unlike the games I just mentioned, these events are not held in such familiar racing locations as Daytona International Speedway or the streets of Monaco. Instead, they're set on race courses, paved roads — including through a forest and around a busy port — and marked paths through a desert.

It is during these races that Hajwala 2 feels great. Though you'll want to dial down the "Sensitivity" in the "Tunning" menu and turn on the "Traction Control," which together make it easier to take turns without skidding wildly. This is important because the tracks, whether paved or off-road, have smooth curves that will test your steering abilities.

The game also has a good sense of speed, whether you play with the cockpit view, from the third-person perspective, or with one that makes it look like you're hanging onto the bumper or the hood for dear life.

It's just too bad none of these views are especially picturesque. Despite being a PS5 title, Hajwala 2 looks more like a PS4 game, and not a very good-looking one either.

Issues and Irritations

Unfortunately, unimpressive visuals are not Hajwala 2's only problem. There are also issues in the sound department, with some sound effects, including the aforementioned turbo boost, sounding shrill, and cheap. Then there's the announcer, who sounds more like bad A.I. than a real person.

Hajwala 2 also, oddly, doesn't provide any stats when you're choosing a car to use or to buy. Is this one faster? Does this one handle better? No idea. Presumedly there's a reason why some cars cost 87K and others only 10K, but this game never says what.

But then, the game doesn't have real cars and the ones it does have are sort of generic-looking. They also don't get damaged, cosmetically or mechanically, when you crash, which some players will find annoying.

Similarly, you have to drive to every event. Which, again, some might find tedious, since there's nothing to do. It's not like you, say, run across an abandoned car in the desert, and can use the money you've earned to restore it to race condition. Then there's the onscreen GPS which is as inaccurate as, well, a real GPS. The first time I drove to a track for an event, it took me around the back, not to the entrance.

But the biggest issue with Hajwala 2 is its lack of online races. While I prefer to play on my own, many race games fans would rather go up against other people, so the lack of any multiplayer modes makes this feel incomplete.

The irony of Hajwala 2 lacking such a basic racing game mechanic is that instead it has something unnecessary that takes up far too time. Along with the races, you also have to drive to specific locations and use a drone to take a photo. The problem being that the mechanics are not explained, and are frustrating to implement even after you've figured them out.

The thing is, you don't just drive somewhere and activate the photo drone. Instead, you have to first get out of your car, then, as the driver, click a button to launch the drone, which you then use to take the photo.

This is not the only instance you waste time controlling the driver. You also sometimes have to tell him to get into the car. This is also irritating given how the camera controls in 'people mode' are wonky.

Oh, and no, in case you're wondering, there are no options to change anything about the driver; not his appearance, not his outfit, and not his gender. Who's to say there aren't female players out there who would like to drive around the Arabian Gulf.

But the worst aspect of this photo mode is that it's not optional. You have to complete these assignments to unlock new races. Y'know, the fun parts of the game. That said, even if they had skipped the photo mode in favor of adding features to the races, Hajwala 2 would still have issues. It has a litany of bugs, and sometimes stutters or momentarily pauses in the middle of races. 

Also, if you decide to restart a race — say, because you skidded out and ended up sideways — you sometimes find yourself starting the next race in the same bad position. Similarly, if you finish a race but not in first place, and thus have to try again to complete it, the game doesn't leave you where the event is being held. Instead, it drops you far away, and you have to drive to the starting line. Again.

Of course, mistakes can be fixed and mechanics can be refined, so perhaps the talented development team at Rababa Games will address these issues in Hajwala 2. Until then, though, this racing game feels somewhat unnecessary.

A copy of Hajwala 2 was provided for review by Rababa Games.