This is a mechanic that most players will be familiar with from a variety of similar arcade racing games – most notably Mario Kart.
Whilst waiting for the race to begin, you’ll see a countdown represented through red lights begin to tick down. After three beeps, the red lights will turn green and signal you to GO.
If you accelerate just at the moment the lights turn green you will gain a slight boost in your speed. The closer to that green light you hit the accelerator, the more boost you’re going to gain!
2. Strategic Turbo Boost
Whilst driving through the course, to the left of your vehicle you’ll notice your speed as well as three purple notches. These represent your turbo boost gauge and should be used sparingly since they recharge slowly and only when you’re drifting around a corner.
The best moments to use your turbo boosts include when you are in the lead and want to really solidify your position, when there are several opponents nearby you want to knock off track or when you’re in last place and need to catch up with the others.
3. Drift A Lot!
In the game, drifting allows players to navigate through corners without having to break or lose any speed. After drifting, the game gives you a short boost to get your speed back up and shoot past opponents.
Make sure you are drifting every corner, even small ones. This will keep your speed high and make sure you are building up your turbo boost gauge.
4. Don’t Drift Too Early
Many racing games, such as Mario Kart 8, encourage players to use the drift mechanic way before you’ve even reached a corner. Rocket Racing is the total opposite!
Drifting in this game happens quickly and immediately, meaning if you drift too soon, you’ll end up curving straight into a wall.
Instead, wait until you are fully inside the corner you want to drift through. It takes time to master, but definitely allows for a more thrilling race.
5. Double Drifting
If you accidentally drift too late, or think you are going to hit a wall whilst drifting, the game lets you double drift. Lots of players don’t know about this!
You need to quickly stop drifting, then immediately initiate the drift again. This will curve your vehicle even further away from the wall; however you will lose any built-up boost.
6. Drifting on Straight Roads
This tip is great for when you are in the lead and have the time to experiment. When on a straight road, initiate the drift to build up your boost.
Then, when you are curving too far off course, cancel the drift by releasing the drift button and quickly pull your vehicle in the opposite direction.
This will allow you to build up a boost on straights, without hitting into walls or obstacles!
7. Hit the Green Arrow Boosts
In Rocket Racing, the directional boosts are not that obvious. Some might mistake the green arrows for simply showing players what direction to head in. In reality, they offer a small speed boost so make sure you are driving over them.
Sometimes there are numerous arrows in a row, other times just one single arrow which is harder to spot.
8. Stick To The Inside Of The Track
If you’ve played any racing game in the past, then this one is obvious. Make sure, when approaching corners or obstacles, you are sticking to the inside of the track. The distance you travel is far less than the outside of the track.
When combining this with a drift or a turbo boost, you can gain a significant advantage over your opponents to get in first place.
That’s it! These tips cover some of the basic gameplay mechanics in Fortnite: Rocket Racing and can hopefully let you smash past your opponents and take the gold!