''Volvo – The Game'' is a free racing simulation

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

for

Microsoft Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

, developed by SimBin Studios (later KW Studios) and released on May 26, 2009. The game was developed with the intention of showcasing the interior and exterior of Volvo cars, and as such was released free of charge. When the game launched,

Volvo The Volvo Group (; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distribution and sale of truck ...

organized an online competition, and the winner received a set of

Pirelli Pirelli & C. S.p.A. is an Italian multinational tyre manufacturer based in the city of Milan, Italy. The company, which has been listed on the Borsa Italiana since 1922, is the 5th-largest tyre manufacturer, and is focused on the consumer pro ...

tires.

Gameplay

''Volvo – The Game'' includes six cars from

and two

race track A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also us ...

s. Cars include the Volvo C30, S60, S40,

850 __NOTOC__ Year 850 ( DCCCL) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * February 1 – King Ramiro I dies in his palace at Santa María del Naranco (near Oviedo), after an 8-year reign ...

and the 240 Turbo Group A. The race tracks are the Gothenburg Eco Drive Arena and Autodrome Chaika. The player can choose between racing with other opponents or racing alone against a record time for one lap. The game was sponsored by

, who are the in-game tire manufacturer.

Reception

The game was praised for its graphics and drivers' seat view, but criticized for only having two racing tracks. In

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, the game was published as a commercial product by the now-defunct publisher

Akella Akella () was a Russian software company specialising in the development, publishing and distribution of video games and multimedia products. The founders met in 1993 and decided to start a company together and in 1995 formed Akella. The comp ...

. This fact, along with the game itself, was widely criticised by some Russian reviewers.

References

External links

Official website
(archived)
Official download
(archived) * 2009 video games Freeware games Racing simulators Racing video games by vehicle brand Racing video games SimBin Studios games Video games developed in Sweden Video games set in Sweden Video games set in Ukraine Volvo Cars Windows games Windows-only games {{racing-videogame-stub