Races

Pick-Ups:

Boost Canisters

During time trial races, there are no other opponents on the track—it’s just you against the clock. Each time trial has a par time. To win, you must complete three laps within the par time. This is a win or lose type race, with no rewards for second or third place. If you complete the time trial within the par time, you’re rewarded with 15 racing certificates. Winning time trials requires speed and precision. Run over the blue Boost Canisters scattered across the course to keep your boost meter filled and boost early and often, particularly on straightaways. Every second is precious, so don’t perform any risky maneuvers that may cause your vehicle to flip over or crash. If you manage to keep your vehicle on the course while boosting throughout, you’ll have no problem winning every time trial. If you’re having trouble, consider purchasing boost and engine upgrades for your vehicle.

Tip

Use boost while flying over a jump to maintain your momentum while airborne. Using boost in the air will increase your top speed in mid-air since friction with the ground isn’t slowing you down. The speed you achieve will give your boost meter time to recharge once you’re back on land.

Non-Combat Race

Pick-Ups:

Boost Canisters

Vehicle-mounted weapons are banned in these races, requiring you to rely on pure racing skill to earn the checkered flag. However, most non-combat races provide quick use weapons, like Drop Mines, adding some excitement to the event. The top three finishers drive away with racing certificates: 15 for first place, 10 for second place, and 5 for third place. Always strive to finish in the top three, because fourth place finishers get nothing. Of course, races are much easier if you’re driving a vehicle enhanced by the best parts. Boost and engine upgrades are helpful for gaining an edge over your three competitors, allowing you to boost to the front of the pack and maintain the lead for the three-lap race. If the race is tight, don’t be afraid to make contact with your competitors. A slight nudge to their rear bumper can be enough to cause them to spin out or crash, allowing you to pass. However, contact works both ways, so watch out for other racers attempting to nudge you off the course.

Minigun/Rocket/Pulse Race

Pick-Ups:

Boost Canisters
Minigun Ammo
Homing Rockets
Pulse Ammo

The weapon-based races work much like the non-combat races with one distinct exception: you can now blow your opponents to bits! To enter one of these races, your vehicle must be equipped with the required weapon. This requires you to purchase Miniguns or Rocket Launchers—the Advanced Pulse Weapon is already equipped when you acquire the Monarch. Chances are that you already own these weapons after your adventures in the Wasteland, so the buy-in shouldn’t be too much of a hassle. In addition to the vehicle-mounted weapons, each racer is provided with a set of quick use items such as Drop Mines, Shields, and Armor Restore. All weapons are offline for the first ten seconds of each race, giving the racers a brief period to jockey for position before the carnage begins. If your vehicle is equipped with boost and engine upgrades, this is a good opportunity to take the lead. But racing with all your opponents behind you has a major disadvantage—they can shoot you, but you can’t shoot them. However, if you get out far enough ahead, and break their line-of-sight, they won’t be able to shoot you. So instead of constantly battling the pack of racers, get out ahead and maintain the lead. Reserve using any Shields or Armor Restore quick use items until the third and final lap. If your vehicle is destroyed before then, you simply respawn, suffering a minor delay that can be quickly overcome by boosting. In the third lap you need to maintain the lead, so keep Shields deployed as your opponents attempt to blast you with their weapons. Don’t bother using Armor Restore until all of your Shields have been expended and you’re racing toward the finish line.

Roadkill

Mutants can be seen running across some of the tracks during races. Don’t waste ammo on them. Instead, simply run them over. If you manage to run over ten mutants total, you’ll unlock the Roadkill achievement/trophy.

Pick-Ups:

Boost Canisters
Homing Rockets
Pulse Ammo

Rally races are unique and challenging, awarding five points for each Rally Point captured and three points for each opponent vehicle destroyed. The first racer to accumulate 50 points wins. Once a winner is declared, the race is over and the second and third place finishers are determined based on the next highest point totals. The Rally Points appear on the course as tall columns of blue light. There is only one Rally Point on the course at any given time, creating a mad dash among the racers rushing to capture it. Drive directly through these Rally Points to earn five points. Once a Rally Point has been collected, a new one appears at a predetermined location. If you don’t see the next Rally Point immediately, look at the minimap—Rally Points appear as green dots. Strategically, going after Rally Points is the best way to win these races. Although you earn three points for taking out opponent vehicles, collecting Rally Points is much faster and more lucrative. The trick is to get out ahead of the pack early and capture the first Rally Point by boosting—boost and engine upgrades are essential. If you can maintain the lead early, capturing the subsequent Rally Points is much easier. Just be ready to deploy Shields to deflect attacks from your trailing opponents. The Rally Points appear in the same order every time, usually giving the leader a slight edge as capturing adjacent Rally Points often requires minimal course correction. Once all the Rally Points in a set have been captured, they reset, beginning with the first Rally Point that appeared at the start of the race. If you run each race a couple of times you can begin to memorize the Rally Point locations and predict where the next one will appear.

Wasteland Challenges

Wasteland Challenge Hot Zones:

Wasted Territory
Scorcher Territory
Gearhead Territory

While driving through some open areas, a Wasteland challenge may be initiated. Listen for the up-tempo music and look on the right side of the screen to see the name, difficulty level, and objectives of the challenge. Most challenges require you to destroy a number of bandit vehicles, while others require you to collect meteors during a Feltrite storm. Glance at the objective at the start of a Wasteland challenge and determine whether you want to do it. If you prefer to pass, simply boost out of the area where the challenge is offered and proceed with other business. Completing Wasteland challenges is a good way to earn some extra cash. The amount of cash rewarded for Wasteland challenges varies based on the difficulty, determined by the number and quality of bandit vehicles you must destroy. The number above each bandit vehicle represents how tough the vehicle is to destroy. The number also hints at what kind of weaponry the bandit vehicle may possess. For example, if a bandit vehicle is level 4, it probably has Shields, Homing Rockets, and thick armor. Such vehicles are tougher to kill while posing a bigger threat than those simply armed with Miniguns. Weigh the pros and cons of the cash rewarded versus the amount of ammo expended. If you’re sloppy with your aim and miss, Wasteland challenges can actually end up costing you more than you earn.

While you can earn cash by completing Wasteland challenges, don’t get greedy. Sometimes you simply aren’t prepared to complete a challenge. If you’re in the middle of a challenge and you’re running low on ammo or your vehicle is about to explode, get to safety by boosting out of the area or by calling a tow truck. Even if you’re in the middle of a fight, Durar, Mick, or Saul will come and haul your ride back to a settlement. Once you’re restocked on ammo and have repaired your vehicle, you can return to the same area to complete the challenge, resuming where you left off.

Note

Wasteland Challenges are completely separate from the bounties offered by Sally and Brick. After completing a Wasteland challenge in which you’ve destroyed bandit vehicles, be sure to visit the bartenders to receive payment for the bounties. In this sense, Wasteland challenges allow you to double dip, earning money above and beyond the rewards offered by the bartender bounties.

Vehicle Jumps

There are a total of 18 Authority drones hovering over fixed positions in the Wasteland, each marking a jump challenge. These drones are protected by an impenetrable force field and cannot be shot with traditional weapons. However, you can smash them to bits by hitting them with your vehicle. To do this, you must launch your vehicle and smash each drone in mid air. Each drone is placed near some type of ramp or ledge. It’s up to you to figure out how to leverage the terrain to get your vehicle airborne. Each time you smash a drone, you’re rewarded with some loot and an Electrical Wire Kit, a Feltrite Coupler, and a Hardware Packet. Beyond the loot retrieved from each drone, you can also unlock the Jumper achievement/trophy for completing all 18 jumps. All jumps are shown on the following maps, along with a detailed description of how to set up and complete each one.

Time Trial

Pick-Ups:

Rocket/Pulse Rally

Pick-Ups:

Wasteland Challenges

Wasteland Challenge Hot Zones: