Ed & Edda are mascots from Europa-Park, a theme park in Germany. They’ve been breaking new ground with their debut film, Grand Prix of Europe, and with Ed & Edda Grand Prix Racing Champions, they’ve got their debut video game, too. This is a 1-4 player split-screen kart racer and it is frankly far better than it has any right to be. I first discovered it while playing the demo during this year’s Steam Racing Fest and was pleasantly surprised then. Now with its full release, I’m pleased to say that this is an approachable and very competent kart racer.
There are 8 characters and 12 tracks to race in Ed & Edda Grand Prix. The tracks take place across different European countries, showcasing a specific monument like the UK’s Buckingham Palace and France’s Eiffel Tower. In a way, it reminds me of F1 Race Stars. The tracks are inspired by real-world locations, but are imaginatively reworked to provide jumps, split paths, boost pads, and all kinds of karting chaos. I wish that there were more tracks, or even a mirror mode to prolong the fun, though, as the 12 tracks are quickly burnt through.
Handling out of the box is benign but consistent. The grip is strong, the steering slow but sturdy, and the sense of speed feels good. Each character can equip their kart with modules to tweak their stats to lean more towards a kart with top speed, better handling, or better drift abilities. I found that drifting was almost redundant in this game, so I would recommend avoiding leaning too heavily into that stat. Drifting scrubs off speed, and the boost you gain isn’t enough to make it worth the effort. I found myself driving faster without it. It’s probably the game’s biggest misstep, because everything else runs like clockwork.
Ed & Edda Grand Prix Racing Champions shines brightest in local multiplayer. As there are only a few modes, and all the tracks are unlocked from the start, you’ll be able to just get racing and enjoy the buttery smooth performance. Each locale is colourful, and whilst it isn’t cutting-edge graphics, the game is no slouch either. I really enjoyed the cartoonish stylings of various monuments, and the AI can be set to different difficulties to give you some challenge if you have no friends to play with. The AI doesn’t completely spam power-ups either, which is a lovely bonus. Outside of racing, there is a time trial mode and a gate mode to collect points. Racing yields XP, which unlocks more customisation elements for your karts. These can be cosmetic or modules for adapting your kart to the three crucial stats. The levelling up system runs on long beyond the initial 12 tracks and different modes, which is what makes the lack of content a bit more in your face and noticeable. A DLC pack for four more tracks and characters has just been released, so this goes some way to solving the issue.
Whilst I wouldn’t say there is enough here to buy Ed & Edda Grand Prix Racing Champions at its full £35 price tag, if you see it on a bit of a discount, it’s a decent racer. Racing feels fluid, smooth, and enjoyable. The core mechanics are solid. There’s even a Lidl livery! What more do you want?! This is a far better game than I suspect many will give it credit for. I hope it finds an audience in this jam-packed kart racing release year.
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