First Impressions of HCR3: What’s Working and What’s Missing

Hill Climb Racing 3 (HCR3) finally arrived in open beta in several countries, and early players are already sharing strong opinions. Fingersoft’s official rollout highlights live real-time PvP, gadgets, and a visual upgrade — all intended to modernize the classic hill-climb formula.

What’s working

1. Controls and familiar physics: Many players report that the core driving feel remains faithful to the series while feeling slightly smoother. That continuity helps existing HCR fans acclimate quickly, and it’s a big plus for retention: the fundamentals still “feel” like Hill Climb. (Community reaction aggregated across early beta threads.)
2. Gadgets and PvP add strategic layers: The addition of gadgets — traps, blockers and nitro boosts — and live multiplayer races turns single-player antics into tense, tactical matches. Reviewers and early coverage praise the idea of combining physics-based driving with quick decision making during PvP races. These systems give HCR3 a fresh gameplay loop beyond time trials.
3. Marketing & dev transparency: Fingersoft has published details about the open beta regions and features, and streamed dev sessions that help set expectations for future updates. That official outreach reduces confusion during rollouts and helps the community follow progress.

What’s missing (and what players are calling out)

1. Content depth and longevity: A frequent community complaint is that the beta feels a bit light on long-term content — limited modes, relatively few events, and short progression pipelines. Players worry the game may need more regular updates, seasonal events, and deeper vehicle progression to sustain interest.
2. “Not truly 3D” frustration: A surprisingly vocal thread on Reddit raised expectations vs. reality around the “3D” claim — some users say the game’s visuals look 3D but gameplay remains essentially 2D, which left a subset of players disappointed. Clarity on what “3D” means (visual depth vs. full 3D physics) would help manage expectations.
3. Matchmaking and balance concerns: Early PvP exposes balancing issues: some gadgets can feel overpowered in certain matchups, and matchmaking quality is still being tuned. Community feedback is already calling for better balancing tools and clearer anti-griefing measures. (Community discussion threads.)

Want to know about HCR3 Beta Regions, Rollout Strategy & What Players Are Guessing Next? Give it a read here.

Verdict — short term vs. long term

HCR3 nails the franchise’s charm while experimenting with PvP and gadget mechanics that can make matches more dynamic. However, to convert early interest into a long-running hit, Fingersoft will need to deepen content, clarify marketing language about “3D,” and iterate rapidly on balance and progression based on player feedback. For publishers and content creators, now is a good window to publish guides on gadgets, PvP tuning, and beta region updates — topics the community is actively searching for.