After months and months of Destiny fans pleading for a way to race their Sparrows, Bungie has finally provided something that grants their very wish. Welcome to the Sparrow Racing League, an event where you compete against five other Guardians vying to be crowned the best damn driver this side of the Traveler.
Of course, racing isn’t exactly an easy thing. You need to do more than just go fast (this isn’t a Sonic game, after all). So we’ve put together some handy tips and tricks to keep you at the front of the pack so you can rake in the rewards.
Hit Those Gates
While racing in Destiny’s Sparrow Racing League (SRL), you may notice blue gates lined up throughout the track. These gates provide speed boosts (as you may have guessed) but they also have a few extra perks that will make you want to hit every single one.
Your Sparrow has a top speed (like most vehicles) and running through the gates increases that and keeps it up. The moment you pass one without going through it, your perk disappears. Having a higher speed than normal is one way to always stay ahead of the pack.
The gates also recharge your dodge meter, making it much easier to avoid other drivers and the fire of all those pesky enemies dotting the tracks.
Use Your Strafe
While driving your Sparrow, using the bumpers on your controller or clicking the thumbsticks will cause your vehicle to shift to the corresponding side. If you use it correctly, this can become a nightmare for other Destiny racers while you’re out on the track.
Wait until you and another Guardian are approaching a gate, or rounding a difficult turn, and slam into the driver next to you to send them out of the gate’s reach or off of the map. It’s kind of a scumbag move, we’ll admit that, but a win is a win and the races are often pretty close in the SRL.
To the victor goes the spoils, and you can make sure that you’re the victor if you’re willing to keep other Sparrows in check. Just remember not to go overboard. No need to ram players all willy-nilly, just do it when you need to.
Stay Focused
You may notice a lot of drivers think racing means ramming everything on the screen. While it’s one way to knock a few Guardian’s off of the track in Destiny’s SRL, it isn’t a good way to maintain the top position. Sure, as we mentioned before, ramming at perfect moments will give you an edge, but you’re not here to fight.
You want to win and that should be your focus. Stick to the track and seek out those speed gates. Keep an eye on your position and the positions of your competitors (easily viewed on the right-hand side of the screen).
Going out of your way to ram others kind of spoils the fun, and leads you to missing important things like jumps, and shortcuts. So eyes on the prize, Guardian.
Use The Right Stick to Steer
If you’ve played Destiny for some time, you may have realized that the Sparrows control a bit loose and are a bit difficult to steer if you use the left thumbstick. This will become magnified while trying to navigate tight corridors and sharp turns in the SRL. One trick that players constantly overlook is to use the camera to steer so that your nose is always facing where you want to go. Adjust the sensitivity of your camera controls in the Options menu and you’ll have tight control over every move your Sparrow makes.
This is perfect for swinging around sharp turns, navigating jumps between shifting corridors, or just keeping within the gates. It will also give you an edge when trying to cut wide corners, getting you back on a straightaway in no time.
Never Give Up
You may find yourself at the back of the pack after a bad turn or a particularly bad explosion (these can happen a lot), but that doesn’t mean you’re out of the race just yet. Enemies dotting the track can take out opponents, and when a pack is close together someone is bound to get tossed to the wayside. Stick to your guns and maintain your focus.
It turns out that the back of the line is the best place to be when navigating the trickier parts of Destiny’s racetracks. With nobody gunning for you, you’ll have a smooth time hitting gates and taking turns which will put you right back in contention in no time. You’d be surprised how often you’ll find yourself going from 6th place to victory in the SRL. On these tracks, anyone could win.
These handy tips and tricks should help you make a name for yourself in the Sparrow Racing League. Now when your legend is recorded, they’ll have to make note of your vicious skills on the track as well as in those raids. Are you enjoying yourself so far? Feel free to let us know in the comments below.
And as always, safe travels, Guardians.
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