All You Need To Know About Real Racing 3 Time Shifted Multiplayer

Real Racing 3's standout feature just might be Time Shifted Multiplayer. This feature takes the performance of actual players, and makes them the racers that you then compete against. There are no fake computer opponents; every event is a race against actual people (though not their exact performance, per se, because it is possible to interact with the cars). Still, the whole game is one entire multiplayer race, and every event presents an opportunity to not just get first place, but to beat the actual times of real people, including friends' times. It's extremely satisfying.

However, this feature can be confusing when trying out the game for the first time. When you see that you're racing some random schmucks and not your friends, you might wonder. To alleviate any potential confusion, then, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about Time Shifted Multiplayer.

How do I race my friends?

You just need to add them to your friends list on either Game Center or Facebook. As they download and play the game, they will be added to your friends list and they will start to populate the race grids. There's nothing you necessarily need to do manually to be racing friends--the game handles it all automatically. And it's not just ghost performances that you race against: in time trial and top speed events, their ranks are what you need to top.

So what's that invite button on the left sidebar for?

It's meant to invite friends who aren't on Game Center or that you haven't added yet to join your friends list, or to invite existing Facebook friends to download the game. There's no need to do anything to add your existing friends who play the game to your in-game player list, the game will add them automatically.

Why am I racing all these people who aren't my friends?

Well, that's for two reasons: one, if you don't have enough friends to fill out a race grid then it will use other people from the internet. Two, the game will try to provide a fair challenge when trying to earn trophies. If friends fit that bill, they will be your competitors in that race. This is meant to provide a sense of balance, as if you just had friends who were really good, then it would be impossible to get the top-3 finishes necessary for trophies. Conversely, if you outclass your friends, then it would be way too easy to succeed.

So how do I actually race my friends?

Get a gold medal on a track, and the game will focus on making you race friends, especially ones with better times than you, in order for you to try and beat their times.

Is there any benefit to adding friends to race against?

Well, there's certainly pride: seeing the name and avatar of a friend disappear in your rear view mirror is plenty satisfying. Plus, they get a push notification saying that you've bested them. It's more of a push humiliation, really. However, as a more tangible benefit, the game also grants cash bonuses for beating the top times of your friends.

Have any more questions about Time Shifted Multiplayer? Ask us in the comments below!