The Video Game Revue

Brief Mash-Up on Motorsports Games

Over the last year I've played a bunch of different motorsports games varying in their level of sim or arcade style. Not all of them have received much attention (and the level of attention has varied wildly between them) but I have played at least enough to form impressions on the following titles:

- Gran Turismo 5: Prologue (PlayStation 3)
- Forza 2 (Xbox 360)
- PGR3 (Xbox 360)
- Need for Speed: Most Wanted (Xbox 360)
- Race Driver: Grid (PlayStation 3)
- MotoGP '07 (Xbox 360)
- Ridge Racer 6 (Xbox 360)

Without further ado, I'll give a quick n' dirty review of each title. It's worth noting that I got most of these games either used or on sale, and I make note of two games (PGR3 and MotoGP '07) that were especially cheap.

Gran Turismo 5: Prologue

GT5:P is, as its predecessors, pristine. While GT5:P lacks the abundance of cars and tracks that GT4 has, there is a great deal of depth to what is there. Each car has a distinctive feel--a personality, even--that comes across in the game. The lack of damage modeling is considered by some to be a good thing. There's a lot of challenge to be had here, but the challenge curve isn't very flexible which makes the game daunting to casual gamers. Overall, an excellent game.

Forza 2

Forza 2 doesn't have the best graphics, but it does have a potent combination of rich gameplay, a vast career mode, and satisfying car customization options. I've found Forza 2 to be among the most addictive racing games that I've ever played. One of its best features is the ability to tweak driver assists in order to customize the gameplay experience to suit one's skill level (now a common feature in racing games, it seems). Another excellent game.

PGR3

I bought this game used for under $10. It's a good deal at that price, and casual gamers who are looking for a more arcade-y experience may prefer this game to more serious racing sims, but in the end I found that it didn't do enough to satisfy my hunger for a challenging racing experience. PGR3 isn't entirely without depth or merit, though; I would say it's a fair game.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted

This is the most arcade-style title on the list (oops, I forgot about Ridge Racer 6), and completely lacks any sim elements to its gameplay. As an action title, it holds up very well, especially considering that it's now several years old. Graphics and gameplay have moved along, but NFS:MW is still fun to play.

Race Driver: Grid

Grid is an impressive game that mixes up sim elements with action racing. The gameplay is customizable in a manner similar to Forza 2, but I've found that the difficulty level of Grid varies chaotically between events, with some events being too easy and others being too difficult with the same settings. Grid doesn't offer a lot of cars, but what it does offer is a variety of event types (including racing modes such as Drift and Destruction Derby), a great cockpit view, and spectacular crashes. Grid also offers the Prince of Persia 3D alike ability to rewind time using instant replay and then restart the race at some point in the recent past up to a limited number of times per race. Overall, Grid is challenging and novel.

MotoGP '07

MotoGP '07 is another game that I picked up on the cheap ($10) and is marginally worth the cost. It has sparse graphics and reasonable gameplay, which makes it worthwhile simply to throw motorcycle racing into the mix (I wonder how PGR4 holds up), but I haven't enjoyed it as much as Tourist Trophy. The controls are tricky and the race courses are demanding, so this isn't one for casual gamers.

Ridge Racer 6

Ridge Racer is what I like to call a "combo racer" since the series is extremely arcade-y, to the point where the controls only barely resemble driving. Seriously, Ridge Racer 6 has more in common with Soul Calibur 4 than it does with other driving games. With that in mind, the game isn't too shabby, although it's nothing special either. If you're expecting a real racing game, you're likely to be bitterly disappointed. If you're expecting a Namco game, you may find this to be worth your time, although I wouldn't count on that either.

posted by Parappa @ 11:04 AM