05-24-2005, 01:36 PM
Let me start by saying that this is the BEST simulator I've ever played on a console. :o No, I have not yet played Forza. The model the game uses seems similarly acurate to something like LFS on the PC, and has a creative little g-force and tire load display that shows you exactly how much more this game is thinking than something like GT4. Much more challenging to drive, finding grip is a fight, and lifting or bliping the throttle when the suspension is loaded up can result in a spin, or just tankslappers if you're lucky. Sweet! So I REALLY wanted to like it!
What else was good. Graphics. Sound is decent. Car choices and tracks are just fine. The AI is, well, actually AI compared to the dumb slot car opponents of GT4. The points system and buildup of a car keeps you married to one car for a little longer, and each car handles quite differenty, so it's fun to feel like this is actually YOUR car that you're learning about. You know who your opponents are, the odds of them winning, and you can change what they're driving in some modes. This game has a lot going for it. :thumbup:
But. Like F355 for the PS2 (which has NO analog throttle at all when using the gamepad!), this game has a fatal flaw. I tried to play past it, I really did. And maybe with a wheel, something you could re-calibrate, this would be a non-issue. The game uses about the first 4th of the travel of the analog stick for throttle. :evil: The rest is full throttle. So you have basically a few milimeters in which to play. Now I'm quite adept at using this style of control, but after spending many hours with the game over the last couple days, I still can't stand it. It's so very hard keeping constant throttle around a corner, easing into the throttle as you slide through the apex, all this, it's ruined. And it just gets to be more and more of a problem with more powerful cars. The only saving grace is that there's a little throttle and brake display beside the tach, so you can try to maintain it by keeping your eye on that, but my eye has better things to do, like look at the track. :roll: Why why why would a developer not take the extra 5 minutes to fix a simple thing like this?
2nd. The AI. Like I said, it's actually AI! They leave racing room, they don't ram you, they make mistakes. Thank the lord! But.... they suck! :? After playing a bit, I went back to the non-career mode to see if I could get a good close race out of the digital competition. I can set the race lengths, choose the computer cars, cool deal. But in order to get a close race, let's see, I ended up with a bone stock Miata. And the computer? Well I kicked it's RX8's ass, the turbo Silvia, god knows what else. I FINALLY found that I couldn't QUITE keep up with the NSX Type-0's and the Evo. The AI goes through corners very conservatively, brakes way too much, their lines screws you all up, it's about as satisfying as racing HPDE1 students. :wink:
Lastly, the tuning screen. What a waste of time. Slam the car, put the spring stiffness and shocks all the way up and go. The changes hardly make a difference, and there are no units anywhere. How much camber do I have? Who knows. What's the ride height of the car? Who cares. What's the lock rate of the diff? Uh.... less than it was? You get the picture. You know what? Don't include tuning if it's going to be this useless.
All in all, if you have a wheel, or a hyper sensitive robot right thumb, and you don't have a computer that's fast enough to play a good racing sim, this game has a lot to offer! It's definatly a much more satisfying sim than GT4. I won't even comment on the crazy "enthu" points system or the "driving revolution" mode, or what cars and tracks there are. You can read all that at Gamespot or IGN or whatever, they seem to focus on that worthless crap. Like the B-spec mode in GT4, who cares? I just want a good close race. That being said, I don't think I'm going to waste much more time with it. I've got LFS to play! :bow:
Anyone want to try it out? Really. With a wheel, I bet it kicks ass. I'll sell it for $30, that's $9.99 off the list price! You can't afford NOT to buy it!
What else was good. Graphics. Sound is decent. Car choices and tracks are just fine. The AI is, well, actually AI compared to the dumb slot car opponents of GT4. The points system and buildup of a car keeps you married to one car for a little longer, and each car handles quite differenty, so it's fun to feel like this is actually YOUR car that you're learning about. You know who your opponents are, the odds of them winning, and you can change what they're driving in some modes. This game has a lot going for it. :thumbup:
But. Like F355 for the PS2 (which has NO analog throttle at all when using the gamepad!), this game has a fatal flaw. I tried to play past it, I really did. And maybe with a wheel, something you could re-calibrate, this would be a non-issue. The game uses about the first 4th of the travel of the analog stick for throttle. :evil: The rest is full throttle. So you have basically a few milimeters in which to play. Now I'm quite adept at using this style of control, but after spending many hours with the game over the last couple days, I still can't stand it. It's so very hard keeping constant throttle around a corner, easing into the throttle as you slide through the apex, all this, it's ruined. And it just gets to be more and more of a problem with more powerful cars. The only saving grace is that there's a little throttle and brake display beside the tach, so you can try to maintain it by keeping your eye on that, but my eye has better things to do, like look at the track. :roll: Why why why would a developer not take the extra 5 minutes to fix a simple thing like this?
2nd. The AI. Like I said, it's actually AI! They leave racing room, they don't ram you, they make mistakes. Thank the lord! But.... they suck! :? After playing a bit, I went back to the non-career mode to see if I could get a good close race out of the digital competition. I can set the race lengths, choose the computer cars, cool deal. But in order to get a close race, let's see, I ended up with a bone stock Miata. And the computer? Well I kicked it's RX8's ass, the turbo Silvia, god knows what else. I FINALLY found that I couldn't QUITE keep up with the NSX Type-0's and the Evo. The AI goes through corners very conservatively, brakes way too much, their lines screws you all up, it's about as satisfying as racing HPDE1 students. :wink:
Lastly, the tuning screen. What a waste of time. Slam the car, put the spring stiffness and shocks all the way up and go. The changes hardly make a difference, and there are no units anywhere. How much camber do I have? Who knows. What's the ride height of the car? Who cares. What's the lock rate of the diff? Uh.... less than it was? You get the picture. You know what? Don't include tuning if it's going to be this useless.
All in all, if you have a wheel, or a hyper sensitive robot right thumb, and you don't have a computer that's fast enough to play a good racing sim, this game has a lot to offer! It's definatly a much more satisfying sim than GT4. I won't even comment on the crazy "enthu" points system or the "driving revolution" mode, or what cars and tracks there are. You can read all that at Gamespot or IGN or whatever, they seem to focus on that worthless crap. Like the B-spec mode in GT4, who cares? I just want a good close race. That being said, I don't think I'm going to waste much more time with it. I've got LFS to play! :bow:
Anyone want to try it out? Really. With a wheel, I bet it kicks ass. I'll sell it for $30, that's $9.99 off the list price! You can't afford NOT to buy it!
