"A Classic That Still Deserves The Limelight"

Grand Prix 2 when it arrived in 1995 was hailed the pinnacle of racing games. Racing the 1994 season as one of 28 drivers and 14 teams around 16 tracks, you could really get under the skin of Formula 1. Now 8 years on, many simulations have come along with superior technology, so does Grand Prix 2 still hold up with the best of them?
In one word the answer has to be a resounding yes! Yes from almost every aspect of the game! Here I will explain why…
Arguably the most important part of a racing game is its handling. If the car handles like a bucket, the game is not fun to play. Grand Prix 2 has a defined handling that is consistent and although it may seem slightly clumsy in places (like F1 cars can be in say a tight hairpin), you can never say it’s twitchy or that it’s unpredictable. If you spin off, it’s down to your fault, not the poor handling.
More impressive is the way in which the car handles over bumps, curbs, grass and gravel. If one of your wheels is left spinning on a slippery curb, you will begin to spin, but apply the right amount of throttle or brakes and you can save yourself from a time consuming spin. It all sounds very complex but it’s these little subtle differences that make a game a good one or a great one.
Many options are onboard this game, from a quick race to a long haul championship. You can even have reliability problems that can work to your advantage just as much to your frustration. You can also crank up the damage so when you hit the barrier; your car could end up beyond repair! Similarly you can also have a spectacular accident with other cars and watch it over again from every angle you could think of in the replay mode.
These days racing games boast about having double figured cars running at once, but amazingly Grand Prix 2 has 28 competing for a 26-car race, much more than your usual racing game.
If that’s not enough there are multiplayer modes, which are fun but not really the main selling point of the game.
Inevitably the one sticking point in this lovely game would be the graphics. Although the Hi-Res mode is definitely solid enough, the low-res mode is extremely blocky but not bad enough to really spoil your racing.
If you believe that beauty is not skin deep and you love a game you can get your teeth into, Grand Prix 2 is definitely one for you as with its online community, its lifespan is theoretically never-ending. Its offspring’s may hog the limelight now, but this game is still very much a classic.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/05/03, Updated 07/05/03