Driving Emotion Type-S

"A decent racing game from Squaresoft that was purely underrated."

Squaresoft, the company that is usually highly known for its high quality Final Fantasy RPG series, this time has taken a path off the main road and created a racing game called Driving Emotion Type-S. However, despite its high and low points, it wasn't gradually accepted well compared to racers like Gran Turismo 3. So in the end, Driving Emotion Type-S had quickly fallen down in the ranks as quickly as it appeared on the shelves as one of the first generation games for the PlayStation 2.

Story - DET-S doesn't have a plot at all. It's a racing game for your emotional enjoyment!

Gameplay - There are a few modes you can choose from. There is Arcade Type-S, where you can choose from a small number of cars and work your way up by racing in separate divisions. There are 4 divisions, Division 1, 2, 3, and GT. As you complete the 7 different courses on these divisions, you are awarded better, faster cars as a reward, which of course, is essential since each division represents the difficulty respectively (ex: Division 1 is the easiest, GT is the hardest). Other modes consist of Replay (replays saved races), Versus Mode (you and a friend race head to head), and a Time Attack Mode (race the clock to beat the best time).

The cars, of course, are based on their real life manufacturers, like Honda, Mitsubishi, Toyota, etc. As a matter of fact, all of the cars based on the Japanese models themselves, so you're actually sitting on the right side as opposed to the American model's left driver's seat. There are about 43 cars total in the game, once you get them all.

However, when it comes to racing, this is where most complaints would come in. Unfortunately, the first time DET-S is played, the extremely loose control is noticeable from the start. The cars feel like your driving on a sheet of thick ice at high speed, and it is easy to lose control of your car and spin out drastically. Expect to be seeing the words ''WRONG WAY'' several times before you master the controls. Most of the cars handle the same, but it takes major practice before you expect to win any races.

But all in all, once you DO master it, it pays off big time, because the game will suddenly transform from being difficult to being easier. Another flaw is, that the CPU cars absolutely NEVER makes mistakes, unless you were to bump into them hard. The problem is, since are six cars total, you find yourself wrestling for a good position since the CPU cars tend to drive on a set path and stick close together, and sometimes knocking you off course purposely.

Video/Audio - Graphically DET-S pretty much has great graphics. The cars look shiny, neat, and solid when shown on course (especially the replays) and the tracks all have a nice design to it, not too narrow or too wide.

The music is not very memorable, and its bit on the bland side. It's just the usual racing music would you expect.

Replayability - When I had first bought this game, I hated it completely because of the nasty controls and I could barely win any races. But once I sat down and learned how to handle the cars properly, I found myself beginning to love the game and continue playing to win all the cars until I finally beat it. As I've said before, once you adjust to the control, you'll mostly likely will want to continue playing until you've gained everything. Once that's accomplished, there's nothing worth noting to come back for. But the replay value for this game is good enough.

To buy or to rent? Most gamers would prefer Gran Turismo 3 or Sega Rally, but if you want to try something different, then I would say this game makes a good purchase. However, don't expect to master it the first few times. Practice, and it will pay off. Squaresoft developed an excellent racing game and it should warrant a good purchase. So I'd say try it out.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/16/02, Updated 07/16/02