F-1 Grand Prix Part III

"For shame, for shame..."

Without a doubt, F-1 Grand Prix is one of the worst racing games I have ever played. The game is actually decent, until you start driving an actual race. This is when you realize how utterly stupid it is to make a top-down racing game in which you can only see five feet of track in front of you. This game is nothing compared to other SNES F1 games such as Pole Position or F1 World Championship Edition.

Gameplay - 1/10

The races take place in a top-down mode similar to that of Spy Hunter for the NES, only you can see much less in front of you. It is impossible to negotiate turns, especially those of the hairpin variety which are prevalent on the F1 circuit. Braking and adjusting your speed in time to make any sort of turn is utterly impossible because you don't know when a turn is approaching. The scenes before a race when you get to modify your car in the garage are cool, but it all boils down to the fact that the game is virtually unplayable because of the top-down view. One plus to the gameplay, or rather the only plus, is that you can modify your car before a race in the qualifying session which is rather interesting and realistic. The story mode would be rather interesting if the game was not unplayable. You choose two drivers, and one of several cars, each with a different logo and color scheme, then purchase equipment, then race. All the teams of the season are represented, Williams Renault, Sauber, Team Lotus, Sasol Jordan, and Ferrari just to name some of the 14 teams.

Story - 7/10

Win the Championship. What more do you want from an F1 game?

Graphics/Visual Effects - 8/10

The graphics of this game are actually quite good, but they can't detract from the fact that the gameplay is horrendous. The cars are nicely done and the mechanics in the garage look pretty good.

Audio - 5/10

The sounds and such in this game are pretty decent, but once again I'm forced to return to the whole ''unplayability'' theme that this review has taken on. The menu music is good and the engine sounds from the cars are all realistic.

To Be or Not To Be?

Not. A definite not. Not even for serious F1 fans like myself.

Overall - 1/10

For shame, for shame...

Reviewer's Score: 1/10, Originally Posted: 03/08/02, Updated 03/08/02