"Enjoyable game, but badly ported from Dreamcast"

When i saw this game on Dreamcast it quickly was one of my favourites. I had played and enjoyed Gran Turismo for years, and this game was very similar. The game is still OK, though there are better ones out there (say Metropoli SR or GT 3).

The PC port is pretty badly done. It lacks the graphic aspect it could have; having seen games like Need For Speed 5 or even Rally Championship, actual-times PCs are capable of much more.

GRAPHICS -- They are average for a PC game. No 3D acceleration is supported, so the background has a very pixelated look. Cars are OK, but their textures aren't as good as those in Dreamcast. Some cars look better than others. For example, the Dodge Viper looks strange, at least compared to other games (i haven't seen one in real life, yet!), and the Peugeot 206 looks almost real. The models are superior to average and very recognizable. Car crystals and windows look strange, and the back window (the one you're always looking at if you play from the outside) is quite ugly. The graphic aspect is not very customizable and it does not match the nowadays-standard, so i give the graphics a 7.

SOUNDS -- Similar to those from the console. Music is also very console-like, not taking advantage from advanced sound cards and possibilities that the PC offer. Car's sounds are nice but not the best. They don't appear to be real. I give the sound a 6.

GAMEPLAY -- Not bad at all. Cars control arcade-like, although their behavior varies when driving a 4 wheel-drive, a front drive, rear drive...etc. Handling is a bit strange in my opinion, but there are no two games who handle the same. There are plenty of tuning options and lots of cars to choose from. You can even build your own cars!. There is the possibility of taking exams so you can race more advanced championships. The bad part is that it's too similar to Gran Turismo. It seems that Sega has left the originality apart with this game...Anyway, gameplay is cool so i give it a 8.

REPLAY VALUE -- It takes a lot to finish the game, and you can always try new cars, customize them, build new ones...There is also the possibility of multiplayer gaming (i have not tried it yet, hope it's as good as in Sega Rally 2!!). This game has a quite high replay value.

This is a fun game to play, without cool looks for a PC but well designed and exhaustive options to keep you occupied for a while. My overall score for this enjoyable racing game is 7.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/16/01, Updated 08/16/01