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Playstation > PlayStation Game Cheats > PlayStation Reviews > Staff Review | |
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| Playability: There are three classes of cars found in Le Mans to get your teeth into, GT2, GT1 and Prototypes. The GT2 is the slowest, although describing them as this is be a bit of an insult. You need to learn to crawl before you can walk so these are the perfect place to cut those teeth as the driving and handling are much more accessible. GT1s are constructed with professional racing in mind, though they need to fit the standards imposed to other road cars, the performance they deliver is first class, from both engine and body point of view. Prototypes are exclusively designed for circuit racing and do not need to comply with road car standards and their performance are close to the ones of GT1 cars. In their wisdom, Infogrames have realized that a gaming hungry public wouldn't be satisfied with just one race track, so they've bundled in another 5 to give you more for your wonga. There is also the option to race the tracks in the opposite direction which kind of doubles up the amount available. Past the intro and into the main menu you can choose from four initial race options, Le Mans, Arcade, Championship and multiplayer. Le Mans is the hub of the whole game, 24 hours of solid racing right through the night and through unpredictable weather conditions that are blown your way. Infogrames have seen a possible flaw in this option and offer an ingenious solution. Unless you're criminally insane, have no life, or enjoy sleep depravation, then you won't have to worry about letting 24 hours of actual time disappear from your life. Before the race starts you can choose a suitable time span and the whole race is compressed into the time chosen. This means that you can shoot around the track as the sun drops behind the horizon, tear around in the dark and then continue on as the sun rises all in twenty minutes if you want. If you're mad and decide nothing else will do, then you can race for a total of 24 hours in more than one sitting by saving the race during pit stops. All three class of car race at the same time during Le Mans, so it's worth bearing in mind that if you're in a GT2, you may finish top of that class, but are unlikely to finish overall first in the race. Arcade or Championship mode present you with sub menus with more race options and it's through these that other tracks and faster cars can be accessed. Start with arcade mode and there are two main differences. Tyre wear doesn't play any part and your car becomes indestructible no matter how many times you do a 360 and go piling into barriers or other unsuspecting drivers. In Championship mode a set of pre-determined races are tackled, by doing well here you will be given access to better and faster cars that can be carried over when racing Le Mans. A word of caution, any cars unlocked in Arcade mode will not be available when racing in a Championship or at the main event. Multiplay is run of the mill, pitting you against another human opponent, with up to 4 computer controlled cars on a horizontal split screen, with no real loss of graphic quality. It's worth mentioning that you can have a multiplayer championship to turn up the competitiveness. All the cars can be set-up to perform to the optimum for the various weather conditions and tracks. Take a quick spin around a test track to see if the changes have improved handling or put it on a par with a double decked bus. Time spent here is time well spent if you want to stand a chance of coming top of your class at Le Mans. To help you judge both the car and your own performance after the test lap you are presented with telemetry information. This consists of a couple of graphs which show your performance on each twist and turn. As you move a pointer around an overhead track plan the data that was gathered is displayed allowing you to see if you were too heavy on the brakes or too slow onto the pedals. If this is more than you need and you're happy to just jump in and race then drive on by, but studying these can make a difference and shave valuable seconds off lap times. Also, to help you and not leave you drowning in the deep end, options are available for auto transmission, traction control to stop those wheels spinning and brake assist, although don't expect this to do all the work and keep you on the track. Attack a corner too hard and you'll still end up in the sand. If the Arcade level isn't your cup of tea and you crave a bit of realism then you can choose the professional level where the cars will need looking after. Tyres wear and blow out, engines overheat and damage to the bodywork can seriously affect handling. To help you gauge what is going on while racing, a graphic of the car is displayed in the bottom left of the screen showing you the condition of each area of the car, so you know when to pit before all the wheels fall off. Talking of the pits, it,s a fairly uninspiring event graphically. No need to skid up to your garage here, a few hundred yards down the pit lane and the screen cuts to a menu where you click on fuel, fix bodywork, alter downforce, tyres etc. Although visually a bit tame, this does cause an adrenaline rush as the controller gets a frantic hammering trying to prepare the car to get you back out on the track before you lose too much track position. This is made all the more urgent, as above the options, you are treated to a view of the other cars as they race past. The other drivers act intelligently skidding past accidents and braking hard to pass slower opponents. Don't expect any favours though, they'll quite happily clip you if you brake or swerve in front of them, cutting you up and taking advantage of the slightest mistake you make. There are times when the whole package evokes an excellent atmosphere. Driving in the dark can create a real sense of purpose. As the stands disappear behind you, you're left feeling cocooned in the darkness, with only the black outlines of the trees and illuminated hordings in sight as you speed through unpopulated areas of the track. These conditions can create a real sense of urgency, when looking in the rear view mirror you see a pair of headlights following you in the distance which keep disappearing behind corners or bumps in the road. If a car is in front of you, it can be almost mesmerizing following the taillights as they illuminate while negotiating the bends. In one race, a car lay by the side of the road, its engine burning in the dark, a constant reminder of the hidden dangers lying beyond the scope of the headlights when driving at over 250 kilometers per hour. Game Options: This is a 1 disk game for 1-2 Players. It is compatible with the standard (digital) joypad and the analog stick controls of the dual shock joypad. Games can be saved via memory card (1 block per save). |
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