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| F355 Challenge - Passione Rossa,
Dreamcast |
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| Games,
Richard Young,
20 January 1999 |
Rating: F3
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While the Dreamcast Massive gear up for the release of Metropolis Street Racer (out 3rd November), Sega wheel out its latest four-wheeled darling in the streamlined shape of Acclaim’s F355 Challenge. In case you were wondering, the "F" stands for Ferrari and the "Challenge" means just that – gameplay wise this is one of the more unforgiving racers available. The first thing you notice about F355 Challenge is the quality of the graphics. They are smooth and detailed, and glide past at the now favourable 60 frames-per-second (30 is fine, but for hyper-real arcade style animation, 60 fps is best – see Crazy Taxi).
There are practise ovals, and 11 accurately recreated replicas of famous courses, including Suzuka and Monza, but only one car is available – a Nissan. Only joking! – it’s a Ferrari. All this amounts to an incredibly thorough game, albeit one that is uncompromising in it’s simulation. The actual game physics are pretty tricky to get your thumbs around, based as they are on the real McCoy. Any deviation in from the perfect racing line means having to put up with the sight of your opponent’s exhaust pipes disappearing over the horizon time and time again. The acceleration and braking has to be undertaken with accuracy and sensitivity.
Just diving in for a quick blast will result in skidding around the track, scuffing up the paintwork and limping across the line in last place, and most probably driving the casual gamer nutty with frustration, for this the kind of game that demands time and patience. For those willing to put in the hours, there are rewards to be had, and all the usual modes are present, including time attack and ghost car mode. This feature, also available on MSR, enables you to download other racers actual laps so that you can race this "ghost" Ferrari for a one-on-one challenge with a complete stranger.
Music is often the weakest part of many games, and no doubt one that is often left to the last stage of development, and F355 Challenge includes some of the more grating kind of cheesy American rock. Not the kind of thing you want to hear again and again after pushing the start button for "just one more try". All in all, a technically brilliant game and one that will keep hardcore racing enthusiasts up until the wee small hours, assuming they are not put off by the soul-destroying learning curve. Oh, and don’t forget the earplugs.
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