rec.autos.simulators

I meant 17 circuits in my review not 13, sorry.

Julian

I just thought you might like to know, I have just got hold of a copy
(don't ask how, I have a friend in the business) of the latest F1 game
from Psygnosis for the PSX. It's the PAL version.

Initial Impressions (After about 5hrs of play (I was up v. late last
night ;))

1. Intro - Rocked out music with the camera swinging around an F1 car
(Jordan I think) that is very dark, the camera circles it for a while
then the light brightens up to see the car in all its glory.. very
atmospheric... sets the scene well.

2. Front End - 1st menu has 1 Player, 2 Player (for linkup),Quick Race,
Resume, Options.

3. Options - Include Controller Setup (supports my neGcon and has setups
for MadCatz steering wheel etc.), Audio (Mono, Stereo, Q Sound, Dolby
Surround, Commentry+Effects or Music+Effects etc..), Graphics (just
shifting the screen position), Memory Card stuff.

4. In 1 Player mode you can race arcade mode or GP mode... arcade mode
works by having to get to time checkpoints a la Sega Rally Out Run etc..
GP mode is proper race. You can choose any one of 13 teams, each with 2
drivers and also race on anyone of 13 circuits.. all setup as 1995
season. Car options include auto/manual gears, steering help, auto
brakes... similar to f1gp1/2. Race options include damage on/off,
catch-up boost, race length, tyre wear on/off, fuel setting, downforce
level. Further options include opponent difficulty level etc...

5. When you do a quickrace it just uses all the settings in the 1 player
mode as they were last setup.

6. When you go to start a race you can do practice and qualifying or
straight into the race....

7. The Graphics are good, initially i thought they were a bit ropey but
on refelection they are infact brilliant, I'm used to playing F1GP2 on
my P166 in SVGA so the res looks a little low but the texturing is good
and there is little evidence of polygon ripping evident in so many other
PSX releases. The cars are not brilliant looking, the ferrari looks
particularly odd if you are chasingh one from behind but it all runs
fast although I have experienced a little slowdown in places. As for the
fact thats it a PAL version there is some letterboxing but I run it on a
phillips monitor so I just re-size the image to eliminate that. The
graphics when its raining is pretty good, with loads of spray and
restricted vision and stuff, little lights on the backs of cars as well.
The spray does not look as good as say the smoke effects in mario64 (yes
I have an N64 too) it is not a bitmap though it is 3d but kind of wierd
hashing style effect.. you will see what i mean if you buy it. Oh also I
suppose some ppl are concerned about scenery pop-up.. not oo evident at
all, certainly not a problem a la daytona saturn (what makes this more
impressive is that they are real circuits so they could not hack the
circuit design to eliminate far objects). There are about 5 different
views.. 1. on nose cone, 2. from the air bix (preffered for incar), 3.
just behind and low, 4. slightly higher and further out, 5. like the far
view in Virtua Racing very good (prefered for external view)... other
features include.. getting sand, dirt and grass visibly on your tyres if
you go off the track and then it cleaning off as you blast off again on
the tarmac. Also you can set head roll which is really effective in the
view mode 2 when you come racing down into the hairpins, or are spinning
all over the place trying to get back on the circuit afetr an off.

5. Have not tried 2 player.. I only have 1 PSX in the house.

6. Gameplay... the easiest thing to describe it as is I suppose a sort
of virtua racing clone... it plays very similarly to arcade Virtua
Racing...  it is very good. You obviously dont power slide quite like
you do in sega rally, but it is possible to do some limited sliding..
particularly if you catch the grass on the edge of the circuits, you can
soon go into a spin.. but if you use the start of the slide carefully
you can use it to help you turn round corners.... The brakes are very
effective so if you only realise you are at a corner very late you still
have a very good chance of slowing down enough, but you will probably
come to a halt and not get the fastest line through.. it works well..
I first plaed the game with my neGcon, but found it easy to revert to a
normal controller, there are about 8 different configs available for
each type of controller.. .... when you are driving round overtaking has
to be done carefully or you will lose alot of time as you hit other cars
and both slowdown... there is nothing quite like the moment last night
when at the end of a 6 lap race in the driving rain at Imola I cut round
on the outside of the last chicane coming onto the start finish straight
to overtake Schumacher just before the line.. spray flying everywhere...
great!!! as far as the gameplay goes I prefered doing the GP mode to the
arcade mode.. but i am a bit of an F1 nut, and f1gp1/2 are my favourite
PC games ever (yes even more so than doom). Oh btw I very quickly moved
on to using manual gears in the game.. I would not normally do this in a
console game (eg Ridge Racer Revolution I have always used autogears),
but I found it a much better more controllable drive...

8. Sound - the music is horribly cheesy and rocky... the car engine
noise is ok although I found in automatic gears on GP mode it seemed to
change gear at a funny point which meant you never really heard it
screaming at 16,500 rpm. Murry Walkers commentary is classic, you do
start to hear repitions after a short while but it is still great.. you
will love, especially UK F1 fans. The crowd noises are good as well,
great when you come tearing back into the stadium section at Hockenheim
to the roar of the crowds (despite overtaking shumi infront of them ;)).

I'm afraid I have typed all this at record speed (thats an excuse for
the typos) as I'm real busy at work.. but I hope it has given ppl an
idea about the game.. i would say its definately a keeper..

Julian.

I meant 17 circuits in my revies not 13. sorry

Julian

Julian, thanks for that Review of Formula 1 by Psygnosis.  I've been
lurking for some time waiting for someone like you to give a review.

I'm sure to get this game!  I had to get a DSS satellite dish just so I
could watch F1 (and all the Kansas City Chiefs American football games).
It is a back-burner sport here in the U.S.

One question, though:  I think you said race on any of 13 tracks.  Is that
what you meant to say, or was that a typo?

May it rain in Monza!  Poor Mikey, into the barrier at Monaco.
Let's hope for a good race this Sunday.

Thanks again for the review.

James A. Mathis              __  "History is made at night;
 Graduate student, Physics  /__\  Character is what you are in the dark."
 New Mexico Tech           /\/\/\    -John Whorfin

http://www.ee.nmt.edu/~jmathis   "Same as it ever was, same as it ever was..."

That was a typo.. I meant 17.. the whole of the 1995 season.
Hmm Damon for the Championship... (Only coz we went to the same school)
A pleasure

Julian

Thanks for the review Julian.  I was going to buy it any but I did
have a few doubts.
I look forward to the 13th.  Perhaps Friday the 13th will be lucky
after all :-)

Rich.

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Hello,

Can you tell me when this sim will available in the USA?

Thanx,

Sal V.

regards,

David King

http://hyperactive.com