I've purchased Screamer Need for Speed and Fatal Racing. I think I can tell you
these are three fantastic games! The demo's of Fatal Racing and Screamer don't honor
the real game.
Graphics
I've got a P90, 16 MB RAM, Diamond Stealth Video VRAM and a quad speed CD-ROM. I can
run Screamer and NFS "all details enabled" in SVGA. Fatal Racing is to solw: I have
to disable some detail settings and reduce the screen size (75%) (the graphics are
then also fantastic)
Graphics of Fatal Racing are not as pretty as those in Screamer (feeling of speed is
tremendous) or NFS (realism). The NFS engine however is only 2 D, yo can't drive the
opposite direction
Playability
NFS lacks in AI: it's too easy and the computer cheats! Control is superior to
Screamer and Fatal Racing (realistic cornering and realistic behaviour on
hill-corners). To make this game a challenge, you need to pick out a slower car. The
cars are real cars with realistic behaviour, wich make some cars outperform others
on all characteristics. The interface of the game is superior to every other game I
know. The music ans sounds are fantastic.
Control in Screamer is very arcadish, however fun. The cars are very much
oversteered. The fastest cars have the worst acceleration and cornering abilities
(each car outperforms another on one characteristic). There are 3 difficulty
settings wich makes this game harder.
Fatal Racing has an extra: the stunts (loops, screwpull jumps and loops, ... ). You
need the correct speed and direction to succeed in these stunts. The cars have
different acceleration, top speed, mass, durability (robustness), grip, cornering
abilities, braking abilities. Each of seven cars is best in one and worse on the
other. There are 6 difficulty settings and 3 damage levels ( you can take out other
cars by crashing into them). You're supposed to have a team mate that you can order
to take out an other guy but the AI lacks here.
Longevity
NFS has 6 tracks + 1 bonus track and 8 cars + 1 bonus car (Warrior = extremely
fast). The realism of the tracks and cars add an extra flair. The three open road
tracks are very long (15 miles) so you can enjoy them very long (you hardly get to
know them). You've got some cheat codes (extra car = warrior, rally mode and Warp =
arcade mode) and a head to head mode with ordinary traffic and cops that are chasing
you. IMO it's to easy.
Screamer has 6 cars (actually 12 because the automatic gear version is a bit slower
and has another paint job) and 6 tracks. In some bends, you get an impression
"haven't I done this corner on the previous track?": some parts are used in more
tracks. When you've won the pro league (all tracks on pro level = very hard) you can
use the bullet car: extremely fast. There are 3 special modes: time race (you've got
x seconds to reach the next checkpoint, next time less seconds) cone carnage ( you
start with ten seconds, each cone you hit gives you extra seconds), slalom (you're
not allow to hit the cones, penalty seconds). This game is much harder to complete
as NFS.
Fatal Racing: 14 tracks and 7 cars. Some tracks have simularities with one other
track but uses other stunts. You can play different games: as fast or damage as much
as possible. There are a lot of cheat codes, there are 13 more cars available
(cheat codes), even a Ferrari F1. There are also special moves.
Which one's best?
NFS: graphics and realism and sound are fantastic. (plus beautiful pictures and
movies of the cars) but perhaps a bit too easy
Screamer: feeling of speed is fantastic, different game modes
Fatal Racing: Originality + lot of tracks and different stunts. A bit to slow
graphics.
IMO it are 3 great games. Each dedicated fan of racing games should have them all
three. With processor power you get 3 games with splendid graphics and the games are
different enough.
Tomas Van Elst
Centre for Industrial Management
>Graphics
>I've got a P90, 16 MB RAM, Diamond Stealth Video VRAM and a quad speed CD-ROM. I can
>run Screamer and NFS "all details enabled" in SVGA.
(This is more of a moan rather than useful comment!) I have a similar
setup and I must say, compared to Ridge Racer on my playstation, I
find Screamer completely unacceptable in SVGA. In fact, VGA is not
great (and looks horrible on my 17 inch monitor anyway). I have a
pretty high-spec PC (including Diamond Stealth Video VRAM), so am
beginning to think it is simply personal perception of how "smooth" a
game is, and not a problem with my hardware...
(Tomas, have you seen a playstation running RR? I'd be interested in
hearing how you think it compares. If Screamer is genuinely
comparable then it looks as though I definitely have a configuration
problem with my PC - I get 90.9 FPS on 3D Bench BTW.)
Andy
>NFS lacks in AI: it's too easy and the computer cheats! Control is superior to
Definately. I played one week, and I won at all seven tracks! My best
game so far was when I won a single race at Vertigo with an NSX! The track
is awesome!
I've yet to try that yet. I'm working on my second time around on the
torney (sp?)
question: How do you get this warrior car? by winning the torney twice?
or a code?
i'm new to the net, so I don't know how the multiplayer sites work. Can
you point me in the right direction, maybe I'd race you in NFS!
Gregory Fung
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
