>Yeah. Lets hear some reviews already!!! :) First impressions, anything. How's the
>sounds? How are the videos? How's the ***y game!!!???
I have an "evaluation copy" (don't flame me, I will buy it as soon as
it's in stores here) and it's awesome.
The graphics are superb, and buttery smooth at 800x600, on a P2 300
w/12MB Voodoo2 and 128MB RAM, graphics options turned all the way up.
A very nice touch: there's a "benchmark" button on the graphics
options screen that works like a Quake2 timedemo, it runs the game and
measures the frame-rate for you. I got 38 fps.
The tracks are excelent. From a simple oval, to a Daytona-like
tri-oval, to long and winding tracks through nicely rendered realistic
environments. There's eight tracks (if I remember correctly) all
available from the start. Some areas are downright gorgeous - don't
gawk at the pretty pictures or you will crash! Some effects - like the
sky - are better than I've seen in any racing game.
Driving model: seems very very good with a ton of options. It has
three setings, arcade, intermediate, and simulation. The simulation
level kind of feels like Nascar2, but a bit more dynamic (i.e., 3D
***pit that moves somewhat). Not as touchy as GPL cars of course, but
to me it seems very realistic. I've only used the realistic mode on
the oval tracks, the longer tracks at this point are too hard. There
are a ton os setup/garage options, all the ones you'd expect, but I
haven't played with those much yet.
That's where the arcade mode comes in nicely (yeah I know that's
blashphemy in this group, so sue me ;-). I've had some cool races at
the longer tracks by using arcade mode. An interesting observation: in
this mode the game kind of feels like Need For Speed 1, but with
updated graphics (and no invisible walls!). For anyone who loved NFS1
but not 2 & 3, Viper may be the game you've been waiting for.
AI: Some good points, one bad one. The good: three skill levels. Easy
is easy, medium is somehwat difficult depending on the track, Hard is
VERY difficult. Should be challenging for a while. The only bad point
is that they [the ai drivers] sometimes are very insistent on taking
their lines, even if you are in their way. You will pass them on the
inside going into a corner and then curse them mightily when the nip
your back fender and send you spinning. On the good side the drivers
seem fairly human in other ways: they will spin out in corners
sometimes, and even get in accidents (see next section).
Accident physics: So well done this needs a section of it's own in any
Viper review. Brilliant. Cars roll and flip in what seems like a very
realistic manner. I haven't seen accidents this good since NFS 1. Had
a very cool one in a race at Castlegreen on a long left where I was
behind several AI cars. One ai went too wide and hit a rock. Sent him
flipping over back into the middle of the track where he bounced off
another car - I was behind them trying to avoid the while mess. This
adds a very nice element of immersion to the game.
User interface: fast, well laid out, easy to use. Doesn't get in yout
way but lets you accomplish what you want quickly and easily. It's the
kind of UI that a LOT of work obviously went into, but some may not
notice it simply because it's so good - you don't even THINK about the
UI you just do what you want. Very nice job.
Multiplay: haven't tried it.
Bottom line: buy it.
Joe
>Agreed. I find the interface quite easy to use. I am, however, a bit
>ticked that you have to quit your race to view the replay! Who let
>that one by?????
Yeah you're right, I forgot to mention that one.
Joe
I've been waiting for a worth successor to NFS1 for years, it sounds like
I will have to give Viper a try.
Thanks for the short review Joe.
Seeyas on the track.
--John (Joao) Silva
>this mode the game kind of feels like Need For Speed 1, but with
>updated graphics (and no invisible walls!). For anyone who loved NFS1
>but not 2 & 3, Viper may be the game you've been waiting for.
I _finally_ got it this afternoon. Getting it was the hard part!
Best Buy had 14 copies in stock, but they had no idea where the hell
they were...
CompUSA had it in stock, but get this. It had been taken OFF the shelf
to make room for a NEW game!
I reminded them that _today_ was actually the official release date.
They went in the back and got me a copy :)
Who runs these places?
-Larry
> I saw it at CUSA today! Anybody got it? Did it live up to the promise of the
> demo? Reviews, please!
Not me :)
If this thing ever goes on-line at TEN or somewhere else (and I think it
will, as good as it is), it will prevent 'race chatter' and all the
other garbage that you have to live with in NROS when people review
replays when the race is still going on.
-Larry
> Agreed. I find the interface quite easy to use. I am, however, a bit
> ticked that you have to quit your race to view the replay! Who let
> that one by?????
I really like the TCIP connection to another computer. I have 2 networked
computers here and it was really easy hooking up to the other system. N2
1999 is a pain to make
work in IPX on 2 or more comptures. (you have to use dos mode). Not so in
viper
racing.
