It’s unfair to
compare racing games to Gran Turismo. Since Gran Turismo came out game
developers have been busy trying to come up with their own Gran Turismo.
Because of this, racing fans have compared almost every racing game to Gran
Turismo. It’s really unfair to almost every racing game released today because
there is so much to compete against just in Gran Turismo. But if we can forget
that every racing game isn’t a Gran Turismo and just enjoy the game, then you
should be pleased with Group S Challenge.
There are
essentially only two modes of play in Group S Challenge, the Arcade Mode and the
Circuit Mode. The Arcade Mode allows you to jump right into a race and select
from 20 different tracks. Within the Arcade Mode is a single player game, 2
player versus game, One Make and Time Attack games. The One Make game allows
you to compete against the computer, but with everyone in the race driving the
same type of car. So if you think you can drive an Audi TT Coupe better than
anyone else, now you can prove it.
In the Arcade Mode
you can select from four different group selects: Group-C, Group-B, Group-A and
Group-S. Group C is the lowest and easiest of the different groups, while
Group-S is the top of the line difficulty setting. All four of the Group
settings are selectable right away in the Arcade Mode. You can then select from
the different cars in the game as well. All of the cars are licensed models of
real cars. The car manufacturers range from Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Audi, Ford,
Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Renault to several others. Some manufactures will have
several different car models available, while other might only have one. For
example Honda, Nissan and Mazda might have four to five different cars
available, while Fiat and Renault will only have one car. There is also an
additional variation of a car available, called an Aero Car. These cars are
specially designed cars with specific aerodynamic parts. You can only obtain
the Aero Cars by playing the Circuit Mode.
The Circuit Mode
is composed of three different sections: Championship, Line Line and Duel
section. The Championship section is the true meat and potatoes of the game.
This is where you will probably spend most of your time playing the game. You
start off in the bottom Group setting, Group-C. You have to work your way up to
the top, Group-S, by finishing a series of races with a certain ranking for each
race. For example to complete the Group-C setting you will need to finish in
the top 3 of each race you compete in. But you don’t just earn the chance to
compete in the next group setting you also earn money.
You start off with
50,000 DP (money/cash) that you can spend on a car. Once you’ve purchased the
car you can then purchase certain parts to help improve the cars performance.
The parts available depend on the specific car you purchase. The parts range
from turbo kits, new suspension kits, new brakes, weight reduction and new
tires. You can also purchase different wheels for your car as well. Once
you’ve purchased a part you can then have the part installed on your car. If
you don’t like the performance of the part you can also remove the part and go
back to another setting. You can also adjust the performance of the different
parts as well. You can adjust how hard the brakes work, the stiffness of the
suspension and other settings. All of these parts settings are standard
features that most racing fans will probably be able to adjust right away. Gran
Turismo veterans might be a little disappointed with the lack of tweaks
available for some of the parts.
Once you’ve got
your car adjusted you can compete in any of the races in the Championship
settings. You don’t have to compete in the entire series of races. If you win
one of the races you will earn additional GP that you spend on another car or
more parts for your car. The money you earn on the Group-C setting is lower
then the other Groups, so it pays to finish the Group-C level right away.
You’ll need the extra GP to purchase all of the cars that are available in the
game. Start off with 50,000 GP is nothing compared to some of the prices of the
cars, for example one car might cost you 10,000,000 GP.
If you don’t want
to compete in a race to earn extra GP, you can try your skill in the Line Line
section. The Line Line section has you racing by yourself on a randomly
generated course. The point is to follow a set of dots that are placed on the
track. As you run over the dots, you start to earn GP. But you need to be
careful because if you run into a wall then you lose GP. You’re also under the
time clock as well. If you finish the track within a set time limit, and based
on the number of dots you picked up, you’ll earn extra GP. The GP you earn from
the Line Line trials doesn’t compare to what you win from an actual race, but
it’s a challenging and fun way to practice your driving skills.
The other section
available in the Circuit Mode is the Duel. In the Duel section you compete in a
one on one race against the computer. But in this race the computer is using a
car with the best aerodynamic parts. You will compete in a series of three
races and if you win the races you can receive either one or two special Aero
Cars. But in order to compete in the Duel section you must first obtain
specific cars that you must use during the races. One race might require that
you have a Ford Focus, VW Golf and a Honda (Acura) Integra before you can
compete. This is an interesting idea, but it’s something that you can’t try out
right away. You’ll need to earn money to purchase additional cars before you
can compete in most of the Duels. It would have been nice if you could compete
in one of the Duels at the beginning of the game.
All in all, Group
S Challenge is an entertaining racing game. The controls are well done with
your cars not spinning out all over the track during a race. The different
amount of cars, upgrades and difficulty settings will keep you into the game.
The lack of different tracks can be a let down for someone looking for tracks
across the world. If you can look past the Gran Turismo comparisons, then you
will enjoy this racing game.
Gameplay 8.2
The controls are
well done, with you having complete control of the cars. There are two
different brake types you can use, the handbrake and the regular brakes. While
you might not be able to perform massive power slides in the game, you won’t be
spinning out in every corner. For veteran racing fans, they should be able to
pick up the game and jump right in with the controls. Some cars might feel
loose at first, but you can adjust the part settings (such as the suspension and
brakes). You will run into the problem of not braking soon enough while trying
to take a corner, while you slam into a wall. The only time I lost control of
the car during a race was when I was bumping for position with the computer.
Sometimes they would bump me right as I was coming out of a corner, which would
cause me to spin out. But even then it wasn’t a complete spin. If you have a
racing wheel you can even adjust the sensitivity of the wheel.
Graphics 8.0
The graphics for
the different cars were well done. However the graphics for the cars did have
somewhat of a washed out look. Even though the car graphics had a reflection
effect while driving around the city, the cars still looked washed out. It
seemed as if the cars needed another coat of wax. None of the cars will show
car damage while racing. The graphics for the different city locations were very
detailed and elaborate. It’s funny that when you race on a track that’s
available in another racing game that the graphics for the cities (and tracks)
always look different. The city graphics in Group S Challenge are probably some
of the best I’ve seen. The cities come across as a busy metropolitan area, with
huge skyscrapers and buildings. A few minor complaints about the city/track
graphics were the spectator graphics and cloud graphics. Both of these were
just 2D graphics that seem pasted onto the rest of the graphics. There was
hardly any dropping of the frame rate during the races. From time to time you
would notice a slight stutter or lag, but it was just for a brief second.
Sound 7.5
The sound effects
of the different cars come across loud and clear during the game. From the
roaring of the engine to the screech of the brakes, each car has it’s own unique
sound. The music is an assortment of techno songs that adds a nice atmosphere
while racing. The music plays in the background while your racing and shouldn’t
interfere with your concentration. There wasn’t an option to build your own
custom soundtrack like other Xbox racing games. A custom soundtrack feature
would have been a nice addition to the game.
Difficulty
Medium
The game does ramp
up the difficulty during the Championship Mode. You have to earn your way up
the difficulty ladder, so you can prepare yourself for the higher settings. The
computer-controlled cars didn’t play a game of bumper cars during the majority
of the races. Most of the time the computer would try to find a way around you
on a straightaway. Now during a corner, the computer might get stuck behind you
especially if he caused you to spin out. There were a few instances where the
computer was stuck next to me, sort of in a T-bone position, and while I tried
to backup the computer would still try to move forward. This would usually
lead to me spinning out some more. The rubber band effect was still in place
during a race. No matter how bad you wrecked you could always catch up to the
computer. But the same rules applied for you. If you had a 10-second lead and
had a bad wreck into a corner, then the computer could catch up with you as
well.
Concept 7.8
Ever since Gran
Turismo came out the concept of racing games has been the same. You race a real
car, try to earn more money to buy another car, and then upgrade your car with
new parts and accessories. The same holds true for Group S Challenge, it’s
nothing that hasn’t been done before. However there are a few unique concepts
in the game. The Duel mode is unique since it makes you purchase specific cars
that you need to use in the Duel mode. Since you have to use these cars to earn
the tricked out Aero Cars. The Line Line mode is also unique since it’s a way
to learn how to actually drive your car. I know that might sound strange, but
if you follow the dots exactly as they are laid out on the track, it will help
you control your car during a race.
Multiplayer 7.0
There is only one
multiplayer option available in the game. The arcade mode offers a 2 player
versus mode, which is played out on a split screen view. With the recent
release of new Xbox racing games that offer Xbox Live support, it’s a shame that
Group S Challenge doesn’t offer online racing. Some type of Xbox Live support
would have helped the game tremendously.
Overall 7.7
Group S Challenge
offers gamers a solid racing experience that might leave some gamers wanting
more. The good graphics, tight controls, unique gameplay options (Duel and Line
Line mode) are great parts of the game. However the washed out car graphics
will probably have some gamers looking at other racing games. The lack of a
custom soundtrack feature is also a big minus, especially for a Xbox racing
game. The lack of Xbox Live support also hinders the overall score as well. If
other racing games released can offer Xbox Live racing, then why should we
expect this from Group S Challenge? However if you can overlook these
omissions, veteran-racing fans will enjoy the game. It’s not the best package
around but it’s enough to keep your motor running until something else comes
along.
