Exciting times for racing game fans. Although the current generation of video game consoles is drawing to a close, there have never been more opportunities on the horizon to get your virtual speed fix. Most prominently Gran Turismo 6 and Forza Motorsport 5 in the form of an Xbox One launch game. Not to mention the likes of Driveclub (PlayStation 4) and Need for Speed: Rivals … [Read more...]
F1 2011 review 9/10
First of all, an apology. This review is late in comparison to a lot of other sites around and there are two main reasons for this: Firstly, we didn’t get a preview copy of the game, and second, it has taken a while to get used to. I didn’t want to rush out a review until I had the chance to play the game properly - I wanted to be able to say what it’s really like and to do … [Read more...]
Forza Motorsport 4 Demo – First Impressions
The Forza Motorosport 4 demo is now available to download and already tens of thousands of gamers have been experiencing the fruit of the last two years for Turn 10. But what does it show for the game itself, which is released in just a week depending on your location? Forza Motorsport 4 Single Player: The first piece of good news is that Forza Motorsport 4 looks gorgeous. … [Read more...]
Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed Review: 7/10
Shift 2 Unleashed, or the game formerly known as Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed, is an interesting game as much for the publicity campaign that preceded its launch as for the game itself. Find out more with our Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed review. Whether or not you accept it as the 17th in the Need for Speed franchise, the sequel to Need for Speed: Shift was again … [Read more...]
Codemasters Dirt 3 review – 4/5
As fans of my work will know (hello mum), I was a big fan of the original Dirt, but less so of it's sequel. So here's the difficult third album - it has to keep the original 'rally' fans happy and still appeal to the slick, polished Americanised variety showcase that was Dirt 2. And I’m pleased to say it generally straddles the delicate balance between the two quite … [Read more...]
Test Drive Unlimited 2 Review: 2.5/5
It’s taken a while to get around to reviewing Test Drive Unlimited 2 – not because we haven’t been playing it, but partly because we wanted to make sure we cover all the angles after a slightly animated response from some people to our list of issues with the game. So in an effort to make sure we’re fair, we ended up not writing about it – a situation we’re rectifying now for … [Read more...]
My first week with GT5
It's been six years in development and severely delayed, but having now spent a week with the game so many virtual racers have waited so long for - is it any good? The short answer is yes, but not quite as good as it should be. The problem is when you wait so long for a game you expect perfection - and people that expect perfection will almost always be disappointed with what … [Read more...]
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit review: 4/5
The Need for Speed series. One of EA's longest-running franchises and without doubt the oldest and most successful race series of all time. It has, for some people like me, been a catalogue of “must try harder”games, despite its sales. It was conceived by Distinctive Software, who were well known in the 8 and 18 bit computer days, including developing the initial games in the … [Read more...]
Gran Turismo 5 review: 4/5
Well it’s finally here, and after years of planning, and development, and yes, delays, GT5 has arrived. Or has it? Sure, the title is here, but is the promise of another console racing simulation revolution from Polyphony something you can bank on, or will the relatively soon to follow GT6 be the real deal? That all depends on your contextual expectations I suppose, and what … [Read more...]
Trials HD Review – 4/5
Trials HD is an unusual game - it originally started life as an online flash game played on your PC, but since then it's evolved into a PC game, and in the case of this version, an Xbox Live Arcade release retailing for 1200 MS points. Developed by Red Lynx, the game has stayed true to it's roots by remaining incredibly simple and addictive. You control a trials rider and … [Read more...]
Race Driver: GRID review 4/5
Justifying a review two years after release and earning a high score shows how well Codemasters' Race Driver: GRID has stood the test of time. Not only does it still have enough loyal followers to make it easy to find online games (On the Xbox version used for review, anyway), but with Race Driver: GRID Reloaded available for around £15 (Which includes the 8-Ball Pack DLC), … [Read more...]
The Non-Racing Dept – Hands on with Kinect Sports
It's not a racing game, but there's enough interest in the new Kinect peripheral and the Forza Motorsport Kinect demo that this may be of interest - plus, we couldn't turn down an invite to visit the headquarters of Rare and try out Kinect Sports a month before it's released (Available on November 10 - pre-order from Amazon, Game, Gamestop, Play.com). Kinect in general: So … [Read more...]
ORD reviews Codemaster’s F1 2010 – 4.5/5
Well, where do you begin? After all the hype and expectation, the first Formula One game for four years has arrived. Much was hoped for when Codemasters obtained the licence - a company with a good track record in making great racing games, and their style is immediately apparent when you boot up the game. The presentation and menus are all beautifully presented - clean and … [Read more...]
Need for Speed: Shift review: 2.5/5
Before Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo, there was Need for Speed. For those in need of a history lesson, the first Need for Speed game appeared in 1994 for the 3DO, with PC, Playstation and Sega Saturn games following up in the next couple of years. At the time is was one of the only attempts to create a realistic simulation, and a main part of the gameplay was being chased … [Read more...]
Review: Forza Motorsport 3 (Xbox 360) 4/5
Forza Motorsport 3 is an essential purchase for any online racer with an Xbox 360, and is possibly the best reason for choosing Microsoft's console over the Playstation 3. And yet, it doesn't get 5/5 because of some serious flaws. The Forza series was built with online race in mind, coming after the launch of the Project Gotham Racing series, and building on the lessons … [Read more...]