Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli

In the movie Cars, Luigi (the lovable yellow Fiat 500) was excited to learn that its star, Lightning McQueen, was a famous racecar. That excitement faded when Lightning informed Luigi of his racing experience, which did not include any laps against a Ferrari, a car that, in Luigi’s eyes, was the premiere automobile.

It’s hard to argue with that view. Ferraris are fast, gorgeous, and ultra-expensive. If you can have one, it sends a message: you aren’t just another driver on the road. You are the driver on the road.

Over the years we’ve seen many licensed racing games, but only a handful of them focused on one particular automobile license. And of those few, just one left a lasting impression: a low-budget Ford racer that was nowhere near as cool as the vehicles it featured. Once Ferrari Challenge: Trofeo Pirelli was unveiled, it seemed the tide would change in favor of the single-licensed racer. How could it not? Dozens of Ferraris, 12 licensed tracks, adaptable AI and 1080p support were all on the roster of promised features.

Zoom Zoom

Sleek and stylish. Those are the first two words that come to mind when looking at Ferrari Challenge. The 50+ Ferrari models have been re-created with optimal realism, allowing them to impress onlookers distracted by Burnout or Gran Turismo. The deep interiors, intricate touches and textures that are generations closer to achieving photo-realism make this the best visual representation of one automobile license in a single game. Even the menu screens are enhanced with giant images of a Ferrari, each taken from an in-game model.

If "sleek" and "stylish" are the first words triggered by the graphics, you're probably wondering what other words come to mind. As an officially licensed product, Ferrari Challenge couldn't be made without the watchful eye of the auto manufacturer. Real-world tracks are available, including Infineon, Misano, and the Virginia Raceway. But once the first race began – and every other race after that – only two words came to mind: slip and slide.

Ferrari Challenge(d)

There’s a significant difference between intelligent AI and perfect AI. Intelligent AI feels realistic; perfect AI just means your opponents are pre-programmed experts that never screw up. I’ve got nothing against a challenging video game. In fact, challenge is preferred 100% of the time. But while you are technically racing against the most skilled AI opponents on the planet, you are physically battling unstable controls and corner-heavy courses. The way a Ferrari handles in this game is akin to a drift-based racer without the drifting, or like Burnout without the ability to turn quickly. On your first race, you might even think of it as hard-to-steer version of Test Drive Unlimited.

To make it through even a medium-sized corner, you must brake severely, as shown on screen by the red line in the middle of the road, should you choose to leave the acceleration/deceleration indicator turned on. If you brake too soon, time is wasted; if you brake too late, there’s no way you’ll make the turn without going off the road, leading to an instant skid – or worse – a spin-out. This isn’t spontaneous but continuous. There is no happy medium where the player suddenly learns to recover from these issues. The only way around a mistake is to not make one at all. If this is the closest thing to real-world racing, I’m perfectly content playing racing games that bend the truth.

There are a few different modes, including season and trophy races, but they differ only in the way each course is presented, not in the way the game actually plays. On certain courses in the arcade mode, if you go out of bounds slightly but on purposely to pass an opponent, there won't be any repercussions. But if you slide off the track accidentally, it's an instant penalty.

Now what happens when you bump an opponent, causing him to drive off the track (and likely lose the race)? Kick back and relax. You won't be punished. But suppose you're trying to stay on the track and the opposite happens (an opponent pushes you off). Now you'll get a penalty for sure.

In the arcade mode, penalties aren't dished out the old-fashioned way. Actually, to be clear, arcade modes rarely have penalties of any kind. But when they do, they're given in the form of time or point deductions that are calculated at the end of the race. In Ferrari Challenge, penalties are delivered on-the-spot by physically slowing your vehicle. For the three or four seconds that the penalty lasts, you won't be able to drive more than 30mph. Though it's possible that real Ferrari racing is the same way (I suppose there could be a mechanism inside each vehicle that allows race officials to reduce your speed at will using a remote control), in a video game, and certainly in an arcade mode, it's an annoying feature that doesn't fit.

Review Scoring Details for Ferrari Challenge: Trofeo Pirelli

Gameplay: 5.5
If you’re used to (and in favor of) the Forza, GRID, Burnout or Project Gotham styles of racing, Ferrari Challenge doesn't offer much beyond its impressive vehicles to lure and retain players.

Graphics: 6.0
Excellent vehicle designs, terrible backgrounds, and a less-than-perfect frame rate make this a game of visual beauty and ugliness.

Sound: 5.0
Repetitive beats from the world of repetitive music. Engine sounds are the same old thing.

Difficulty: Medium
A game of unnecessary frustration. Why bother having "beginner" courses if the same skills (and a stoic attitude toward winning and losing) are required to beat the harder tracks?

Concept: 7.5
The idea of an all-Ferrari racer is great but the execution doesn't live up to expectations.

Multiplayer: 5.0
Online play for up to 16 players. As far as numbers are concerned, that's great news. But you're going to have a hard time finding 16 people that want to play this game together on a regular basis.

Overall: 5.5
For the players who love the Ferrari brand to death and want a game that demands every ounce of patience they possess, there might be something valuable hidden within Ferrari Challenge. But know that most players will not be able to find it.

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