Vintage Game, Classic Price (Grand Prix Legends (PC))

Member Name: SkyscraperFanClu

Product:	Grand Prix Legends (PC)
Date:	10/04/09 (29 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Extremely realistic and very rewarding . Long - term replay value .

Disadvantages: Very difficult .

'Grand Prix Legends' is an extremely difficult, yet deeply rewarding game. It offers a simulation of the 1967 Formula One season that is highly realistic both graphically and physically.
The tracks are faithfully recreated in painstaking detail, right down to trackside objects and spectators, advertising hoardings and surface changes. Monaco is vibrant and colourful yet its' every sharp twist replicates the old configuration track perfectly. Every nightmarish bend on the 170+ corner original Nurburgring is present too, and mastering this most difficult of circuits presents what has to be one of the most supreme challenges in computer gaming. All the tracks appear as they did in 1967 from Watkins Glen, US to Kyalami South Africa. The developers, however have taken the correct step of dropping the unloved Le Mans Bugatti track in favour of the far superior (and much more fun) Rouen-les-Essarts.

Given the high levels of track realism it is disappointing that some manufacturues, notably Honda, have refused to lend their endorsements to this splendid recreation. As a result the Honda team as appeared in 1967 does not exist here, and there driver John Surtees appears behind the wheel of a fictitious yet similarly coloured 'Murasama'. The drivers, however, are all present and correct. They make for a fascinating cross-section of some of the best-remembered characters of vintage formula one: Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Denny Hulme, John Surtees and Chris Amon to name but a handful.
Being set some 33 years ago, 'Grand Prix Legends' has a vastly different feel to most other racing games. Back then, Formula One cars did not have the massive advantage of aerodynamic downforce ('wings'), and so they operate with far less grip. However, the massive engines deliever speeds within 40 mph of what is common in modern Formula One, so keeping the car on the track is an immense challenge. A wealth of setup options assist in fine-tuning the cars to your particular driving style. Despite all this, your first few outings behind the wheel will be extremely frustrating. I wouldn't receommend in trying this game without investing in a steering wheel and pedal set. It os just about possible to drive with a joystick, but using the keyboard isn't even worth trying.

You will get prctically no entertainment value from this game if you are not prepared to sit down with the 100-page driver's manual 'Four-Wheel Drift' and educate yourself on how best to handle the cars. I personally found it quicker to shun the three driving aids (brake and throttle assistance and automatic gears) from the outset, and spend many hours fine tuning a driving style totally independent from that required in modern formula one simulators (such as Grand Prix 3) or arcade style games (Gran Turismo 2 or TOCA 2).
Only in Grand Prix 3 are racing physics recreated as accurately as Papyrus do in Grand Prix Legends. The amount of grip each wheel provides is calculated independently based on surface, camber, acceleration / decceleration force and many other variables. The set up system allows calibration ofevery conceivable part - gear-ratios, brake balance, anti-roll, tyre pressures and so on. All have a realistic bearing on the cars' handling.

Once you begin to master the game, it can be incredibly rewarding. The comprehensive action replay system keeps record of a huge length of material, allowing you to edit, select and save your finest moments (and your biggest shunts) and review them from hundreds of angles. There is little more satisfying than sliding around for lap after lap, slowly reeling in the car in front, planning and finally executing a overtaking manouevre, then saving it and watching it from every conceivable point-of-view on action replay.
The game's sound is perhaps its' weakest area. Engine roars are impressive (the Ferrari has an alarming shriek) but other spot effects, particularly the dull thump of most collisions, are disappointing.

The sheer challenge this game offers guarantees long-term replay value. However some players, particularly younger gamers who prefer the instant rewards of TOCA 2 and Gran Turismo 2, might be put off when attempting to tame 'Grand Prix Legends' ferocious machines. That said, it can now be picked up for under £10 on the Sierra Classics range, so why not give it a try?

Summary: Vintage Game, Classic Price