Enthusia, An Acquired Taste?

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Cobra_UK

Cobra_UK

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Yes it is definitely an acquired taste.

I absolutely adore the game, I like the driving so much I can't get enough of it. In my opinion of course I believe it to have fantastic graphics, fresh new gameplay and excellent 2 player modes.

Unfortunately the majority of people really dislike the game. What makes it worse is that when the game was released I rented it and disliked it also. Under advice from a friend a borrowed his game and tried it again recently. This time tried to give it a bit more time to grow on me. I fell in love with it. I just wish I could convince all my GT worshipping friends to give it a bit more time before they decide to turn their back on Enthusia.

I like this game so much I've been playing this instead of PGR3 on the XBOX360. I prefer the driving.👍
 
I've just bought a copy of it from Ebay (£5.20!), so i'll tell you what i think of it shortly.
 
Oh, yes definetly worth a closer look. It's very easy to drift and such a rewarding experience when a good clean race is achieved.:cool:

It has dynamic lighting on car headlights, fantastic weather effects and the best looking car models I've seen on PS2. The cars seem to have more polygons that in GT4 and even up close there is no loss of detail in the textures. I can only assume it's because there are polygons used to scale down so even very close, something like a "GTR" logo shows no sign of pixelation or deterioration.

The tracks are varied and very fun to drive. Dragon Range is just pure drifting heaven.:drool:

The game is very different from the GT series in progression and although this means it will take a little longer to understand everything, it will be very rewarding in the long term.

If you have any questions about unlocking game content or game options, just post it in this thread.:)
 
I agree that it's an acquired taste. I don't think it's hard to acquire, though.

When I sat down to play EPR, I convinced myself that I wouldn't act on any opinions for the first 5 hours of play. It took me a while to get comfortable enough with the game to really enjoy it.

I really enjoy the 'game' part more than GT4. Car unlocking is an exciting chase; I'll run races that destroy my point rankings in order to get a hold of a particular car that I really want to drive.

I also really like the way that you're encouraged to drive the same car for rather a while.
 
Acquired taste, indeed, although it doesn't take too long to acquire that taste.

I think where it really lacks is the Enthusia Life mode. It's great fun, and the way they've done rankings is very unique, but they've made a fatal flaw. I'm currently ranked 22 or something like that. I just missed out on the King of the Year race for Year 1. Now I will have to run another 50 races or so just to get to the next one. In addition, I cannot enter many of the RS races, and do not have a competitive car to run in a lot of them, as I only used 2 or 3 cars to get to this point. (I have a garage full of cars with Level 1 tuning.)
In games like this, there should always be a way to move forward. As it is now, I have to go backwards quite a bit to move forward slightly. This journey through the next year of the game is not really enticing at all, so needless to say, I've started up another game of GT4.
 
kylehnat
Acquired taste, indeed, although it doesn't take too long to acquire that taste.

I think where it really lacks is the Enthusia Life mode. It's great fun, and the way they've done rankings is very unique, but they've made a fatal flaw. I'm currently ranked 22 or something like that. I just missed out on the King of the Year race for Year 1. Now I will have to run another 50 races or so just to get to the next one. In addition, I cannot enter many of the RS races, and do not have a competitive car to run in a lot of them, as I only used 2 or 3 cars to get to this point. (I have a garage full of cars with Level 1 tuning.)
In games like this, there should always be a way to move forward. As it is now, I have to go backwards quite a bit to move forward slightly. This journey through the next year of the game is not really enticing at all, so needless to say, I've started up another game of GT4.
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I can understand that this "rule" upsets you, but I don't really complain. In my view, what gives EPR the edge is that each and every car gives you a different driving/racing "feel".

I just like to drive through EL game year after EL game year using the greatest range of different cars possible.

If and when I get to the last week of the year able to enter the KoTY race with at least a chance to win it, fine. If not, I just keep trying new cars, getting them to lvl 10 and switching to others.

btw, the EL I am doing now is at the 5th year, with about 40 cars used and left at lvl 10, and about 150 cars unlocked. I just entered the KoTY race once (with a Mustang Mach 1 that was at lvl 9 at that moment), but I just got 2nd place, beaten by a Skyline Nur R34. It was a good race, but the poor Mustang just wasn't up to the task.
 
I think you guys have convinced me to give it another try (i really should use that DFP for more than one game:) )... but unfortunately I am at school right now and I won't be home til break. But I am planning on picking up Enthusia along with Toca Race Driver 2006 and probably break out GT4 as well. Might be a little rusty with those 3 games though... its been awhile since i've had my hands on a steering wheel--whether its a DFP or an actual one :guilty:
 
As soon as I got Enthusia I haven't been able to go back to GT4. Of course, after going through 4 generations of a game, when the gameplay changes only minimally, had something to do with that. Enthusia was a breath of fresh air, no more "buy a car, finish these races, buy another car to do some more races," etc. I'm a completion freak, so I have to blame myself on that part too.

But with Enthusia I just feel that the whole experience is more rewarding. I change cars after I reach level 10. So that means for most cars I've gotten used to the way the car handles, raced a few times when I was comfortable with it, then could non-chalantly work on the next car. I even like the raffle system! A lot of people are complaining about this, but I loved the fact that I didn't need to buy squat. I would be leveling up a car, and by the end of that stint, my garage would have 6 or so new cars that I won simply by leveling up my current one. It was only a (small) problem when near completion of my car collection, when I entered races to intentionally match up against a desired car.

And the racing is more enjoyable for me. With GT4, my goal was always to come in 1st place. In Enthusia, I'll enter a race aiming for third place, because I can still get rewarded for that performance. As a consequence, I've been in tons of very close, competitive races that I hadn't seen often in GT4. Add to that the cars in Enthusia have more oversteer than those in GT4. Regardless of which one is more realistic, I find Enthusia to be more fun. There's nothing like fighting for third place while my car is drifting through connected turns, desperate to find a gap to pass.

In case you guys were wondering, I've manage to put in 9+years into Enthusia Life, but that's the only mode I play in. I've also finished DR and collected all the cars, so yeah, I guess I'm officially addicted.
 
Got my PS2 fixed 👍 - just in time for my copy of Enthusia to arrive in the post!

Played on it for about an hour last night - not sure what i think of it yet....

I don't like the fact that when you use the 'car' view (chase view) you have no button to press to be able to see behind you!!!
Even with 'driver' view the rear mirror is next to useless. I know the map has indicators to where your opponants are - but i want to know which side they are coming from! - this anoyed the hell out of me after just one race - i don't know if i can forgive Konami for this oversight. 👎

I like the EL format, even if i don't really understand it yet :dunce:

I'm not sure if i like the idea of losing Enthusia points when an A.I. car hits me?

The car setup section, although much more simplistic than GTurismo, makes a lot of sense and is easier to get a car handling more to my liking quicker than i can in GT.

I've only driven in EL mode so far, and only in one car (original style mini cooper) but the handling seems ok, the cars feel less 'nippy' than in GTurismo, but i'm sure i'll get used to it. I've only used the DS2, but i guess the handling makes more sense when you hook up a DFP.

The graphics are pretty good, if not quite in GT4 league.

It's always nice to drive new tracks, Enthusia has some pretty interesting ones - even if i sometimes think i'm playing Ridge Racer or some type of Need for Speed effort, what's that 'magic cave' circuit all about???
 
Another new "convert" to EPR here (well sort of) .

Random thoughts and first impressions..

I wouldn't want to do this without a DFP!

When you drive a car without aids (that doesn't sound right, does it?) you find the big difference when compared with GT4. Basically, you can't take the same liberties with the break and throttle that GT4 allows, and frankly, if EPR *is* more real in that respect, I'd predict most of us would kill ourselves driving anything fast on the Nurburgring if we'd learnt to drive with GT4 (although GT4 does tend to bounce you around more). Interestingly, my GT4 driving seemed to improve after driving EPR for a few days. However, as far as I can tell, you don't get the same really violent snap-back overstear when correcting/controlling a slide as you do with GT4. I suspect GT4's is overdone (and imo problematic in its unpredictability) and EPR's underdone(?). Trail breaking works very well. And if you touch the breaks and turn, you can throw the back end out for drifting whereas in GT4, I find anyway, that that doesn't work very well and it's best to release the throttle and and steer violently, and even feint first. I much prefer the Engine sounds in EPR.

The perspective seems easier to judge to me. I've always found a tendency to misread bends with GT4 (don't think it's just the understeer) but I think I'm doing ok when the outside of the bend just rushes up and catches me out. I remember in GT2 going round in circles trying to do a U-turn on a straight and not being able to find where 'behind me' was - although there was a strange turning that I judged to have appeared about 90 degrees to the right!

Which reminds me: it seems to have been missed here, but Tiff Nidell lost another GT4 challenge a while ago. This time with game sim fanatic Jason Bradbury of UK TV's "The Gadget Show". They competed in a time trial on GT4 motorland (DFP) and then with the same car (White VW Golf GTi) on a real track. Tiff understeered straight off into the sand in GT4 and got quite annoyed - "it did go wrong.. it did...it didn't do what I wanted it to do". Maybe it's the same problem. He lost by 2 secs on GT4 (which I suppose isn't bad if you go off) and in RL beat Bradbury who'd never driven on a track before by 6 secs. (RL - Tiff:1m 33sec/ Bradbury:1m 39sec). Bradbury's lack of fear (that Tiff attributed to playing sims) scared the life out of him.

http://www.jasonbradbury.com/jason_bradbury/2005/11/sim_addict_vs_f.html#comment-11606845


Anyway, my initial complaint about EPR is more cosmetic. Things like the depressing, black/grey load screens spoil the experience for me. It's all a bit dour and miserable. Nurburgring looks like it's on a dark, gloomy winter night and you can hardly see the boundaries of the road at a distance (I assume the weather/light doesn't change from that in the free racing mode). GT4's is much nicer place to be. This all affects the way I think about the game. Maybe I'll learn my driving skills on EPR and tart around occasionally on GT4 for fun with road tyres (to add some realism to the physics) because the scenery's prettier. :-)

I don't think I've ever concentrated so hard as when playing EPR, and, imo, it's certainly more rewarding if you do things right. I always feel with GT4 in, say, the licence tests, you can know you've breaked better and applied the power more smoothly than a previous attempt, and you find it's made no difference to the time; I've often got my best times in GT4 by getting angry and aggressive, which I suspect doesn't work in RL, and I'm pretty sure wouldn't in EPR.

Does anyone/everyone use the VGS display information? I just turn them all off.
 
@TheCracker: if you are trying EPR for the first time, I think you should start it playing the DR stages. It isn't like the tests/lessons from GT, because in some of them you'll have to follow stupid lines and get your speed up or down just to meet the gate's requirements, but they'll make you learn (by portions) the tracks, the cars and the "EPR physics". Besides, it is fun.

Some useful infos on this game (considering its structure is both unknown and confusing):

1 - How to unlock tracks to drive in FR and TA:
a) to unlock the normal versions - you must enter EL and progress in the ranks to get to race levels where those tracks are (the race levels in EL are: RN, RIV, RIII, RII, RI and RS);
b) to unlock the reverse versions - you must race the normal versions in FR with the default settings (3 laps, normal AI, no tuning, no grid-changing) and you must win those races without a single black flag;

2 - How to unlock cars to drive them in FR and TA:
a) You can unlock them all in DR, if you finish all stages with "S". If you don't, you'll unlock some of them, by class, in ascending order ("F" cars, then "E", "D","C", "B", "A" and "R");
b) you can unlock them in FR also. In each race (default settings) if you finish without a black flag, you'll unlock all cars that classified after you.

Note1: the cars unlocked in FR do not become available in your EL career. And the cars unlocked in your EL career don't become available in FR and TA.

Note2: in FR, "black flag" happens if you hit walls or other cars, or if you go off track (just two wheels and you get "flagged"). If other cars hit you from behind or even if they ram against the side of your car, and from what I've experienced so far, you don't get flagged (not like in EL, where you lose enthu points even when the AI cars hit you).


3 - About EL:

Race points - These are the points that matter to your position in the ranking. These points are determined by the race level you are entering, starting from RN and ending in RS. If you win, the points given to victory (from 10 in RN to 500 in RS) are multiplied by the odds your car was given (if you win a RS race with the odds at 1.8, you'll get 900 points. Concerning these points it's absolutely irrelevant how clean was your race (how many times you bumped other cars or went off track). 2nd place gets 500 x odds x 0.6; 3rd place gets 500 x odds x 0.4 and 4th place gets 500 x odds x 0.2

Ranking System - Wolfe 2x7 has put in another thread (I don't remember exactly where) a graphic showing how it works. Simply put, your rank depends on the best nine results (race points) you got in the last twelve races you entered. (one race per week, so if you missed one race, it is more accurate to say that "your rank depends on the best nine results you got in the last twelve game-weeks").

Enthu points - These are the ones you lose each time you hit (or get it by) another car or the walls, or go off track. They don't affect your car behaviour, but if you lose them all, you're suspended for one race. If you end a race with few Enthu points you can either rest for one race (you'll get them all back), or take the chance to change t another car (you'll recover many points, but not all). If you don't do this, my advice would be to chose an easy race next.

Driving and Tuning level - both these "levels" are upgraded depending on some points (don't know how these are called) you'll get at the end of the race. They are determined by the level of the race, the position you got, and how clean was your driving. Upgrading the "driving level" gives you more Enthu points (and their recovery rates after each race); The "tuning level" is about your car (no need to explain what it means).

Have fun!


Edit: I wrote this post before I saw JimJam's post. And reading it I have two more things to say.

1st - I also turn all the VGS info off. The only "special effects" I leave on are the "impact flash whatever", and the "border vanishing" thingy. I like them!

2nd - EPR must be driven with a DF or DFP (I use a DF) with the force feedback on "Strong".

PS- I agree with JimJams that the game visuals are too dark. By now I'm used to them, but I remember I didn't like it at the start. And it wouldn't hurt if the Nurb was a bit more sunny.
 
Wolfe2x7
I still don't understand why people complain about controlling Enthusia with the DS2 so much...maybe I'm just weird. :)
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Whatdya mean .. maybe? :)

Actually, I didn't try. But I know how much harder it is for us "normal folks", at least, to control the throttle and breaks with them there tiny buttons - even for GT4. I actually had reasonable throttle control with the DS2 on GT4, but found my left hand would turn to stone after a long session holding it in an exact fixed position. And then it helps to know where the wheels are pointing - which can be guesswork with the lag on the PS2 sticks. I assumed part of the reason for the poor reviews is they've just played EPR with the DS2. Mind you, in the UK you can get EPR for about £13! So why not try it anyway?

But I salute you sir!
 
Jimjams
But I salute you sir!
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Haha...thanks. I like to think I've represented what the DS2 can do rather well in the Dragon Range Time Attack Rankings.... :) Controlling beasts like the Cobra, Caterham, or ZZ-II would probably be easier with my DFP (I don't know 'cause the player-one USB slot on my PS2 is fried :ouch: ), but most of the cars in the game can be controlled rather easily with the DS2.

Perhaps it would help you to switch throttle/brake control to the right analog stick? You can do that in the options menu, you know. :) Also, the VGS gauge -- if you can stand to leave it on -- tells you how much you're turning your wheels.
 
Jimjams, the VGS can be a very interesting training tool. FR, MR, FF, and RR layouts all handle differently and I find it useful to remind myself why I'm spinning like a top the first time I get in a midengine car after driving front wheel drive for a while.

Hun200kmh, that's a nice tips sheet you've made there!

I'll second Wolfe2x7 that it is possible to do pretty well without a DFP. I got S license on all except two of the DR stages (the full lap on Luftballoons or whatever it's called and the Caterham drifting one) and got to the King of the Year race. I broke down and bought the wheel to do the complete lap and the KotY--never show up to a race with a bunch of Mustangs and Porsches and stuff in a DCR2! And yes, if you must use the PS2 controller, set the right stick for throttle/brakes. First thing I did (I use that setup in GT4 too).

I will also heartily second the fact that you don't get black flagged if they hit you from behind in DR mode. I had to block like a maniac all the way through Nurb in the KotY race to keep all the faster cars from passing. EDIT: Hmmm, actually that was EL mode, come to think of it. I think it may be that you don't lose points if they hit you from behind? Or you don't lose enough points to matter greatly?
 
It's great to see this thread picking up.👍

First I'm happy to see we've converted some more players to EPR.

I find VGS quite useful while practising with a new car, tune level or settings. Once I figure it out I turn them off. I also turn off the speed blur effect to better see when cars try to overtake me at speed. I don't find the rear view mirror that bad but I guess it's down to personal preference. I would also have preferred no rear view mirror and just a button to look back but I can live without it.

As some other people have mentioned already I also don't find driving with the DS2 that hard, it just takes practice. Of course the driving is positively orgasmic with the DFP in EPR. Also the physics in EPR make the actual driving so much fun and rewarding compared to GT4.

Black flags only occur when you're the one doing the dirty deed while overtaking or when going off the track and hitting walls. I find that a fantastic feature and it's really improved my driving and my respect for the AI and other players while racing. I also find that some of my friends that are arsehole drivers and race dirty knowing they won't take any damage hate EPR. While on the subject the AI is more intelligent than in GT4.

I've unlocked over 200 cars now, still a few short though. I also have a lot of tracks available. I'm a Best Motoring fan and being able to select which cars to race, their settings, tuning level and position on the grid it's fantastic. The potential for legendary battles is infinite, oh and the Touge races on Dragon Range are drifting fantasies.:)

I strongly suggest to anyone playing this game to give it at least a month of game time before deciding on it.;)
 
@ heavyboots: thx, I hope new EPR players find it useful.

On the subject of driving with the DS2. I bought my DF wheel at the same time I bought the PS2 and GT3. So, 99% of my GT3 driving was with the wheel. Same with GTC, GT4:P and GT4. But I can manage to drive in those games with the DS2 (only in auto transmission, I'm not good with the L1, L2, R1 and R2 buttons).

In EPR I only tried to use the DS2 once. It was such a disaster (Lotus Elise in Burgenschlut) that I never tried again.

That is my experience. I find EPR much more difficult to drive with the DS2 than any other game I own.
 
I actually don't use the right analog stick myself -- I was only recommending it 'cause I know many people prefer it. I usually prefer it, but unlike most games where I use the stick (Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2, Midnight Club, etc.), Enthusia actually requires precise throttle/brake control, and for whatever reason, I find that easier to do with the buttons. :)

The main reason why I used to stick to the DS2 was because I was too lazy to hook up the DFP. :lol: It's nice to be able to pop EPR into the PS2, lean back in my computer chair, and enjoy the realism without moving anything but my thumbs, unlike Live for Speed, which practically requires that I use the DFP.

Now, with that fried USB slot, I have no choice but to use the DS2 for EPR.....
 
After a weekend of substantial Enthusiaisum - i have now become a convert, GT4 will now gather dust.

I've just finished the first year (E Life mode) - i used two cars, 1960's Mini & Alfa GT. I ended with a ranking of 25th with just over 5200 ranking points (got 1200+ for one race)

I'm 2 or 3 races into year 2, now running a Subaru Legacy, but might swap to a hotter Impreza that i've just won. My ranking went back up to 38th and i'm not getting the points i was in the Alfa, even though the Alfa laps faster.

I've got some tasty RWD motors available, but just can't keep them from spinning! - so much harder than RWD in GT4!! - i'm reluctant to use any driver aids, but might have to with the RWD motors :(

I think the two factors that makes Enthusia appeal more to me than GT4 are the EL 'career mode' and the fact that the A.I. actually put up a decent fight. You feel like you are actually racing them rather than circulating around the track with a bunch of slot-car drones.
 
TheCracker
I've got some tasty RWD motors available, but just can't keep them from spinning! - so much harder than RWD in GT4!! - i'm reluctant to use any driver aids, but might have to with the RWD motors :(
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One thing that I had to do was go back to RIV racing with a very low-powered RWD to learn how to control those dang things. If you work with something easy to control, like an AE86 or a Miata (Eunos Roadster), it goes a long way toward learning to control them. Starting out with anything over ~120 bhp is just asking for trouble, IMO.

The RWD cars are a lot of fun to drive. I'm not at the point of being able to run higher-powered RWD cars yet, but I've begun to get the hang of them.

If you haven't been playing DR mode, by the way, it will also help. You get some easy RWD cars to run through tests, and you'll experiment with pushing them towards their limits.
 
I'm better with the Viper GTS than the TVR's, the power delivery on the TVR's is just insane. I can race them round a track keeping a carefull eye on the throttle, but I can control slides and kick the back end out rounds corners in the Viper. I'll get there with that Cerbera 4.5, I will, it's just getting the hang of the T-bar plunger throttle, too little, or way, way too much.
 
Cobra_UK
Yes it is definitely an acquired taste.

I absolutely adore the game, I like the driving so much I can't get enough of it. In my opinion of course I believe it to have fantastic graphics, fresh new gameplay and excellent 2 player modes.

Unfortunately the majority of people really dislike the game. What makes it worse is that when the game was released I rented it and disliked it also. Under advice from a friend a borrowed his game and tried it again recently. This time tried to give it a bit more time to grow on me. I fell in love with it. I just wish I could convince all my GT worshipping friends to give it a bit more time before they decide to turn their back on Enthusia.

I like this game so much I've been playing this instead of PGR3 on the XBOX360. I prefer the driving.👍
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edit: for some reason i just caught onto rwd cars cause i can drive the fd or the fc 180 etc no prob


yea me 2 i was similar i never rented and disliked it i just played it and i didnt like it because that game is very difficult with the wall hitting and losing points etc but after getting good this game is awesome nothin like driftin the 180 or the fd down dragon range and not hittin the wall:dopey:

edit: for some reason drivin rwd was easy even the high powered fd rx7 wasnt that hard but i was driving a 180sx the majority of the game so i just got the hang of it.
 
One of the best races of mine was going down the Dragon range, I was in the Impreza rally car against the Bugatti EB110, I won quite easilly, but the drifts were spot on, every corner just felt so right and I didn't so much as scrape a single wall.
 
Welcome to the club, TheCracker and road kill! :cheers:

TheCracker
After a weekend of substantial Enthusiaisum - i have now become a convert, GT4 will now gather dust.

I've just finished the first year (E Life mode) - i used two cars, 1960's Mini & Alfa GT. I ended with a ranking of 25th with just over 5200 ranking points (got 1200+ for one race)

I'm 2 or 3 races into year 2, now running a Subaru Legacy, but might swap to a hotter Impreza that i've just won. My ranking went back up to 38th and i'm not getting the points i was in the Alfa, even though the Alfa laps faster.

I've got some tasty RWD motors available, but just can't keep them from spinning! - so much harder than RWD in GT4!! - i'm reluctant to use any driver aids, but might have to with the RWD motors :(

I think the two factors that makes Enthusia appeal more to me than GT4 are the EL 'career mode' and the fact that the A.I. actually put up a decent fight. You feel like you are actually racing them rather than circulating around the track with a bunch of slot-car drones.
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As the others have already said, starting with something like the Miata will obviously help you learn to handle RWD, as will doing the Driving Revolution missions.

I would also recommend just completing Driving Revolution anyway, because it unlocks cars for Free Race, Time Attack, and Versus modes (the "arcade" modes).

Soon, you'll get good enough to find out one of the big reasons why we EPR-fans love our game so much -- the drifting. :) However, the ultimate RWD goal is to descend the Dragon Range in the Shelby Cobra without any black flags. :D Then you'll be the RWD master. :sly:
 
Wolfe2x7
Soon, you'll get good enough to find out one of the big reasons why we EPR-fans love our game so much -- the drifting. :) However, the ultimate RWD goal is to descend the Dragon Range in the Shelby Cobra without any black flags. :D Then you'll be the RWD master. :sly:
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hey, I'm an EPR fan and I'm a grip driver (I think that's why I suck against you guys in Dragon Range :indiff: ).

Don't believe this guy. The ultimate goal is to do Loeweseering - fast - with the TVR Tamora ... without drifting. If you do this, you get a master degree in throttle and brake control. :D
 
Oh, sorry, I didn't mean for the Dragon Range Cobra goal to be a drifting one -- I just meant making it down alive, drift or grip. :mischievous:
 

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