- 617
***update***
This update is regarding the cars, the simulation of the driving experience is defenetly much better than in GT4 after some comparassions i've done, first off, in GT4 the brakes work too well, (even with N tyres) in enthusia the braking is perfect, if you miss your brake point, the car will either understeer or oversteer, resulting in you going off the track, i was surprised on how well this is done, in tsukuba, you have to brake a lot earlier in the last corner with most cars. Tsukuba is the only track i'm using as comparassion, because i think they are about the same in both games, but the last corner before the long straight has a bit more angle than the GT4 one, oh, and i just checked and this is also in the real track, so the Enthusia version is more accurate, but in nurburgring i think the GT4 version stomps the Enthusia one, (not to say their version is bad, it does have most of the bumps, but if you look at a video comparassion you'll see that it's missing some) so i won't use nurburgring to compare in any future updates.
Anyway, back to the cars... the drive train layouts are MUCH better done. specially FF, i think FF is all wrong in GT4, the cars understeer a tad too much, in enthusia the underteer feels very accurate, and only when you push a car to it's limit will you see it. (used an integra for this comparassion)
then there's the transmitions... one of my main complains in GT4 is the fact that you can drive ANY car as if it was a manual transmision, even when the car doesn't have MT as an option in real life... well, in enthusia this is done right, in automatic cars you are able to choose "semi automatic" (so far i've seen this on the atenza, haven't checked other cars for "auto only" option). and let me tell you, it's totally different from a Manual tranny, the shifts feel smoother, just like in a real automatic transimsion. all in all, Konami seems to have gotten just about EVRY aspect of the cars right, you will realize this the more cars you try.
I allready mentioned the sounds do exeed the ones in GT4... this game would be PERFECT if it had more real circuits and at least LAN support (online would be great...)
I saw the scores Famitsu gave to this game... and i can see why they scored it kinda low, having 2 real circuits only is really a bummer.. plus, no LAN or online support... BUT, it's very obvious to me that they didn't spend enough time trying to have fun with the game, the driving experience is truly the best in ANY ps2 game so far, it exeeds GT4 easily in this regard, the steering wheel feels just like the one in your real car, i'm even thinking about modding my wheel and putting a bigger one because you actually use the 900 degrees a lot more than in GT4.
All i can say is that if GT4 had this level of simulation acuracy it would be the perfect game.. even with no damage modeling.
I kinda feel sorry that this game is not selling well, it's really on a class of it's own when it comes to the pure driving experience, but it's a bummer Konami didn't include more real circuits and at least LAN support like GT4, that would've made it a LOT more appealing, you feel like this game has tons of wasted potential just because those omitions.
i really hope PD goes to this lengths on their next GT sim, it would then be perfect...
The AI is ok, nothing spectacular, but it WILL give you room if you are next to a car (it won't drive you of the track by staying on the perfect line like the "AI" in GT4).
***end update***
Well, got to play it today, must say i'm quite pleased. here are my initial impressions:
-Tracks, they are very good... just not as good as the tracks in GT4, Tsukuba looks about the same, and i've checked out a few others which are ok... Nurburgring is pretty well done, but... the GT4 version got even the slightests bumps done right, in enthusia the track is very well done, but it lacks some of the bumps, the color palette seems better in enthusia though, in GT4 the track is a lighter green than the real track has, in enthusia it's fine.
-Driving experience. Defenetly a step avobe GT4, not to say that they are badly done in GT4.. but this is better in some ways.
First off, you have a better sense of space somehow, and you can feel when you lose control of the car more than you do in GT4, GT4 with "N" tyres is close to this, but i defenetly have to say that this will be the benchmark when it comes to driving realisim, i'll have more on this as soon as my GF is off the TV... i only played with the subaru rally car and did about 8'05.xxx with it (you get to start from still position on time attacks, not rolling start.)
the cars not only handle better, but the shifting timingfeels very real too.
-Sounds, defenetly better than in GT4, but with room for imrpovement.. the tyre sound seems just "ok". The "transmision" sound on modified cars sounds a LOT better than in GT4, nice backfire effects too on the rally car.
-Visuals.. no widescreen (bummer) no progressive scan (expected) other than that, very good graphics, allthough GT4 is better.
anyway, i have to stop right there because i have to go out, but i'll give more impressions when i get more done in the game.
This update is regarding the cars, the simulation of the driving experience is defenetly much better than in GT4 after some comparassions i've done, first off, in GT4 the brakes work too well, (even with N tyres) in enthusia the braking is perfect, if you miss your brake point, the car will either understeer or oversteer, resulting in you going off the track, i was surprised on how well this is done, in tsukuba, you have to brake a lot earlier in the last corner with most cars. Tsukuba is the only track i'm using as comparassion, because i think they are about the same in both games, but the last corner before the long straight has a bit more angle than the GT4 one, oh, and i just checked and this is also in the real track, so the Enthusia version is more accurate, but in nurburgring i think the GT4 version stomps the Enthusia one, (not to say their version is bad, it does have most of the bumps, but if you look at a video comparassion you'll see that it's missing some) so i won't use nurburgring to compare in any future updates.
Anyway, back to the cars... the drive train layouts are MUCH better done. specially FF, i think FF is all wrong in GT4, the cars understeer a tad too much, in enthusia the underteer feels very accurate, and only when you push a car to it's limit will you see it. (used an integra for this comparassion)
then there's the transmitions... one of my main complains in GT4 is the fact that you can drive ANY car as if it was a manual transmision, even when the car doesn't have MT as an option in real life... well, in enthusia this is done right, in automatic cars you are able to choose "semi automatic" (so far i've seen this on the atenza, haven't checked other cars for "auto only" option). and let me tell you, it's totally different from a Manual tranny, the shifts feel smoother, just like in a real automatic transimsion. all in all, Konami seems to have gotten just about EVRY aspect of the cars right, you will realize this the more cars you try.
I allready mentioned the sounds do exeed the ones in GT4... this game would be PERFECT if it had more real circuits and at least LAN support (online would be great...)
I saw the scores Famitsu gave to this game... and i can see why they scored it kinda low, having 2 real circuits only is really a bummer.. plus, no LAN or online support... BUT, it's very obvious to me that they didn't spend enough time trying to have fun with the game, the driving experience is truly the best in ANY ps2 game so far, it exeeds GT4 easily in this regard, the steering wheel feels just like the one in your real car, i'm even thinking about modding my wheel and putting a bigger one because you actually use the 900 degrees a lot more than in GT4.
All i can say is that if GT4 had this level of simulation acuracy it would be the perfect game.. even with no damage modeling.
I kinda feel sorry that this game is not selling well, it's really on a class of it's own when it comes to the pure driving experience, but it's a bummer Konami didn't include more real circuits and at least LAN support like GT4, that would've made it a LOT more appealing, you feel like this game has tons of wasted potential just because those omitions.
i really hope PD goes to this lengths on their next GT sim, it would then be perfect...
The AI is ok, nothing spectacular, but it WILL give you room if you are next to a car (it won't drive you of the track by staying on the perfect line like the "AI" in GT4).
***end update***
Well, got to play it today, must say i'm quite pleased. here are my initial impressions:
-Tracks, they are very good... just not as good as the tracks in GT4, Tsukuba looks about the same, and i've checked out a few others which are ok... Nurburgring is pretty well done, but... the GT4 version got even the slightests bumps done right, in enthusia the track is very well done, but it lacks some of the bumps, the color palette seems better in enthusia though, in GT4 the track is a lighter green than the real track has, in enthusia it's fine.
-Driving experience. Defenetly a step avobe GT4, not to say that they are badly done in GT4.. but this is better in some ways.
First off, you have a better sense of space somehow, and you can feel when you lose control of the car more than you do in GT4, GT4 with "N" tyres is close to this, but i defenetly have to say that this will be the benchmark when it comes to driving realisim, i'll have more on this as soon as my GF is off the TV... i only played with the subaru rally car and did about 8'05.xxx with it (you get to start from still position on time attacks, not rolling start.)
the cars not only handle better, but the shifting timingfeels very real too.
-Sounds, defenetly better than in GT4, but with room for imrpovement.. the tyre sound seems just "ok". The "transmision" sound on modified cars sounds a LOT better than in GT4, nice backfire effects too on the rally car.
-Visuals.. no widescreen (bummer) no progressive scan (expected) other than that, very good graphics, allthough GT4 is better.
anyway, i have to stop right there because i have to go out, but i'll give more impressions when i get more done in the game.
it would be better if I can pick the car to unlock for winning the race while keeping the random roulette for losing. This way would make winning more rewarding.
LOL, funny question, but i know what you mean, headlights are working and on dragon rage you can see reflections on guardrails from your lights, looks cool.
