Enthusia hands on impressions

  • Thread starter Adam West
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Except Forza will own it, in fact I would be willing to put money on it.

I don't know if anybody answered this, but is Enthusia (how the hell do you say that?)able to be played online?
 
I don't think there is an online option but if they end up adding a LAN mode for multiplayer then there's a possibility of playing online through xlink

And Enthusia is pronounced like Enthusiast... without the sound at the end :P
 
Whats with the weird names racing games?

Forza, Enthusiast, Project Gothem, Toca Racing? What do these have to do with cars?

But I want a clearcut online option, I'm an idiot with that Xlink thing. That's what I love about the X box, it's made for an idiot like myself.
 
Nice write up there Jedi. Thanks.

I still have to wait for my copy of OPM to show up. Once it comes, I'll tear into it immediately. 👍
 
Hiya! :D :embarrassed: :lol: Meow! (='.'=)

Thanks for for your impressions on Enthusia, Jedi! :embarrassed: I think I too am going to go get a copy of the OPM magazine to try-out the demo.

From your review and the way GT4 is...I am likely not going to buy it if the demo does not satisfy me enough and if its going to have less features than GT4.
 
It is just a demo. You can't jugde a new game solely on a demo. From what I have heard, the GT4 demos weren't as good as the actual game (GT4).
 
Thanks for your reviews, Jedi!

I have one question, and it is about the thing that really annoys me in the Gran Turismo series: the 6 car races.

So, how many cars were there in the race or races you made with this demo?

Someone mentioned that there were 8 cars in a video from this game, but I never saw that ...
 
And so i was right again.I said about 6 months ago that Enthusia will be a letdown compared to other racing games that will be released in the same period and it's true.I also said that the sense of speed is very bad but no one belived me and it turns out to be true aswell.

Heh,it feels so good to be right,for a change. :)
 
You should feel bad. :) After all, if Enthusia is not a good racing game (and we must wait for the final release to know it), at least as good as GT4, then you'd have not one but two great PS2 racing games released this year.

Wouldn't you like that to happen?
 
Hun200kmh: Unfortunately, I have no idea about the sizes of the final races.. in all the races you can drive in the demo (three tracks), there's only one opponent, it's just a one-on-one race. It'll be either the same car you're driving, or another car in the same class (each "set" of cars you can drive for each track.. for example, the second track, you can drive either a Golf IV, Alfa, AM Vanquish, etc.. since the AM is the only "fast" car for that track, it'll put you against another AM, that sort of thing).

westwood: Was it fun? Actually, it wasn't that bad. I think the timing for the game probably isn't the best... we've all been spoiled by GT4, and I believe GT still stands as the King of Racers. It felt "different" from GT, and since so many of us (myself included) are huge GT fanboys (or fangirls.. hehe), different = not GT = meh. It does look like it's going to be a good game, though, don't get me wrong. Although it's a slightly different style, I'd probably choose Enthusia over TOCA2 as far as "GT wannabe games", and I enjoyed TOCA2 quite a bit. Of the mass of racing games I have, if I were to pick it up in May, it would definitely be the #2 racer in my collection behind GT. Had the game come out a few months ago, before GT4, it would definitely have been a must-buy.

Right now, though, GT4 has everything I need in a racing game. I probably will pick up Enthusia at some point, but if I'm still working my way through GT4 come May, it'll probably wait.
 
Jedi2016
there's only one opponent, it's just a one-on-one race.
Click to expand...

So, is the AI any good? i'm betting it's better than the "AI" in GT4, but being better than GT4 there's still lots of room for it to suck.. so, not comparing it to gt4, how is it?
 
The AI was actually pretty decent.. I'll go ahead and do a comparison to GT.. hehe. Only once did I ever hit the other car, and it was me hitting him (he was on the outside of a corner that I took too fast). Otherwise, there was no contact, so I'd call that a plus. Otherwise, the car seemed to avoid me as much as possible while still driving properly. With only one car, it's hard to make a comparison, so the final game will probably be more a testament to that, since there will be more chances to see how smart/dumb they are.
 
Jedi2016
The AI was actually pretty decent.. I'll go ahead and do a comparison to GT.. hehe. Only once did I ever hit the other car, and it was me hitting him (he was on the outside of a corner that I took too fast). Otherwise, there was no contact, so I'd call that a plus. Otherwise, the car seemed to avoid me as much as possible while still driving properly. With only one car, it's hard to make a comparison, so the final game will probably be more a testament to that, since there will be more chances to see how smart/dumb they are.
Click to expand...

This is good news.. since there won't be online play... (or LAN as far as i know) in GT4 the only thing that saves the dumb AI for me is the fact that i can play it on LAN (and xllink), if it weren't for that.. i would spend all of my time just mastering the tracks, which is what i mostly do as it is right now. (unless i want some new cars or get some new cars, etc)
so if the AI in enthusia is any good.. i'll be seeing more than the track and actually have some real competition.
 
SaintKamus
This is good news.. since there won't be online play... (or LAN as far as i know) in GT4 the only thing that saves the dumb AI for me is the fact that i can play it on LAN (and xllink), if it weren't for that.. i would spend all of my time just mastering the tracks, which is what i mostly do as it is right now. (unless i want some new cars or get some new cars, etc)
so if the AI in enthusia is any good.. i'll be seeing more than the track and actually have some real competition.
Click to expand...

niiiiice! 👍
 
There are tire marks. I was doing dougnuts in the Audi race car. I don't think you can do that in GT.

I thought the cars didn't have a very good feel for the road. The cars felt light and kinda like they were just floating on the road, but I didn't play it too long.

It does seem to be easier to spin out though and harder to gain control of your car once you mess up.
 
With the DFP Enthusia provides MUCH better feel of the road than GT4.

As far as driving goes, Enthusia is a GT4 killer. Sound is on par or better, graphics are a little wanting and we have yet to get a good sense of the modes. I have only gone back to GT4 becuase I have played the heck out of the Enthusia demo and I want to get all golds. That should keep me happy until I get Enthusia with in a week.

Forza with its 30fps and lack of TFF can suck it.
 
Just got my hands on the OPM demo disc, and proceeded to play the hell out of Enthusia!

My first impression was an overwhelming WOW!..

After examining the static button layout screen for a couple seconds, i pressed X and continued on. I was pleasantly surprised when my DFP started doing its calibration dance.

Excited to see how Konami put this one together, I pressed Start at the intro screen, and a very fobbish voice repeated the name of the game for me.. oooooo kkkkkkk

i select the first course, the oval speedway, and begin to closely inspect the cars I was presented with. They looked GREAT! Comparing them to GT4's models, I'd have to say I rather prefered these Enthusia models over their GT4 counterparts.. call me crazy, but they seemed to have a nice aura about them, as if you were looking at real cars amidst a hazy summer morning among the tulips, in a grass plane somewhere in England.

I selected the 787B, with those spectacular looking deep dish rear wheels, and manual transmission.

The first thing I was greeted by when entering the race was partial brake and gas. Somehow, the brakes were inverted via DFP pedals... I had to STEP on the brakes with the gas to move anywhere. OK, freak occurance.. unplugged the USB cord while paused, and reinserted it. Ahh.. all better.

The graphics in this game are fantastic. Racing in this game feels more vibrant, and alive, almost the opposite of in GT4 where the tracks are indeed very static. I could see blurred camera flashes as I flew past the stands on the straights. Switching views to 3rd person, I could tell immediately that the car models were outstanding. The cars were absolutely controllable in this view, as well.
Car sounds were very crisp, and distinguishable from car to car. You can hear the difference in quality when compared to GT4's noises. Each car has character, and I'll be damned if you aren't able to notice it.

I tried each of the drivetrain layouts.. FF, FR, MR and 4WD. The Alfa Romeo 157 (FF) that I raced on the german track had that characteristic on throttle understeer, with off throttle push. The FR miata was nearly the opposite, with that classic on throttle turn oversteer. Easily controlled with a bit of loose countersteer and throttle coaxing. The Elise 111 (MR) had a great braking drift, with a slightly tighter onthrottle turn oversteer. The Volks Golf R32 (4WD) had an all around push with off throttle 60/50 oversteer/neutrality.
Through each differing turn (elevation, camber and angle wise), the highlights of each drivetrain layout come at you. It really is something enjoyable beyond the spectrum of GT4's handling manners. I think this is majorly because of the feedback you get from the DFP, with that silky smooth rebound effect.

Gripping the DFP, you could tell that the designers had this wheel in mind while making the game. They made movements consistent throughout, with feedback creeping up as you hit the limits of the car. The rebound effect of the wheel was a nice addition, which forced me to make clear and progressive movements while steering. The physics are great. You really get the feelings of oversteer, understeer, and neutrality through the DFP. The Force Feedback was delivered smoothly, making the drive enjoyable and at the same time pushing you to the limit, draining all your focus into the path ahead, since there are no shift indicators as there are in the GT series (telling you when to shift down). Speaking of shifting, when you do so in Enthusia, again, it feels like the real deal. You get a slight jerk and then a rush of speed forward. People who deny Enthusia's physics superiority to GT4's simply have become brainwashed as to the GT series control inputs. A total package is shown in Enthusia. All driving scenarios became unique, with the help of the DFP giving me a real feeling of "oh ****, i broke too late, im going off the track" or "cool, i made the turn OK".. or even.. "WAHOOOOOO OVERSTEER!!!! COUNTERSTEER FOR THE DORIFTOO~~"
 
shima
Just got my hands on the OPM demo disc, and proceeded to play the hell out of Enthusia!

My first impression was an overwhelming WOW!..

After examining the static button layout screen for a couple seconds, i pressed X and continued on. I was pleasantly surprised when my DFP started doing its calibration dance.

Excited to see how Konami put this one together, I pressed Start at the intro screen, and a very fobbish voice repeated the name of the game for me.. oooooo kkkkkkk

i select the first course, the oval speedway, and begin to closely inspect the cars I was presented with. They looked GREAT! Comparing them to GT4's models, I'd have to say I rather prefered these Enthusia models over their GT4 counterparts.. call me crazy, but they seemed to have a nice aura about them, as if you were looking at real cars amidst a hazy summer morning among the tulips, in a grass plane somewhere in England.

I selected the 787B, with those spectacular looking deep dish rear wheels, and manual transmission.

The first thing I was greeted by when entering the race was partial brake and gas. Somehow, the brakes were inverted via DFP pedals... I had to STEP on the brakes with the gas to move anywhere. OK, freak occurance.. unplugged the USB cord while paused, and reinserted it. Ahh.. all better.

The graphics in this game are fantastic. Racing in this game feels more vibrant, and alive, almost the opposite of in GT4 where the tracks are indeed very static. I could see blurred camera flashes as I flew past the stands on the straights. Switching views to 3rd person, I could tell immediately that the car models were outstanding. The cars were absolutely controllable in this view, as well.
Car sounds were very crisp, and distinguishable from car to car. You can hear the difference in quality when compared to GT4's noises. Each car has character, and I'll be damned if you aren't able to notice it.

I tried each of the drivetrain layouts.. FF, FR, MR and 4WD. The Alfa Romeo 157 (FF) that I raced on the german track had that characteristic on throttle understeer, with off throttle push. The FR miata was nearly the opposite, with that classic on throttle turn oversteer. Easily controlled with a bit of loose countersteer and throttle coaxing. The Elise 111 (MR) had a great braking drift, with a slightly tighter onthrottle turn oversteer. The Volks Golf R32 (4WD) had an all around push with off throttle 60/50 oversteer/neutrality.
Through each differing turn (elevation, camber and angle wise), the highlights of each drivetrain layout come at you. It really is something enjoyable beyond the spectrum of GT4's handling manners. I think this is majorly because of the feedback you get from the DFP, with that silky smooth rebound effect.

Gripping the DFP, you could tell that the designers had this wheel in mind while making the game. They made movements consistent throughout, with feedback creeping up as you hit the limits of the car. The rebound effect of the wheel was a nice addition, which forced me to make clear and progressive movements while steering. The physics are great. You really get the feelings of oversteer, understeer, and neutrality through the DFP. The Force Feedback was delivered smoothly, making the drive enjoyable and at the same time pushing you to the limit, draining all your focus into the path ahead, since there are no shift indicators as there are in the GT series (telling you when to shift down). Speaking of shifting, when you do so in Enthusia, again, it feels like the real deal. You get a slight jerk and then a rush of speed forward. People who deny Enthusia's physics superiority to GT4's simply have become brainwashed as to the GT series control inputs. A total package is shown in Enthusia. All driving scenarios became unique, with the help of the DFP giving me a real feeling of "oh ****, i broke too late, im going off the track" or "cool, i made the turn OK".. or even.. "WAHOOOOOO OVERSTEER!!!! COUNTERSTEER FOR THE DORIFTOO~~"
Click to expand...


awesome!

I always wrinkle my nose when people rag on this game based on the demo, because when it comes to physics they either call it "arcadey" (ermm, isn't it more realistic than GT4?) or "wierd", probably because they don't know what they're talking about, or have never driven a car on a track or even driven a car quickly on the roads. GT4's physics are a mixed bag, but I'm glad to hear that the dynamics are closer in Enthusia!
 

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