F1: Race of Champions 2
Reviewed by Jeremiah Aker
I've had this game for almost a year, and what can I say... It's exactly what I
expected. There are plenty of racers on the SNES, but this one sticks really close
to me. Why? cause it's a simulation, not an arcade racer...
Graphics 10 out of 10
This is a biggy. The graphics in this rock beyond all comprehension. Honestly, I don't
know how they got this system to churn out backgrounds like this. I've never seen
this much light sourcing either... you can literally tell the TIME OF DAY to almost
the minute just by scooping out the backgrounds. The sun reflects off of the track,
and waves wash in towards you... were talking almost photo realistic. The locales
all look different too, there are deserts, cites, forests... race at night, in the rain,
at dawn... the game has an eery way of transporting you to these crazy places
believably. Cites aren't just a couple buildings strewn about... were talking a
metropolis here, baby (take on look at the background on Metal Rabbit, and wet
your pants in amazement). As for the cars, they leave a little to be desired... there
are no huge crashes, and there are only about 3 different ways the car looks
depending on whether you're turning, or going straight. The tracks themselves
look great, and on hairpins, you can see the cars coming at you from the other
side of the track and such. Sometimes, you can see up to 6 cars in front of you...
it's really cool. Overall, amazing graphics... I expect to see this on the PSX or something.
Music and Sound 8 out of 10
As for background music, there is none. The only music you hear is when you're
not racing, but, that's even kick butt. It's almost a mix of alternative, and TONS
of techno. It's defiantly enjoyable.
The sounds are great. I have a feeling they took sound samples from the actual
cars, because if you've ever seen an F1 or Indy car race, it sounds EXACTLY the
same. The only other sounds are tires squealing, and when cars bang into each
other. The bumping sounds are horrendous...run into your room , and slam the door
shut... did you get a good listen? Great! Now you know EXACTLY how bumping in
this game sounds. I think SETA took sound samples from actual doors slamming,
as a matter of fact. So... flawless sounds, except for the fact that theres a lack
of music and bumping samples are a total pile.
Game Challenge 9 out of 10
If there ever was a realistically challenging racer, it's this one. First, you have
to qualify, then, run a race from anywhere between 4 to 66 laps (you get to chose).
There are 24 cars on the track, and the tracks themselves are tough to tame. Hey,
and don't think the other drivers are merely obstacles between you and the goal..
every car actually thinks differently depending on the situation it's in, all thanks
to the DSP chip. Cars will actually risk losing to hold a positions, and let me tell
ya', they can be a major pain in the butt when you get up into the top three. You'll
be battling cars for 20 laps.
Basically, you must complete three classes to beat the game: Group-C, F-3000,
and F1. In the Group C and F-3000 classes, you must win on 16 different courses,
8 per class. with every win, you gain money which you can use to upgrade your
car in 4 areas; tires, engine, front wings and rear wings. The better your car,
the better you run, and the more races you'll win. In F1, you race all official
courses from around the world, and points are accumulated depending on where
you finished. The object is to finish with the highest amount of points. Again,
cars can be upgraded, and teams will ask you to join them if you do well enough.
Overall, the AI and tracks really do a good job of gluing you to the game, and it'll
take you plenty long to defeat all three classes.
Game Play-Fun 8 out of 10
From Sim-fanatics like myself to arcade racers, this will appeal to everyone.
You really can't help but want to race again and again, as the computer offers a
wide array of challenges. I still believe that this game was made for people
who like racing, it has pits, tuning, tweaking, and upgrading, with real car
effects and such. It has a great way of making you plan how you'll run the race,
without frustrating you. Overall, it's a lot of fun if you're into racing... if not, than
stick to something a little looser, like Mario Kart or Battle Cars.
Frustration
There is not a lot, but enough worth mentioning. The biggest gripe is that of the
somewhat cheap computer AI. Lead cars never have to pit, and always seem to
control better and move faster. there is nothing more annoying than busting your
butt for 20 laps, only to have the leader breeze past you on an impossible pass on
an impassable turn. That, and the fact that you'll kick butt, only to find that a tire
goes sour, sending you into the wall, only to finish up in 5th place. So, how do you
solve this? Plan your pit stops. See how many laps it take until your first pit stop,
then, start pitting every time that amount of laps has passed, but, leave yourself
enough time to finish the race in first. If you're in fist, and theres 4 laps to go,
and you can go 3, don't pit... if you planned it right, you can run okay on bad tires
and win the race. All of these gripes can be solved one way or another, so it's not so bad.
Replayability 8 out of 10
Like I said, the computers tough, so it'll take awhile to beat this game. And, if you
get tired of the grand prix racing, you can do some time trials. This game would
have been better if it would have included a 2-player mode, but other than that,
you'll have plenty of fun with this one.
Game Value 9 out of 10
Defiantly worth it. I got it for $14, and it was money well spent. If you have a
next-gen system, but have played all of the games already, go back to your old
SNES, cough up a little money, and enjoy this one. If the SNES is still your core
system, then this is a must buy, unless you don't like realistic racing. Either way,
you'll get a lot out of what you pay for.
Overall 8.5 out of 10
I really love this game, and I think anyone that buys it will too. It's imply a well
made game, and you can see all of the time that went into making it.