Scaff's Sim Racing Reviews

[Scaff]

Forza Horizon 5 (PC Version)

Review

Intro
Forza Horizon’s latest trip sees it land in Mexico and with it comes some the largest map yet and changes to the seasons as the map features a range of biomes, each affected differently by the season in question. An arcade racer at heart, let see how this version of Forza Horizon stacks up.

Driving Simulation: 6
The horizon series has always offered an accessible take on vehicle dynamics, with simulation playing second fiddle to ease of use on a pad and approachability. With wheel set-up and FFB historically being sacrificed on this altar. While FH5 doesn't re-write that history, what it does do is tweak it in a good way, changes to the engine are subtle, but noticeable and the vehicles act as you would expect them to dynamically, just in a very filtered and smoothed manner. It’s reminiscent of the approach taken by both Driveclub and Art of Rally, in that a solid base exists underneath what is clearly an arcade racer, and it’s a balance and approach that works for me. Pad use is, as always, excellent, and while still not as good as it needs to be, FFB via a wheel has improved slightly. It’s OK, but nothing more. Issues do still exist around the fact that the baseline FFB setting are poor and with my T300 FFB can be randomly lost mid-game and an unplug and plug-in of the wheel needed to sort it.

Racing Simulation: 7
This score is based totally around FH5 being a pure arcade title, and the drivatar system is still very much in place. As far as AI goes, it’s scalable across a wide range of difficultly levels, the game keeps an eye on your performance and suggests when you need to change it. It’s got a rough and tumble approach to driving that would not suit a sim title, but in the setting of Horizon it works, not perfectly, but it works. The balance always feels the right side of fair and makes for, mostly, enjoyable races.

Motorsport Simulation: 2
It feels a little unfair to score Horizon in this category, so please feel free to ignore it. Horizon unsurprisingly isn’t attempting, for most of its events, to mirror or even take influence from real world motorsport. As such expecting it to score highly here would be strange, events don’t have qualifying, they don’t have practice sessions and to be brutally honest, it doesn’t really need them.

Accessibility: 9
FH5 comes close to being one of the most accessible titles I’ve played, it’s easy to get into, for the most part everything is well explained within the core game. The map is littered with stuff to do, and plenty of explanation is offered around what to do. Niggles do exist in regard to the speed at which you can open up the main Horizon events, but FH4 arguably had the opposite problem, and it does seem balance is difficult for the devs to find in this area. Issues do also still exist with Forzathon seasonal events, and these are not new issues. The entry requirements are not always clear, which still results in frustration around exactly what you need to do to complete some events. However overall FH5 remains an extremely accessible title.

Content: 9
The biggest map yet, the best season balance across the map, a huge amount of events, further added to with Forzathon events and Horizon 5 isn’t short of things to do. Clearly not happy with this the devs then added in the Eventlab, which allows players a quite frankly absurdly broad set of tools to create and share bespoke events. Add in a massive car count, with more being added via the post-launch DLC and content clearly isn't an area FH5 suffers from. It does drop a point because of some odd omissions around certain OEMs. Fingers cross the post launch DLC will resolve that.

Value: 9
Putting aside the post launch DLC and focusing just on the base game, FH5 offers a lot straight out of the box. In all honesty if you were not a completist in terms of cars you would almost certainly still be happy with what the base game has to offer in terms of car count. Add in the volume of events, the size of the map to explore and the ever changing Forzathon events and it’s hard to argue that FH5 doesn’t offer solid value.

Summary
FH5 is a massive title, one that again expands on the open-world formula it’s honed since its first title arrived, offering more of everything, and in all honesty, it’s going to take some doing to take its crown in that regard. T10 and Playground games have hit on a winning formula that appeals to both racing fans of all types as well as more general gamers, for who racing games are not a core part of the titles they play. In all honesty, unless you are the most po-faced of sim racing purists, it’s hard to believe you would not be able to find something to like in FH5, and it all likelihood, you would end up finding a lot to like about it.

 

[Scaff]

GRID Legends (PC)

Initial Look

 

[Scaff]

GRID Legends (PC)

Review

Intro
Grid Legends is arguably the title we should have got back in 2019, which may sound like I’m damning it with faint praise. That, however, is not the case. What Legends delivers is a solid arcade racer that rights many of the wrongs found in the 2019 Grid reboot, but in releasing 3 years later and a week before the behemoth than is Gran Turismo 7, is it too little too late?

Let’s take a look, and just to note this is the PC title I’m playing here.


Driving Simulation 5
The Grid series has always been an arcade racer first and foremost, and Legends very much continues that trend and is arguably the better for it. The nature of the title suits its arcade focus well, however, even arcade titles need a solid handling model. In that regard Grid Legends has improved on Grid 2019, gone is the tendency towards absurdly tail-happy cars on the limit and in its place a handling model that feels more grounded in reality.

It’s a caricature of reality, and I mean that in a good way. On the whole, the cars behave as you would expect them to based on reality, it’s just a reality that’s dialed up to 12, you can brake far later, turn more aggressively, catch the slides more easily, drift longer than you could in reality. It fits the arcade billing well in that regard and works to turn Driver 22, your character in the story, into a racing hero.

Even the FFB through my T300 is well enough done, that a Thrustmaster wheel is working out of the box is a bit of a change for a Codies title, and while the FFB isn’t going to blow you away with it’s detail and nuance, it’s more than serviceable.


Racing Simulation 6
The AI in Grid Legends and its nemesis system has been one of the key parts of the marketing drive with the title, and with a full grid (no pun intended) they will race each other, and you quite happily. It is the typical Grid series elbows-out AI, designed to provide drama and excitement, and it manages to do just that. I do feel that the AI is not quite as aggressive as it was in 2019, which is good, and they do make lots of mistakes, will suffer punctures, and have engines blow. The frequency of these incidents does seem a little high to be realistic, but this isn’t a title designed to be realistic, and as such the on-track colour it provides suits the title well.

The AI does however have one significant issue, it’s absurdly easy, while it offers five levels of difficulty, even the highest ‘Legendary’ difficulty is not that challenging. So Codemasters get points for having scalable difficulty, but it does feel like it needs a level or two more to offer a complete range.


Motorsport Simulation 6
Grid Legends isn’t trying to emulate any real-world series, rather it creates an alternative universe and has built its own series in that world.

As such it does have a sense of progression and a logical structure to the series you are presented with, as such you could argue this score should be a 10, but we don’t live in the Grid universe, and the lack of qualifying, absence of leaderboards and so on will not appeal to all.

Again this is not an actual criticism of Grid Legends, it travels its own road in this regard and does it well. As an example, its take on Multi-Class racing is actually very clever. With the different classes starting at intervals, but all racing each other. So the slower ones get a head start, and the faster cars then have to catch up. It’s like someone looked at Gran Turismo’s chase the rabbit races and thought, I can actually make that work. It’s a really nice bit of game design that perfectly suits Grid Legends arcade universe.


Accessibility 8
This area for me is where Grid Legends has most improved over the 2019 reboot, the reboot just presented a grid of events, broken down by broad classes, and told you to get on with it. Which combined with the limited range of cars and tracks quickly grew to be just dull and tedious. It also did almost nothing to introduce any kind of flow to the title.

Grid Legends re-writes that wrong in a significant way, with the 7 to 8 hour story mode acting as a massive tutorial to all the classes of cars, event types, track, and circuit locations. Something it does really well, I was honestly surprised with how much I enjoyed the story, it’s absurdly cheesy, but the live-action characters and set-up work far better than I ever imagined they would.

It leads nicely into the sizeable career mode, which has a much better sense of progression than 2019’s reboot, and with some light team-building elements, and mild upgrade options for the cars works really well.

Add in an excellent online drop-in system, which fills online grids with AI drivers that you drop into and out of and the intuitive Event Creator tool and you have an extremely accessible title that eases the player into its content in a structured and logical manner.


Content 7
Grid 2019 was rightly criticized at launch for being content light, both in terms of cars, tracks, and stuff to do.

While the garage in Legends does, for the most part, copy directly over from 2019 and its DLC, it’s enough to provide a reasonable size roster of cars. The new Stadium Trucks are an absurdly entertaining highlight, and the rest of the content feels well balanced, as a result, the garage feels like enough, nothing more, but it will be added to post-launch with DLC, as is the norm for most Codemasters titles.

In terms of locations to race at, we only get 22, however, due to the sheer number of layouts at each location the final count is 137 layouts. Do keep in mind that does include reverse layout for all tracks as well, even the real-world ones. In terms of the make-up of these locations and layouts, it's mixed, with some returning classics like Okutama in both GP and Sprint versions, and San Francisco, with Strada Alpina being a great new entry. Some of the rest can feel a little bland in terms of construction, which is at odds with the sheer amount of fireworks, streamers, and balloons they all have come race day. Interestingly Silverstone is absent, but may well pop up in a future DLC.


Value 7
I’ve put Value at a 7, but with a caveat, if you already own Grid 2019 you will want to drop a point or two off that based on the sheer amount of carryover from that title.

However, if this is your first Grid title in a while, then the content, while not the largest around is well balanced and more than reasonable in size. The main draw of this release over the 2019 reboot is however the sheer range of stuff to do with the content, and as such that adds to the value over the reused cars and locations.


Summary
As I said during the introduction, Legends is arguably the Grid game we should have had in 2019 and runs the risk of feeling more like an expansion pack for that title than a stand-alone game.

Which in many ways is a bit of a shame, as it’s an excellently structured and paced arcade racer, that offers a solid garage and section of locations, and succeeds wonderfully in turning the Holywood idea of racing, with all it’s over the top drama and spectacle into a racing game.

Despite releasing three years after the 2019 reboot I worry that the legacy of that title will still hinder its potential success and I also question releasing it a week before Gran Turismo 7. A release window that, to be blunt, feels a little like it’s being set up to fail.

All of which would be a real shame, as Grid Legends, for me, is a really solid and enjoyable arcade racer, one that rights the failings of Grid 2019 and this time actually provides numerous reasons to keep coming back to it.

 

[Scaff]

Gran Turismo 7 (PS5)

First Look

 

[OooAhh Cantona]

Gran Turismo 7 (PS5)

First Look

Why music rally? Because it's better than moon rally? 🤷‍♂️

 

[Scaff]

Gran Turismo 7 (PS4 & PS5)

Full Review

Note: At the time of writing update 1.06 was rolling out, if it makes any significant difference I will provide an update video.

Intro
So here’s the big one, a new Gran Turismo, after a good number of years we have Gran Turismo 7. A first for Gran Turismo in that it’s a cross-generation release, and one that seems, from a technical standpoint to have hit a very solid sweet spot across both the PS4 and PS5.

I went into a reasonable amount of detail in my initial look video around the visuals and the audio side of GT 7, and that still stands up a week later. Visually it’s stunning, particularly on PS5, and the audio element, once a major negative for the series, is now impressive. That’s not to say the two areas stand side-by-side in that regard, they don’t, the audio is impressive but certainly not genre-leading. At times it still lacks some of the visceral nature an internal combustion engine can summon. It is however more than impressive enough to consign vacuum cleaner jokes to the history books.

However, as this is my full review I best focus on the areas that are important to me, and I hope by extension you as well.


Driving Simulation 7
So starting off with the driving simulation, we have a lot to unpack here. First, the headline, does GT 7 have a better physics engine and tyre model than GT Sport? Overall I would have to say yes, not significantly, but it’s still a yes.

However, it’s a yes with a lot of buts. So let's start with what’s good. When you're moving and below the limit of the tyres the physics and handling dynamics stack well, delivering a convincing feeling that does a more than a reasonable simulation of how the car should be behaving. This even extends to when the car is right on the limit, allowing you if you're a steady driver to maintain the car at the edge of slip and maximize traction. The load transfer has even improved to the degree that front-wheel-drive cars are enjoyable to drive.

That improvement in load transfer even extends to heavy braking getting the rear out of sorts, again more clearly evident in the Front-wheel drive cars.

We also now have a linear throttle and brake, which makes modulation a lot, lot easier. To the degree, that braking, in particular, is, at least with my L-PCM pedals, really good.

Where it all goes wrong however is when you step over the limit of slip, if it’s by a tiny amount it’s catchable, but anything more and the car is gone, and I do mean into the Armco backward before you have reacted gone. Now, this isn’t messing up trying to catch a slide with a massive angle here, this is exceeding slip and generating a few degrees of over-rotation.

It’s also odd that Race spec machinery is actually easier to deal with over the limit than road spec cars, which runs counter to reality. Race spec cars run much, much stiffer suspension and have less progressive tyres than their road car siblings, making them far snappier over the limit, still catchable, but most certainly snappier. That’s simply the payoff you get for a car that reacts quickly to your inputs. In contrast road cars, being more softly sprung and with more progressive rubber are slower to react to your inputs, in comparison to race-spec cars, but are a lot easier, on the whole, to feel when stepping right over the limit and easier to catch and correct. Right now in GT 7 this is the wrong way around, and it should ring alarm bells for anyone with even a basic understanding of tyre and vehicle dynamics.

What’s frustrating is that all the work that has gone into improvements under and at the limit is undone by the over the limit behavior, and while it does give you a little more post slip grace than the iRacing’s notorious tyre curve cliff-face drop-off, it’s not far removed from that.

It’s proving to be very divisive, in that drivers who favour a more measured and precise approach will step over that limit less and as a result most likely favour it, while those that like to use a little more rotation will struggle with it. The one thing that is true is when either party steps over the limit too much, and the Traction Control doesn’t catch it, then you're going to end up facing the wrong way.

Speaking of traction control, this has at least improved from the overly intrusive model used in GT Sport, to the degree that while not getting close to the best in genre implementations, it is now usable. Which given the over the limit behaviour is a relief.

It’s also worth noting that a lot of what I’ve discussed is a problem mainly faced by those using wheels, as the controller implementation is heavily layered with baked-in assists. Even if you turn off Counter-Steer Assist, it’s never truly off for the controller, making the over-the-limit issues less of a problem.

One issue that does remain from GT Sport and older titles in the series is that, while a bit milder, the issues with tyres not hooking up correctly from a standing start still remain. This may explain the reliance on rolling starts that GT 7 still has.

Finally, I want to talk about FFB, now initially it did feel like this had made some very small improvements over GT Sport, but more time and expose has actually lead me to unfortunately concur that in at least one area it’s got worse.

Overall the FFB remains poorly detailed and uncommunicative in comparison to even middle-of-the-road implementation within the genre, and it’s still a long way from the best. This lack of finer, more granular detail does make your job any easier when it comes to dealing with the over the limit behavior either. The FFB also has a strange drag to it, which slows down your ability to countersteer, not that I believe it would help enough if it was absent, but it still frustrates.

My chief FFB ire, however, is reserved for the understeer vibration that has actually increased in intensity from GT Sport, now just to be clear this is not tyre hop, it’s a seemingly baked-in vibration designed to let you know the cars started to understeer. Now while this is contrary to how tyre dynamics work, as what you should feel is the steering go light, not vibrate, and tyre hop will then, if it’s going to happen, occur after that. What used to be just annoying in GT Sport, is now so strong in some circumstances as to be utterly obnoxious.

It seems that in the case of Physics and FFB, what PD gives with one hand it takes away with the other, but as it stands right now, GT 7 has a split personality in this area. One that I keep bouncing between enjoying and being frustrated and annoyed by.


Racing Simulation 4
So many were wowed by GT Sophy that they seem convinced that while PD would not be bringing it directly to GT 7, they must have improved the AI. It’s not an unreasonable assumption to make, after all it was clear from the Sophy presentations that PD is aware the AI needs work, so it is logical they must have done something. Right.

Right?

Nope. The AI in GT 7 is, from my experience so far, still the utter mess that it’s been since GT5. They are still slow, despite now having three difficulty levels, slow to the degree that the races are still predominantly ‘chase the rabbit’ affairs to artificially add an element of difficulty to them. Use a car quick enough to catch the head of the pack and you will breeze past half of the field with almost zero effort.

Well, I say zero effort, but the AI will still brake-check you mid-corner and pit you if it fails to notice you on the racing line. In an age where titles such as AMS2, RaceRoom, and others have shown that capable AI you can race against in a realistic and convincing manner, is possible, no excuse really remains for the AI in GT to be in the state it is.


Motorsport Simulation 6
I’m giving GT 7 an aggregate score here, as we have two areas to consider.

The first and best would be GT’s Sport mode, which has all the elements you would want in terms of simulating motorsport. Balanced race categories, qualifying, tyre wear and fuel use, pit-stops. With tiered championships to come soon, it’s basically GT Sport carried over to GT 7. As such it succeeds in this area just as well as it did in GT Sport, if I was scoring it alone it would easily be an 8.

However, I just can’t ignore the single-player side of things, and to be honest, it’s a very, very mixed bag. Now truth be told the new focus on car collecting via the GT Cafe does allow the argument that Motorsport Simulation doesn’t enter into the conversation. An argument I could almost get behind if it were not for the fact that the core of the races you take part in via GT Cafe, which is the main single-player experience, was as broken as it is.

Qualifying doesn’t exist in this world, nor do races that resemble anything logical. Rolling starts with the same, tired chase-the-rabbit dynamic are still front and centre. With a single file, 15m gap between cars and you always start at the back, the lead car in later events can be almost halfway around the track as you cross the start line. Add in wildly unbalanced vehicles and the previously discussed lacking AI and it just fails to deliver as anything approaching actual racing.

How, what started as a mildly entertaining scenario for a Mission in GT4, has managed to become the core racing mechanic is utterly beyond me. It’s not as if it’s born out of ignorance as well, Kaz has taken part in enough races to know this is just not accurate. I would be included to be lenient if it was enjoyable, but it’s not. Early on it’s just a dull chore as you breeze past everyone, and that morphs into just being annoying as the pack size increases and the lead car is so far ahead that the rest of the pack are just mobile roadblocks to get around quick enough to then be able to catch the lead car.

It’s tired, dull, and pointless, and most damningly, does nothing at all to prepare a player for how the Sport mode works. By design single player should be the training ground for on-line racing, and in that regard GT 7 fails.


Accessibility 8
What has been built into the core of GT 7 is an accessible, single-player mode. You have to start with the very linear GT Cafe.

Actually, that’s not true, you have to start with the frankly baffling Music Rally, and I yet to come across many who like or see a purpose for it and even fewer who understand what it is or aims to achieve.

So the oddness of Music Rally aside, you start with GT Cafe, which allows you to build a collection of cars and learn the wider history behind them through a series of races, challenges, and activities. Completion of this gradually opens up access to the single-player parts of GT 7. From the various showrooms, tracks, tuning and upgrades, and so on.

It’s clearly designed with those new to the GT franchise in mind and while you are asked from the outset if you have played a GT title before, I’m not sure that option makes a lot of difference as I opted for it and was still handheld as if it was my first GT game. While potentially annoying for the seasoned GT Player, it certainly eases those new to the franchise into things.

What GT Cafe does is then open up the rest of the single-player, from the return of Missions, covering a range of challenges from races, to overtaking, drag races and slipstream challenges. These will be familiar to those who have played GT 4, 5 or 6.

Unlocking tracks gives you access to customer races, arcade, time trials, and so on. With scapes, GT Auto, and so on all unlocking either via completing Cafe Menus or increasing your collector level. It’s worth noting for those that want to get access to Sport mode, you will need to complete Cafe Menu 9 in order to do that.

What GT 7 is unabashed about is the focus on collecting cars, unlocks are driven by it, either indirectly via the Cafe Menus or directly by increasing your collector level. It even has a screen to allow you to check on how many of the total number of cars you’ve collected, along with a friendly talking head reminding you to try and collect them all. It’s a change from the mechanisms of past GT titles, and one that, with one significant reservation I will come onto, works well in introducing the core gameplay loop of GT 7.


Content 9
Now it is true that a significant percentage of the cars have been carried over directly from GT Sport, we do have circa 100 new cars in GT 7. How much they will appeal to you will very much depend on where your interests lie. As in terms of real-world cars, as the vision cars are still with us, only a handful of the new cars are ones made post 2020. The focus on new additions is firmly on older vehicles.

The tracklist similarly has no new entries for the series, with only Daytona and three Gran Turismo fantasy tracks from past titles reappearing. The three are High Speed Ring, Deep Forest, and Trail Mountain, with the latter two being given quite significant layout changes. How you feel about these tracks heading back and the changes to them, will again, differ depending on what you are looking for. As the changes seem to be designed to favour higher-speed race spec cars that have frequently populated Sport lobbies.

Now while the cars and tracks content counts will split opinions, what can’t be denied is the extra level of polish and detail they have all received. In addition, a frankly absurd number of visual and performance modifications are introduced into GT 7, allowing the existing cars to be transformed in a staggering number of different ways. Add in that Scapes now features over two and a half thousand locations and the sheer amount of content GT 7 lays out for you to explore and collect is hard to argue against.

Some of it however is locked behind frankly baffling game design, engine swaps being the best example. Yes Gran Turismo now lets you swap engines, but you can’t just go and buy them, you have to win them. You have to hope that one of the raffle ticket spins contains an engine, and then you have to hope that the spin lands on it. If you’re lucky enough to win it you have to remember this doesn’t then give you the option to pick the engine you want, but rather you just have to accept the one it’s given you. Not the one you really want? Tough luck.

Should PD also continue its trend from GT Sport, we are also likely to see this content further bolstered post-launch with DLC, and if past trends continue that could well be free.


Value 4.5
GT 7 is a full-price first-party title, which means it’s going to cost you at least £60 on PS4 and £70 on PS5, a not insignificant sum, but with all that content that still great value for money?

Well yes and no.

On the face of it yes, but my issue is that for a title so firmly focused around collecting cars and modifying them, the in-game economy is clearly designed to make the process of doing so a significant grind.

Now GT as a series has always had an element of grind, but it’s been getting worse and worse with each new release. If we look at the highest value cars in GT7 and GT 4 and the associated grind to earn them this is clearly illustrated. In GT 7 the most expensive cars will set you back Cr20 million, and the highest paying races so far can net you around Cr1.8 million per hour, so over 10 hours to earn the car. While back in GT 4 the most expensive was Cr4.5 million, and a number of events could net you around Cr3 million an hour, so around 1.5 hours to obtain the car.

That makes the in-game economy over eight times slower in real-world buying power.

Add in that you can no longer sell your cars, only discard them for no money, you have to be invited to purchase certain cars, invites which are time-limited, and we now have not one, but two used car outlets that cars appear in for limited periods of time. Oh and the invites to buy seem linked to your collector level, so you have to buy cars to get them to cycle around.

So what’s a player to do when you want to get that invite-only car, or used car that’s only going to be around for a short period if you don’t have the credits? After all if you waste time grinding they may well be gone, and you have no idea when they will come around again?

You could try and get lucky and win it in a raffle ticket spin you get for completing your daily driving marathon, but the odds of even getting a car, let alone one you want are even worse than they were in GT Sport. I’m fairly certain that Sony and PD want you to use its micro-transactions and buy Credits for real money, and despite past promises by PD, micro-transactions have been a feature in Gran Turismo for a number of years. However, the value you get for your real-world money is around 2 to 3 times lower this time around, with Cr2 million credits costing £16 in the UK. So if you were to buy one of the Cr20 million cars it would cost an absurd £160.

Suggestions to buy these micro-transactions littered around various screens in the title, including a quick link to them right in the menu bar of the GT Life screen, none of which can be switched off, is both disturbing and depressing.

My views on micro-transactions are clear and unambiguous, there are almost always predatory to a greater or lesser degree and they often lead to deliberately game design that strongly encourages their use. In this regard, that intention is clear from GT 7’s design.

A final word must also be given to the ‘always online’ unknown of GT 7, as with GT Sport almost all game modes are unavailable to you if your internet connection drops or the server are down for maintenance. PD use the reasoning that it’s an anti-cheat mechanic, but this honestly doesn’t fly given the number of other titles around that are used for official real-world race series (a number at a professional level) that do not become effectively functionless if you are not connected to the servers.

This raises a very real question about the long-term viability of GT 7. Unless PD and Sony patch the title in its later life to remove this requirement, once the servers shut down the game will become fundamentally unusable. It’s going to be important to watch how they deal with GT Sport and its end of life now that GT 7 is with us.


Summary
GT 7 is in many ways a return to form for Gran Turismo and arguably a tour de force, even to the degree that it has the series trademark game design quirks, such as the luck-based engine swaps. It’s a title that in many, many ways I love and brings back massive nostalgia hits. It’s also once again moved to goalposts in terms of how a sim racing title can look, and reset the benchmark for that.

However, it’s also impossible to ignore the fact that the in-game economy is designed around what is increasingly being recognized within the gaming industry as an unethical and poor business practice, one that runs the risk of ruining the game's progression model for all but the most obsessive die-hard players. We also have, once again AI that is quite frankly unacceptable in this day and age, and by Sony and PD’s own admission, GT Sophy is not going to be the magic built to solve that, at least not for GT7.

It’s also another GT title that gives with one hand and takes away with the other in regard to physics, and we are already starting to see people defending the areas it falls down in with an almost religious zeal. Is GT 7 set to become the next iRacing in more than one way?

 

[AttackDickie]

Why music rally? 🤷‍♂️

I don't think it's that deep either, just seems like a nod to Outrun to me. And it's similar to another mode in GT6, just with music.

 

[PJTierney]

On the face of it yes, but my issue is that for a title so firmly focused around collecting cars and modifying them, the in-game economy is clearly designed to make the process of doing so a significant grind.

Now GT as a series has always had an element of grind, but it’s been getting worse and worse with each new release. If we look at the highest value cars in GT7 and GT 4 and the associated grind to earn them this is clearly illustrated. In GT 7 the most expensive cars will set you back Cr20 million, and the highest paying races so far can net you around Cr1.8 million per hour, so over 10 hours to earn the car. While back in GT 4 the most expensive was Cr4.5 million, and a number of events could net you around Cr3 million an hour, so around 1.5 hours to obtain the car.

That makes the in-game economy over eight times slower in real-world buying power.

Add in that you can no longer sell your cars, only discard them for no money, you have to be invited to purchase certain cars, invites which are time-limited, and we now have not one, but two used car outlets that cars appear in for limited periods of time. Oh and the invites to buy seem linked to your collector level, so you have to buy cars to get them to cycle around.

So what’s a player to do when you want to get that invite-only car, or used car that’s only going to be around for a short period if you don’t have the credits? After all if you waste time grinding they may well be gone, and you have no idea when they will come around again?

You could try and get lucky and win it in a raffle ticket spin you get for completing your daily driving marathon, but the odds of even getting a car, let alone one you want are even worse than they were in GT Sport. I’m fairly certain that Sony and PD want you to use its micro-transactions and buy Credits for real money, and despite past promises by PD, micro-transactions have been a feature in Gran Turismo for a number of years. However, the value you get for your real-world money is around 2 to 3 times lower this time around, with Cr2 million credits costing £16 in the UK. So if you were to buy one of the Cr20 million cars it would cost an absurd £160.

Suggestions to buy these micro-transactions littered around various screens in the title, including a quick link to them right in the menu bar of the GT Life screen, none of which can be switched off, is both disturbing and depressing.

My views on micro-transactions are clear and unambiguous, there are almost always predatory to a greater or lesser degree and they often lead to deliberately game design that strongly encourages their use. In this regard, that intention is clear from GT 7’s design.

A final word must also be given to the ‘always online’ unknown of GT 7, as with GT Sport almost all game modes are unavailable to you if your internet connection drops or the server are down for maintenance. PD use the reasoning that it’s an anti-cheat mechanic, but this honestly doesn’t fly given the number of other titles around that are used for official real-world race series (a number at a professional level) that do not become effectively functionless if you are not connected to the servers.

This raises a very real question about the long-term viability of GT 7. Unless PD and Sony patch the title in its later life to remove this requirement, once the servers shut down the game will become fundamentally unusable. It’s going to be important to watch how they deal with GT Sport and its end of life now that GT 7 is with us.

I'm surprised this hasn't kicked up a bigger fuss in the GT community/reviews in all fairness.

Also, I have flashbacks to people slating DiRT Rally 2.0 for an always-online career mode, though in fairness most of DIRT Rally 2.0's career is multiplayer-based anyways (and yes, it's annoying if a server goes down )

 

[Scaff]

I'm surprised this hasn't kicked up a bigger fuss in the GT community/reviews in all fairness.

Also, I have flashbacks to people slating DiRT Rally 2.0 for an always-online career mode, though in fairness most of DIRT Rally 2.0's career is multiplayer-based anyways

IGN is the only one that I can recall who actually put any real focus on it at review, and in all fairness they did call PD/Sony out for it, as they should.

 

[graesand]

Hello scaff. On this murky echo chamber of a forum ive found you to be one of the few eloquent enough to speak with authority and an objective mind about the games we all love to play.

I looked through your list and couldnt find richard burns rally, maybe im blind? Really enjoyed the review on GT7 as it really put the right words to how im feeling towads the game in its current state.

Could you do a review of RBR? Ive found that the easiest way to get it, and get it good, is via rallysimfans.hu. It runs extremely well even on my old pc with my first gen oculus. The driving is something else on gravel stages, i can recommend trying the subaru GrpA (i think, 888 livery) and ofcourse audi quattros and wrc machines. There are some funky cars in there too like the opel manta, old porsche and even a lada. The graphics really remind of the 2006 release date but the mods people have done to it are fantastic, the physics/dynamics engine make the driving so immersive you forget about graphics, well kindof. Fingers crossed you get to it, there is some setup in it tho, if you have questions ill answer what i can. Cheers!

 

[Wolfe]

Where it all goes wrong however is when you step over the limit of slip, if it’s by a tiny amount it’s catchable, but anything more and the car is gone, and I do mean into the Armco backward before you have reacted gone. Now, this isn’t messing up trying to catch a slide with a massive angle here, this is exceeding slip and generating a few degrees of over-rotation.

It’s also odd that Race spec machinery is actually easier to deal with over the limit than road spec cars, which runs counter to reality. Race spec cars run much, much stiffer suspension and have less progressive tyres than their road car siblings, making them far snappier over the limit, still catchable, but most certainly snappier. That’s simply the payoff you get for a car that reacts quickly to your inputs. In contrast road cars, being more softly sprung and with more progressive rubber are slower to react to your inputs, in comparison to race-spec cars, but are a lot easier, on the whole, to feel when stepping right over the limit and easier to catch and correct. Right now in GT 7 this is the wrong way around, and it should ring alarm bells for anyone with even a basic understanding of tyre and vehicle dynamics.

What’s frustrating is that all the work that has gone into improvements under and at the limit is undone by the over the limit behavior, and while it does give you a little more post slip grace than the iRacing’s notorious tyre curve cliff-face drop-off, it’s not far removed from that.

It’s proving to be very divisive, in that drivers who favour a more measured and precise approach will step over that limit less and as a result most likely favour it, while those that like to use a little more rotation will struggle with it. The one thing that is true is when either party steps over the limit too much, and the Traction Control doesn’t catch it, then you're going to end up facing the wrong way.

That sounds terribly familiar. I can't stomach this again now. Maybe later? I thought GT Sport didn't bite like this?

It has become really depressing each time a big new racing game keeps getting basics wrong. Playing an older game or persisting in slogging through a newer title I haven't finished feels like defeat.

Your insight is much appreciated, @Scaff.

 

[FrankieStail]

It will be interesting to watch how gt7 develops.
I’m liking the sound of the new direction of physics to a more realistic direction, hopefully they can fix the over the edge grip issues without neutering it too much or worse still returning to gt sport feeling.

As has been said before, the more realistic they make the physics, the more accessible it will actually become.

 

[Scaff]

Rush Rally Origins (PC)

Intro
Rush Rally Origins on Steam is the first time we have seen a Rush Rally title on PC, with a decade-long history of mobile releases, and both Rush Rally 3 and Origins already appearing on the Nintendo Switch. This release joins Art of Rally in bringing top-down rally to the PC.

As such comparisons to Art of Rally are inevitable, but it takes a very different approach to its visual aesthetic, rather than mimic the minimalist vibe of Art of Rally, we have a much more grounded and realistic look and feel with Origins. Personally, I find both appealing, for very different reasons, but for some, it will be an easy choice in terms of the overall aesthetic.

It’s also a well-optimized title, it’s capable of hitting 120fps, runs well on lower spec machines, and had zero pop-in that I noticed. With my 1660ti I capped it at 60fps, and at the highest graphics setting it didn’t miss a beat.


Driving Simulation 5
While firmly an arcade title, Origins does, like Art of Rally have a surprisingly deep physics engine hidden underneath. Actually, this really will not be a surprise to anyone that has played the previous titles, as it’s running a brush tyre model and a physics engine running at 360hzs. It actually got quite a lot going on under the hood, and as a result, feels very satisfying to drive, you get a real sense of difference across the range of cars and surfaces found in the game.


Racing Simulation 6
With a mixture of Time Trial, Championship, and Arcade modes, the AI gets plenty of work out here and the Arcade mode does allow you to take on the stages with five other cars running against you. They are certainly capable of providing a challenge and even in the Time Trial and Championship modes, hitting the Gold times will require a reasonable amount of practice.


Motorsport Simulation 4
In terms of Motorsport Simulation, you get very little within Origins, which given it’s an indie title is not a massive surprise. The championship mode is basic and functional but doesn’t really push any new ground at all.


Accessibility 9
One area that Origins shares a strength with Art of Rally, is in terms of its accessibility, while it’s not as polished a title, it’s got great controller set-up, allowing you to get to grips with the physics model really quickly, but mastering it will certainly take much longer. As such it manages the ‘just one more go’ loop really well.

One area I did appreciate was the two camera options, you can pick between a Retro Isometric view or a Helicopter view, and for me, the helicopter view just worked so much better.


Content 6
Content is a little light for Rush Rally Origins, but what it has is overall really well done, you get 36 stages across a wide range of countries, all with weather, and just over a dozen cars to unlock. It also has a basic upgrade system to improve speed, acceleration, grip, and so on. The cars are all unlicensed, however, in a nice move carried over from Rush Rally 3, you can edit the cars' names.

One thing that does give away Origins mobile roots is however the stage lengths, none of which will take you more than two minutes or so to complete. This is of course ideal for gaming on the go but for the Steam release, it would have been nice to see some longer stages, even if they had done a ‘Dirt Rally’ and just stitched the shorter stages together to create them. The handling is so much fun, that longer stages would have really helped add that finishing touch to the Steam release.


Value 9
While it’s a little rough around the edges, the content a little light, and the stages a little short, that doesn’t stop Rush Rally Origins from being great value for money at £12.


Summary
Despite the shortcomings I’ve mentioned above it’s a really enjoyable title, and one that I would strongly recommend if you enjoyed Art of Rally, its aesthetic may be wildly different, but it’s an equally enjoyable top-down rally title that runs solidly and offers a lot to like.

 

[MrCrynox]

Great review @Scaff I think I will be picking this up at some point.

 

[graesand]

Now do RBR please, it will blow your mind. I stopped playing GT7 this week, ignored the trolls in the physics thread, and to my great relief, pc sims still rock. Pweh!

 

[MrCrynox]

Now do RBR please, it will blow your mind. I stopped playing GT7 this week, ignored the trolls in the physics thread, and to my great relief, pc sims still rock. Pweh!

Do you know if RBR is playable on a controller ?

 

[graesand]

Do you know if RBR is playable on a controller ?

Define playable. We used to race cars with the arrow keys on a keyboard twenty years ago. Me and my cousin would play 1vs1 in mortal kombat on the same keyboard.

If you have the space and cash, get a wheel, i do not see the fun in "driving" with a gamepad, i honestly dont, not after getting a wheel.

If you mean "playable" as in; gran turismo has such a **** physics engine and such massive input filtering you can use a gamepad to drive, then no, i dont think rbr has provisions for that.

 

[MrCrynox]

Define playable. We used to race cars with the arrow keys on a keyboard twenty years ago. Me and my cousin would play 1vs1 in mortal kombat on the same keyboard.

If you have the space and cash, get a wheel, i do not see the fun in "driving" with a gamepad, i honestly dont, not after getting a wheel.

If you mean "playable" as in; gran turismo has such a **** physics engine and such massive input filtering you can use a gamepad to drive, then no, i dont think rbr has provisions for that.

I will give it a go 👍 I've tried wheels/pedals a couple of times now, I just don't get on with them, prefer controller.

 

[AlexWilmot]

I will give it a go 👍 I've tried wheels/pedals a couple of times now, I just don't get on with them, prefer controller.

He's the wrong person to ask about a controller for the game, his previous post history(Which has all been edited to say "user deleted") was out to equipment shame people who used a controller,

However you can play any sim on a controller, I've tried iRacing with it with success, hell Jacques Villeneuve raced in the all star legends battle in RF2 on a controller,

Specifically to RBR you can find people using a controller on YT videos along with some of the settings they're using

 

[FrankieStail]

Hell, I’ve seen people run alien times on keyboard!

Use whatever works for you I say, main advantage of wheel is the immersion factor, if you just want to be competitive then use whatever works for you.

 

[MrCrynox]

@FrankieStail absolutely I was just trying to guage how it feels on controller before downloading and potentially wasting my time. The only games I haven't got on with fully using this input method is PC1 and AC.

 

[Scaff]

Redout 2 (PC Version)

First Look

 

[doblocruiser]

Hey Scaff, did you ever get your impressions of SRX the Game out in the wild?

 

[Scaff]

Hey Scaff, did you ever get your impressions of SRX the Game out in the wild?

I didn't for whatever reason, which is odd as I quite enjoyed it, one I might have to revisit.

 

[doblocruiser]

I didn't for whatever reason, which is odd as I quite enjoyed it, one I might have to revisit.

Please do since it deserves some extra attention.

 

[Scaff]

F1 22 (PC)

Initial Look

 

[Whitestar]

I'm still on the fence, so...should I get it?
I also skipped last year, so my last game was F1 2020.

 

[Scaff]

I'm still on the fence, so...should I get it?
I also skipped last year, so my last game was F1 2020.

To be honest unless you really, really want the new cars/tracks, and (on PC) VR, then I would strongly suggest either skipping it or waiting for a sale.

 

[Jtheripper]

WRC 10 (PC)

Full Review



View attachment 1090311

Intro
This review comes quite a while after the release of WRC 10, however I wanted to give it a fair chance, as I've been juggling quite a bit in my work and home lives. So my apologies it's late, lets see what it has to offer, with the full season joined by a whole host of historic events and challenges.

Driving Simulation: 9
The handling model for WRC10 builds on the great work set in the past few titles, and for me remains the benchmark for modern rally titles, regardless of platform. Again, an even greater feeling of weight has been added and as a result momentum feels more dynamic. FFB has once again improved, with a more detailed feel, again not leaps and bounds above last year’s entry, but a slow and steady improvement each year.

However, I do, once again, must temper that with the poor out of the box settings for FFB and the unchanged, and still messy, UI for changing settings and button configurations. KT do themselves no favours in this regard, as out of the box, with a T300, the score would be closer to a 6. It really shouldn't need as much messing about as it does to get a good baseline in place. Further compounded this year by not supporting audino handbrakes on PC out of the box, I had to wait for numerous patches before that one was fixed.


Racing Simulation: 7
The AI feels very much the same as it did last year, with the pace being quite variable across different surfaces, and as a result it never feels as well balanced as it could be and in this area, it seems KT are happy to leave things as they have been for a number of years. One odd point is that the AI setting has no effect at all on the pace of the historic events.


Motorsport Simulation: 9
The career mode from WRC 8 and 9 is, by and large carried across intact for WRC10, and overall, that's no bad thing. As with its excellent stage design, challenging stage lengths and well developed and rounded career mode it’s on a par with the likes of Codemasters F1 titles. we do now have two new features for this year, ones that most reviewers seem to have ignored, which is odd because they really do add to the career mode. The first being tyre strategy, which as a fundamental of the real sport has been missing from rally titles for two long, it's not a perfect implementation, as you are forced to pick your mix before you can see the stage details and lengths. Not seeing the weather, I can understand, a partial forecast and then being made to tackle a risk in that regard would be ideal, but to no be able; to know the stages and lengths doesn't make sense and should be fixed.

That's not however to take away from what is a great addition to the career. The other is that full length rally can now be run, with shakedowns and 14 stage durations, which really does add depth and challenge when combined with tyre strategy, getting the tyre choice right before each stage, cross-matching tyres, etc adds greatly to the career.

So why then have I scored this area the same as last year’s title? A very valid question, and that's because of the mess that KT have made of including the historic events into the title. While the 50th Anniversary mode and events really is great, only some of it can be accessed via that mode, with the rest only becoming unlocked when you complete them in full career mode, those who opt for the season mode are screwed as that doesn't unlock them. Add in that the unlocks also get stuck from time to time, I've had several historic events that I've completed in career that have not then opened up in the 50th anniversary mode! Oh, and to run your own team in career mode, you have to finish all of the 50th anniversary events, which is an absurd barrier to put in place, particularly as it then renders what is a basic but solid livery editor pretty much pointless.


Accessibility: 6
Accessibility has overall taken a step backwards, mainly because of the mess that has been made of the 50th anniversary mode and the ‘my team’ mode, both of which are the marketing stars of the package, yet have been locked behind utterly absurd and nonsensical designed choices. What should have been the WRC series most accessible title has in fact become one of the most confusing in terms of progression and completion


Content: 9
Despite the absurd design choices made to WRC10s structure, what can't be denied is the absurd level of content on offer. With licenced series you expect the current crop to be the offering and that be pretty much it. With the 50th anniversary content running beyond cars, but also including both unique locations and bespoke versions of stages it's a massive amount of content.


Value: 9
Given the increase in content out of the box, and the upcoming DLC schedule, all of which is free, the one thing that can't be argued is that as a standalone product WRC 10 offers great value for money.


Summary
However, it's not a standalone product, and the question becomes if the 50th Anniversary content and tweaks to career mode are enough to separate it from WRC9. As a die-hard rally fan that's an easy question to answer, for others it’s a more difficult call to make.

I didn't know you had to unlock the historic mode doing a full career, oh dear.
Good, sound review, no pun intended hehe.

 

[Jtheripper]

WRC 10 (PC)

Full Review



View attachment 1090311

Intro
This review comes quite a while after the release of WRC 10, however I wanted to give it a fair chance, as I've been juggling quite a bit in my work and home lives. So my apologies it's late, lets see what it has to offer, with the full season joined by a whole host of historic events and challenges.

Driving Simulation: 9
The handling model for WRC10 builds on the great work set in the past few titles, and for me remains the benchmark for modern rally titles, regardless of platform. Again, an even greater feeling of weight has been added and as a result momentum feels more dynamic. FFB has once again improved, with a more detailed feel, again not leaps and bounds above last year’s entry, but a slow and steady improvement each year.

However, I do, once again, must temper that with the poor out of the box settings for FFB and the unchanged, and still messy, UI for changing settings and button configurations. KT do themselves no favours in this regard, as out of the box, with a T300, the score would be closer to a 6. It really shouldn't need as much messing about as it does to get a good baseline in place. Further compounded this year by not supporting audino handbrakes on PC out of the box, I had to wait for numerous patches before that one was fixed.


Racing Simulation: 7
The AI feels very much the same as it did last year, with the pace being quite variable across different surfaces, and as a result it never feels as well balanced as it could be and in this area, it seems KT are happy to leave things as they have been for a number of years. One odd point is that the AI setting has no effect at all on the pace of the historic events.


Motorsport Simulation: 9
The career mode from WRC 8 and 9 is, by and large carried across intact for WRC10, and overall, that's no bad thing. As with its excellent stage design, challenging stage lengths and well developed and rounded career mode it’s on a par with the likes of Codemasters F1 titles. we do now have two new features for this year, ones that most reviewers seem to have ignored, which is odd because they really do add to the career mode. The first being tyre strategy, which as a fundamental of the real sport has been missing from rally titles for two long, it's not a perfect implementation, as you are forced to pick your mix before you can see the stage details and lengths. Not seeing the weather, I can understand, a partial forecast and then being made to tackle a risk in that regard would be ideal, but to no be able; to know the stages and lengths doesn't make sense and should be fixed.

That's not however to take away from what is a great addition to the career. The other is that full length rally can now be run, with shakedowns and 14 stage durations, which really does add depth and challenge when combined with tyre strategy, getting the tyre choice right before each stage, cross-matching tyres, etc adds greatly to the career.

So why then have I scored this area the same as last year’s title? A very valid question, and that's because of the mess that KT have made of including the historic events into the title. While the 50th Anniversary mode and events really is great, only some of it can be accessed via that mode, with the rest only becoming unlocked when you complete them in full career mode, those who opt for the season mode are screwed as that doesn't unlock them. Add in that the unlocks also get stuck from time to time, I've had several historic events that I've completed in career that have not then opened up in the 50th anniversary mode! Oh, and to run your own team in career mode, you have to finish all of the 50th anniversary events, which is an absurd barrier to put in place, particularly as it then renders what is a basic but solid livery editor pretty much pointless.


Accessibility: 6
Accessibility has overall taken a step backwards, mainly because of the mess that has been made of the 50th anniversary mode and the ‘my team’ mode, both of which are the marketing stars of the package, yet have been locked behind utterly absurd and nonsensical designed choices. What should have been the WRC series most accessible title has in fact become one of the most confusing in terms of progression and completion


Content: 9
Despite the absurd design choices made to WRC10s structure, what can't be denied is the absurd level of content on offer. With licenced series you expect the current crop to be the offering and that be pretty much it. With the 50th anniversary content running beyond cars, but also including both unique locations and bespoke versions of stages it's a massive amount of content.


Value: 9
Given the increase in content out of the box, and the upcoming DLC schedule, all of which is free, the one thing that can't be argued is that as a standalone product WRC 10 offers great value for money.


Summary
However, it's not a standalone product, and the question becomes if the 50th Anniversary content and tweaks to career mode are enough to separate it from WRC9. As a die-hard rally fan that's an easy question to answer, for others it’s a more difficult call to make.

Hello Scaff, are historic stages locked behind the career gate even for quick play etc too? Or just the challenges for those stages are locked?