Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends
- Thread starter drivatar
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let us know ... I would buy it myself from the Atari site but it seems to me that the pc version comes out July 24th ...(written on the site Rombax Game) http://games.gamepressure.com/publishers.asp?ID=4413&publisher=Rombax Games
- 68
- Virginia
Preorded canceled, money transfered to need for speed Most wanted
- 645
- ENGLAND
- STEVE182rs
Going of that review it looks piss poor, no wonder it low key
HKS racer
(Banned)
- 4,802
Please note, people above your post have already purchased a digital version and they didn't get what they pay for, not yet at least. Do NOT advice any digital purchase until Atari and SMS sort it out.
If I was one of those customers I would pretend my money back ASAP and/or call my advocate as well.
I made an account just to tell you guys that i bought this game yesterday at my local store in Holland,
i bought him for 50 euro and i like it. Its a shame that there is a lot of sliding when going into corners. You can edit the control settings just as as the deadzones and brake and acceleration zones.
i bought him for 50 euro and i like it. Its a shame that there is a lot of sliding when going into corners. You can edit the control settings just as as the deadzones and brake and acceleration zones.
I'm hoping for that TBH! Its a really nice game with the DFGT, I feel its definitely worth the $50, the early races with the older cars feel a bit... long. Example being Monza 1958. It's fun and with the wheel its a much better game. But in the races i'm completely dominating by almost 40 seconds. Especially the 4 laps around Rouen Short.
I tried using a controller, and it's one sloppy game. Still not SHIFT2 sloppy. Its for sure a more stable version of that engine.
If you're unsure about the game, i'd for sure wait, i'm sure you can pick up a used one in a month for half price.
- 1,847
- Poland
- dar-kos
- Yes, i do own X
Well.., I ended up buying this game today while at GameStop. I got the PS3 version and wanted to share my thoughts with those who are curious about the title.
Graphics (PS3 version): I have to say that the graphics overall are pretty good for this title on the PS3. What really stood out to me though is that it seems that SMS used Shift-1 and built upon that.., rather than Shift-2. The reason I say that is that I'm not seeing the "Mushroom" trees that are in Shift-2. The trees look like "cleaner" versions of the first Shift title.
I am however seeing the very common issue with SMS's titles on the PS3 in regards to the frame-rates. They can get a little choppy when you have a full grid (even less than a full grid at times too).
Overall.., I have to say that in terms of appearance.., this is a NFS Shift title ALL THE WAY. It literally just looks like NFS.., but ALL Ferrari.
Sounds: Well.., once again this sounds EXACTLY like the SMS's Shift titles. The sounds aren't dead on accurate, but like SMS's previous titles the sound is very "aggressive". Tire scrubbing is fairly decent too. Maybe it's me., but I thought I even detected a change in the scrubbing sound when I went off track on to another cement surface.
Physics: Oh boy.., where do I start with this one
First let me say that this title is not, and was not marketed as a SIM. It's really just an arcade racer that caters specifically to one brand of car (and those who like myself LOVE Ferrari).
I spent hours on the title using both a DS3 and my DFGT. With the DS3 it is very obvious the physics lean way more towards the "arcade" side. SMS's titles are well known for that "floaty" feel, and TD Ferrari definitely suffers from this. I will say however that even though they have that typical floaty feel to them., I found the vehicles fairly reasonable to control.
However.., when I hooked up my DFGT to the PS3 and went with the default settings.., all I can say is "Holy freakin crap.., it's like driving a boat on the road". That floaty feeling with the default DFGT settings was HUGE. To be honest I felt like I spent more time chasing my own car on the track rather than chasing down the AI. It just felt so floaty. It's like every car felt like driving a big boat 1970's Cadillac.
Sadly, several known issues that are present in SMS's last title (Shift Unleashed) have been carried over to TD Ferrari. One is the "vacuum effect". That same "off track suction" is in this title. You slightly go off track and SHHWOOP.., you're sucked right into the wall and you have to fight like hell to get off of it (even when you've slowed down considerably you'll still be fighting to get back on the track).
Another carry over problem is MAGNETIC cars. I'm also finding that upon contact with the AI the same issue of "getting stuck together" is there, and if an AI car happens to make contact with you and goes off track.., well hang on because you're going for the ride too.
Now here's a HUGE problem that relates to the physics. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY TO TUNE A CAR. Just like Grid, you are stuck with what you get. Not even the most basic tuning options either.., and this IMO is a pretty big drawback to this title.
Sure I can understand not having finely detailed tuning.., but this title doesn't even have something as simple and basic as you find on Codemaster's Dirt-3 title. This title would GREATLY benefit from the most BASIC sliders that at least allow you to tighten/loosen the springs, increase/decrease downforce, and right height.
Car Selection: Obviously you're not going to get 500+ cars in this title as it's geared specifically towards one auto maker. You do get a good list of car though that take you from Ferrari's beginnings to more current day models. I think the selection is very good because there are quite a few models in this title that you do not see in other titles that have Ferrari on their lists.
AI: WOW.., ok the AI has to be broken down by Campaign and Quick Race here because I've found that the two are totally different. For example.., EASY in campaign mode is just that.., an easy grid of AI cars. However.., EASY in Quick Race mode is a FREAKIN NIGHTMARE! I guarantee that MANY out there will complain about this too.
The AI (in Quick Race Mode.., which many offline players will obviously want to dial in on because it allows you to set up custom races against the AI) is the EXACT SAME over aggressive, cheating, run you off the track crack heads you find in ALL of SMS's titles.
My goodness I can't believe how many times I restarted a race using the F40 in a quick race. NO matter what I did (even when driving extremely clean and cautious) the AI was just down right intentionally smashing me off the track. At one point I was happy because it looked like I was finally going to finish a race.., and just when I was about to take a CLEAN overtake for first place.., the AI car intentionally slammed me right off the track. That's just utter freakin nonsense. What's worse is that this was in EASY mode.
You're also going to find that the AI in Easy mode can be lightening fast..., and I mean lightening fast to the point of CHEATING. Just like all of SMS's titles., the AI take corners at impossible speeds, brake check constantly, have impossible stopping distances, and rubberband like mad.
As I said., the AI in Campaign doesn't seem to match the AI's behavior in Quick Race. It's just something you have to experience for yourself.
The game IMO certainly needs a patch.., and I'm really surprised that there wasn't one ready on release day (considering this essentially the norm now). However.., I'm not sure what to expect either. SMS was previously tied to EA, and I'm sure I don't need to go into detail how shotty EA's support has been for the Shift series developed by SMS. They've moved on, and have a different publisher now. So it's really anyone's guess at this point. I hope the support for this title is better than EA's when they were associated with SMS.
Graphics (PS3 version): I have to say that the graphics overall are pretty good for this title on the PS3. What really stood out to me though is that it seems that SMS used Shift-1 and built upon that.., rather than Shift-2. The reason I say that is that I'm not seeing the "Mushroom" trees that are in Shift-2. The trees look like "cleaner" versions of the first Shift title.
I am however seeing the very common issue with SMS's titles on the PS3 in regards to the frame-rates. They can get a little choppy when you have a full grid (even less than a full grid at times too).
Overall.., I have to say that in terms of appearance.., this is a NFS Shift title ALL THE WAY. It literally just looks like NFS.., but ALL Ferrari.
Sounds: Well.., once again this sounds EXACTLY like the SMS's Shift titles. The sounds aren't dead on accurate, but like SMS's previous titles the sound is very "aggressive". Tire scrubbing is fairly decent too. Maybe it's me., but I thought I even detected a change in the scrubbing sound when I went off track on to another cement surface.
Physics: Oh boy.., where do I start with this one
First let me say that this title is not, and was not marketed as a SIM. It's really just an arcade racer that caters specifically to one brand of car (and those who like myself LOVE Ferrari).I spent hours on the title using both a DS3 and my DFGT. With the DS3 it is very obvious the physics lean way more towards the "arcade" side. SMS's titles are well known for that "floaty" feel, and TD Ferrari definitely suffers from this. I will say however that even though they have that typical floaty feel to them., I found the vehicles fairly reasonable to control.
However.., when I hooked up my DFGT to the PS3 and went with the default settings.., all I can say is "Holy freakin crap.., it's like driving a boat on the road". That floaty feeling with the default DFGT settings was HUGE. To be honest I felt like I spent more time chasing my own car on the track rather than chasing down the AI. It just felt so floaty. It's like every car felt like driving a big boat 1970's Cadillac.
Sadly, several known issues that are present in SMS's last title (Shift Unleashed) have been carried over to TD Ferrari. One is the "vacuum effect". That same "off track suction" is in this title. You slightly go off track and SHHWOOP.., you're sucked right into the wall and you have to fight like hell to get off of it (even when you've slowed down considerably you'll still be fighting to get back on the track).
Another carry over problem is MAGNETIC cars. I'm also finding that upon contact with the AI the same issue of "getting stuck together" is there, and if an AI car happens to make contact with you and goes off track.., well hang on because you're going for the ride too.
Now here's a HUGE problem that relates to the physics. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY TO TUNE A CAR. Just like Grid, you are stuck with what you get. Not even the most basic tuning options either.., and this IMO is a pretty big drawback to this title.
Sure I can understand not having finely detailed tuning.., but this title doesn't even have something as simple and basic as you find on Codemaster's Dirt-3 title. This title would GREATLY benefit from the most BASIC sliders that at least allow you to tighten/loosen the springs, increase/decrease downforce, and right height.
Car Selection: Obviously you're not going to get 500+ cars in this title as it's geared specifically towards one auto maker. You do get a good list of car though that take you from Ferrari's beginnings to more current day models. I think the selection is very good because there are quite a few models in this title that you do not see in other titles that have Ferrari on their lists.
AI: WOW.., ok the AI has to be broken down by Campaign and Quick Race here because I've found that the two are totally different. For example.., EASY in campaign mode is just that.., an easy grid of AI cars. However.., EASY in Quick Race mode is a FREAKIN NIGHTMARE! I guarantee that MANY out there will complain about this too.
The AI (in Quick Race Mode.., which many offline players will obviously want to dial in on because it allows you to set up custom races against the AI) is the EXACT SAME over aggressive, cheating, run you off the track crack heads you find in ALL of SMS's titles.
My goodness I can't believe how many times I restarted a race using the F40 in a quick race. NO matter what I did (even when driving extremely clean and cautious) the AI was just down right intentionally smashing me off the track. At one point I was happy because it looked like I was finally going to finish a race.., and just when I was about to take a CLEAN overtake for first place.., the AI car intentionally slammed me right off the track. That's just utter freakin nonsense. What's worse is that this was in EASY mode.
You're also going to find that the AI in Easy mode can be lightening fast..., and I mean lightening fast to the point of CHEATING. Just like all of SMS's titles., the AI take corners at impossible speeds, brake check constantly, have impossible stopping distances, and rubberband like mad.
As I said., the AI in Campaign doesn't seem to match the AI's behavior in Quick Race. It's just something you have to experience for yourself.
The game IMO certainly needs a patch.., and I'm really surprised that there wasn't one ready on release day (considering this essentially the norm now). However.., I'm not sure what to expect either. SMS was previously tied to EA, and I'm sure I don't need to go into detail how shotty EA's support has been for the Shift series developed by SMS. They've moved on, and have a different publisher now. So it's really anyone's guess at this point. I hope the support for this title is better than EA's when they were associated with SMS.
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- 1,124
- TexasTyme214
Thanks for your review. I can't say I'll be buying the game since the license prevents us from tuning the cars out of the floatiness. Unless there's a patch, I'll hold on to my money until the PCARS release.
- 1,847
- Poland
- dar-kos
- Yes, i do own X
Main difference between Shift and this game is while in Shift you are able to choose between driving smooth and slide not just thanks to car tunning but more it's your choice. While in Ferrari Racing Legends while car starts to slide then only thing you can do is just to follow the slide.
You approach corner and you know it's going to happen, so the best way is just set the car properly and go with it. Once car starts to slide and it's to late to any corrections.
I have. 10 hours of playing so far, different race eras tried. Those oldest Eras (Golden) are easiest, more modern Ferrari's you drive then suddenly game became much harder. Modern is what i find most stressful sometimes. But I've just got started Campaign from start and then just tried other Era cars. I think when i get use to them it would be normal.
I've played Shift 2 like a crazy, many hours on PS3, many great laps, many races on-line.
So i can say that Test Drive Ferrari has for sure Shift graphics but I'm not that 100% convince if the driving physics is intact. Or maybe they fiddle a little with it. For me game feels a little bit different.
I can now say i like that game. It's raw simple. In campaign only thing you do is just follow objectives. And every challenge is rewarded with Trophy, car, track.
Well it's still to soon to tell what the hell is going on in this game, so ill just keep playing.
You approach corner and you know it's going to happen, so the best way is just set the car properly and go with it. Once car starts to slide and it's to late to any corrections.
I have. 10 hours of playing so far, different race eras tried. Those oldest Eras (Golden) are easiest, more modern Ferrari's you drive then suddenly game became much harder. Modern is what i find most stressful sometimes. But I've just got started Campaign from start and then just tried other Era cars. I think when i get use to them it would be normal.
I've played Shift 2 like a crazy, many hours on PS3, many great laps, many races on-line.
So i can say that Test Drive Ferrari has for sure Shift graphics but I'm not that 100% convince if the driving physics is intact. Or maybe they fiddle a little with it. For me game feels a little bit different.
I can now say i like that game. It's raw simple. In campaign only thing you do is just follow objectives. And every challenge is rewarded with Trophy, car, track.
Well it's still to soon to tell what the hell is going on in this game, so ill just keep playing.
Mr Latte
Premium
- 5,063
- N Ireland
Sorry I didnt get back sooner to perhaps warn you.
I have submitted an email to them asking for a refund.
It is totally unacceptable they do nothing to inform customers that it is not available.
- 437
The Lewis Hamilton inspired AI again... ~_~
Thanks for your review.
Really it is like to turn back, but this game has some things that I love:
- Ferraris
- The Ferrari F355 (best car in the world ... ever!)
- Spectacular cockpit cameras
- Races; I mean real racing: 16 car grids, standing start, real overtaking (well. .. a little cheated, ok), collisions, off-track ... Of this there is much in PS3.
Come on, I will buy it because I'm sick of boring but realistic car game (not racing game) Gran Turismo 5.
Ussr is correct about the sliding issue. This is also a very common physics characteristic from SMS. However.., with their previous titles you could at least tune a car and dial some of that out. With TD Ferrari (as Ussr stated) you know it's going to happen, and just prepare yourself for it on each corner.
The game really would benefit from very basic tuning. I'm surprised to not even see the "Quick Tune" option that SMS has already implemented within their games. Perhaps it's an issue with the Ferrari license.
I can't honestly say I'm surprised to find the AI in campaign mode (on Easy) is one big mess. We've seen this behavior in all of SMS's titles to date. Oddly it's gotten worse with each title too (even though consumers have been complaining about it since the release of Shift-1).
What SMS needs to understand is that you cannot have such a loose physics engine mated with this type of AI. This type of AI requires a more refined and polished physics engine because performance differences between identical cars (to your own in a grid) is so grossly unbalanced.
When doing a Quick Race my mouth dropped wide open when taking one corner. The race was all identical cars and I had the choice of either slowing down and making the turn, or power sliding right into a wall. I slowed down for the turn, and took it at what would be considered an appropriate speed. However.., I watched several AI cars just blast right past me without even hitting the brakes, literally losing NO traction on that turn. To add insult to injury the last car passing me intentionally put me into the wall.
I really hope SMS gets to patch this game properly. Even if we don't get tuning options via a patch update.., for Pete's sake FIX THE BLOODY AI. Three consecutive titles with this type of AI is getting stale. It's also getting progressively worse too.
Again.., at this point it's anyone's guess how (if any) patches will change the game. I will say that if you're not a fan of either Shift titles.., you probably will have a hard time liking this one. It's literally NFS Shift (Ferrari Edition). Hell.., this title could have easily been a massive Ferrari DLC pack for Shift-2.
**Oh I forgot to address the crash physics. IMO they're EXTREMELY over done. Low speed impact collisions are just downright wrong. I had an AI car brake check me.., then slow down to a crawling speed, and it resulted in an unavoidable rear bumper to front bumper impact. However., the speed at the point of contact was so low that it should have simply been a light tap. However.., the moment my vehicle touched the AI.., the entire front end got completely loose and my car did a complete spin. It's clearly the same poorly implemented collision physics carried over from Shift-2.
I wasn't expecting an ultra realistic racing title when buying this either (and based on what they've done to date) I don't expect anything remotely realistic from SMS period. However.., the game IMO would be much more enjoyable if they'd just listen for once and TONE DOWN THE AI. Yes.., rubbing and bumping is part of racing.., but the smashing and bashing that's in SMS's titles is just unacceptable.
I will say that I'm very worried now about how PCARS is going to turn out for the consoles......
The game really would benefit from very basic tuning. I'm surprised to not even see the "Quick Tune" option that SMS has already implemented within their games. Perhaps it's an issue with the Ferrari license.
I can't honestly say I'm surprised to find the AI in campaign mode (on Easy) is one big mess. We've seen this behavior in all of SMS's titles to date. Oddly it's gotten worse with each title too (even though consumers have been complaining about it since the release of Shift-1).
What SMS needs to understand is that you cannot have such a loose physics engine mated with this type of AI. This type of AI requires a more refined and polished physics engine because performance differences between identical cars (to your own in a grid) is so grossly unbalanced.
When doing a Quick Race my mouth dropped wide open when taking one corner. The race was all identical cars and I had the choice of either slowing down and making the turn, or power sliding right into a wall. I slowed down for the turn, and took it at what would be considered an appropriate speed. However.., I watched several AI cars just blast right past me without even hitting the brakes, literally losing NO traction on that turn. To add insult to injury the last car passing me intentionally put me into the wall.
I really hope SMS gets to patch this game properly. Even if we don't get tuning options via a patch update.., for Pete's sake FIX THE BLOODY AI. Three consecutive titles with this type of AI is getting stale. It's also getting progressively worse too.
Again.., at this point it's anyone's guess how (if any) patches will change the game. I will say that if you're not a fan of either Shift titles.., you probably will have a hard time liking this one. It's literally NFS Shift (Ferrari Edition). Hell.., this title could have easily been a massive Ferrari DLC pack for Shift-2.
**Oh I forgot to address the crash physics. IMO they're EXTREMELY over done. Low speed impact collisions are just downright wrong. I had an AI car brake check me.., then slow down to a crawling speed, and it resulted in an unavoidable rear bumper to front bumper impact. However., the speed at the point of contact was so low that it should have simply been a light tap. However.., the moment my vehicle touched the AI.., the entire front end got completely loose and my car did a complete spin. It's clearly the same poorly implemented collision physics carried over from Shift-2.
I wasn't expecting an ultra realistic racing title when buying this either (and based on what they've done to date) I don't expect anything remotely realistic from SMS period. However.., the game IMO would be much more enjoyable if they'd just listen for once and TONE DOWN THE AI. Yes.., rubbing and bumping is part of racing.., but the smashing and bashing that's in SMS's titles is just unacceptable.
I will say that I'm very worried now about how PCARS is going to turn out for the consoles......
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it's 
F40 👍 i seriously can't wait to unlock Nordschleife and giving it a go.
MagpieRacer
Premium
- 17,444
- Wymondham, Norfolk
- Seagull_Racer
- 3,232
- Wales
Looks like I was right to pass on this one, a game with a nice concept that could have been great but was half assed. The "Test Drive" brand is really being run into the ground with the massive mess that Test Drive Unlimited 2 was at launch, and then this.
The sad thing is that I want it to be good because I want the game it could be, meh.
The sad thing is that I want it to be good because I want the game it could be, meh.
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