Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends

[ussr]

I do like steering in this game is much more better than in Shift. NFS:Shift's both had the same issue especially Shift 2 Unleashed, but patch fixed that problem.

In this there is no such thing like steering lag

 

[Spagetti69]

I hate to go completely off topic, but how would adding a completely optional feature ruin the game? Personally, I don't use the rewind feature in any game because I don't care for it at all, but if someone else decides they want to use it in their single player experience, why should my opinion hinder that? Some people just play these games for fun and not the sense of achievement so why leave out a feature they might enjoy just because you don't want to use it?

I fully agree mate. Most games have driving lines and such why moan about rewind?
Silly.

 

[STEVE182rs]

rewind is just toy. Nice time ussr, if you beat my 522 i mite have to jump back on this game

 

[TomBrady]

I fully agree mate. Most games have driving lines and such why moan about rewind?
Silly.

Did you really just compare rewind to driving line? Unbelievable.

I don't think you guys get it. It's the principle of it. Just because you don't use it doesn't mean it won't affect you. Things like rewind, driver aids, 9 grades of tire, and ability to turn off mechanical damage all effect you. GT5 already has too many options, that's why public lobbies online are such a cluster****. The racing sims with next to no options like that, iRacing, and netKar, have by far the best racing you'll find anywhere and that goes for even when you're racing with random people. That's because all the racers know what to expect when they get ready to race. it creates a community of like minded people. So yes, having rewind is a bad thing because it allows the opposite of having like minded people racing online. Nobody thinks about this stuff until they go try iracing and wonder why the hell are the other drivers racing so realistically.

Not to mention, it's the principle of it. Rewind is just wrong in a simulation game, or even an arcade racing game. Seriously, what's the point of racing if you can just correct every mistake? How can you not see what the big deal is. Getting 100% completion in any racing game used to mean something especially in gran turismo. Adding rewind would turn GT into another useless arcade racer regardless of the physics.

 

[TomBrady]

FRL is nothing like Shift and since you're a wheel player and you are also a Supecar Challenge player, please take your time and read some of my impressions of FRL in this thread (post #116):

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?p=7824922#post7824922

I am really looking forward that more and more people will get a chance to try this game, it is amazing driving game of this generation that was sacrificed by bad publisher and non-exisiting marketing.

Also for the sake of this thread here is something I've wrote about this game on another forum, so I'll just c/P:

> Most important facts about Ferrari Racing Legends

• none of the reviews do not do justice to this game
• you really have to play it with the proper FFB wheel
• PS3 version is superior because of the supported 900-degree steering and HID-FFB wheel effects
• for the real challenge you have to play it on Hard difficulty
• AI on Hard in the Quick Race mode is something so addictive and hard-core that it is hard to describe without trying


> Features:

• 52 greatest modern and classic Ferrari models from the history of the factory from Modena
• 36 circuits, including variations - GP circuits, test circuits, and bonus circuits with renditions of tracks from the past and present
• "Scenario" based Campaign Story Mode - you will experience the rich history of the Ferrari brand as you unlock tracks and cars throughout story of the young driver who faces different scenarios through his career
• Online Modes - Quick Race and Custom with 8 player support and AI opponents


> Why You Will Never Play This Game?

1. Because none of the published reviews apparently didn't take its time with the game and experienced the essence of the Ferrari Racing Legends. So you will check the reviews, get the absolutely wrong idea about the game and you will pass on it

2. You will watch the Youtube videos and get yourself on the "Meh" train without taking into concern how no Youtube video can describe you the feel of the suspensions and track bumps with V12 roaring behind your back and tyres loosing their grip on the verge of limits of the FFB engine

3. You will believe that Ferrari Racing Legends is made in veins of Shift games and you will never realise how it is not. With all assists set to OFF and proper FFB wheel this game is everything that Shift never was. Feel of drive is everything. But you will never experience it

4. You will think about it as an arcade racer because it does not have proper visual damage, rain, tyre punctures or pit-management. However, while thinking about what game does not have you will in fact miss everything that Ferrari Racing Legends actually has and delivers


> Why You Should Play This Game?

1. Because it is gorgeous to play on the FFB wheel

2. Because it has great and innovative Career mode presented through text-based background of more than 200 different scenarios spreading through 3 main eras for the Ferrari (Golden, Classic an Modern) and covering vast number of different types of challenges (time-trials, qualifications, testing races, normal races, showcase races, events, in-race scenarios and different driving challenges)

3. Because it is damn hard and damn addictive

Check all links in my post I've linked and the quoted part. This game is phenomenal once you give it a chance - much more then either Supercar (or Ferrari) Challenge or any other console-racer of this generation IMO besides GT and FM series. It is one the greatest racers of this generation and sadly almost noone knows about it.

Are you using 900 degree steering lock in this game? Could you tell me your settings? I'm curious.

I was using the default settings but they're pretty bad with certain cars. I hated that same problem with Shift. I spent weeks changing settings trying to get a balance between all the cars. TDF doesn't seem as bad but it still annoys me that SMS still hasn't fixed that inconsistency. In Shift I use 540 degree steering with 80% senstivity. I'll try that for now

 

[Whistle Snap]

These were Amar's settings:

Preset: N/A

Gears: Manual

Inverted Gearing: Normal

Force Feedback Strength: 100

Steering Deadzone: 1 (I have it at 0)

Steering Sensitivity: 100

Throttle Deadzone: 6

Throttle Sensitivity: 100

Brake Deadzone: 6

Brake Sensitivity: 100

Clutch Deadzone: 6

Clutch Sensitivity: 50

Speed Sensitivity: 0

Steering Lock: 900 (I change to 720 for the modern F1 cars, 880 for the F50 GT and 333 SP, everything else I'm happy with the 900 setting - using the G27)

 

[X-Power]

Did you really just compare rewind to driving line? Unbelievable.

I don't think you guys get it. It's the principle of it. Just because you don't use it doesn't mean it won't affect you. Things like rewind, driver aids, 9 grades of tire, and ability to turn off mechanical damage all effect you. GT5 already has too many options, that's why public lobbies online are such a cluster****. The racing sims with next to no options like that, iRacing, and netKar, have by far the best racing you'll find anywhere and that goes for even when you're racing with random people. That's because all the racers know what to expect when they get ready to race. it creates a community of like minded people. So yes, having rewind is a bad thing because it allows the opposite of having like minded people racing online. Nobody thinks about this stuff until they go try iracing and wonder why the hell are the other drivers racing so realistically.

Not to mention, it's the principle of it. Rewind is just wrong in a simulation game, or even an arcade racing game. Seriously, what's the point of racing if you can just correct every mistake? How can you not see what the big deal is. Getting 100% completion in any racing game used to mean something especially in gran turismo. Adding rewind would turn GT into another useless arcade racer regardless of the physics.

I have no idea why you are complaining about an entirely optional feature that is only available in offline races. Also, you need to realise that console sims such as Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport are designed to be accessible, hence the optional driving aids. If you want ultra-hardcore racing, then play the PC sims.

 

[ussr]

rewind is just toy. Nice time ussr, if you beat my 522 i mite have to jump back on this game

Thanks. I Didn't play for a long time, just wanted to check if on line is still empty and deserted and it is sadly :/

Which is weird, i played this game when it hit US psn so in very first days of it's existence and i understood that on line would be empty then, but now? I guess you have yo be massive Shift enthusiast to be hooked up into this game.

 

[STEVE182rs]

Yes online is dead on this game its crazy, yet shift 1 is still alive and kicking after all this time.

 

[Parker]

Did you really just compare rewind to driving line? Unbelievable.

I don't think you guys get it. It's the principle of it. Just because you don't use it doesn't mean it won't affect you. Things like rewind, driver aids, 9 grades of tire, and ability to turn off mechanical damage all effect you. GT5 already has too many options, that's why public lobbies online are such a cluster****. The racing sims with next to no options like that, iRacing, and netKar, have by far the best racing you'll find anywhere and that goes for even when you're racing with random people. That's because all the racers know what to expect when they get ready to race. it creates a community of like minded people. So yes, having rewind is a bad thing because it allows the opposite of having like minded people racing online. Nobody thinks about this stuff until they go try iracing and wonder why the hell are the other drivers racing so realistically.

Not to mention, it's the principle of it. Rewind is just wrong in a simulation game, or even an arcade racing game. Seriously, what's the point of racing if you can just correct every mistake? How can you not see what the big deal is. Getting 100% completion in any racing game used to mean something especially in gran turismo. Adding rewind would turn GT into another useless arcade racer regardless of the physics.

How many copies of GT5 have been sold? How many copies or subscriptions to the other sims you listed have been sold? Answer: not nearly as many.

The reason why the PC sims have much better and tighter racing isn't because they don't have those features, it is because 99% of the time someone who is going to take the time and money to build a PC, rig, and get proper equipment (racing wheel, triple screens and all that) is already going to be a proper driver and understand driving over someone who just bought a PlayStation 3 and bought the most popular game on the system.

I know quite a few people who were interested in racing before GT5 came out but never invested any time into it. Now they have proper race craft, they're pretty fast around tracks and they race very clean and the only sim they've played is GT5. They started out using driving line, traction control and sometimes SRF, but now they don't use any aids and could easily (some already have) move to proper PC sims without crashing into everyone they come across.

TL;DR: You can't compare open lobbies in a game that has probably sold more copies than all PC sims combined to sims where you are already a pretty hardcore racer in the first place. Of course the PC sims are going to have more clean racers, because they don't have 9 million (or whatever the number is) random people playing the game. If GT took the time and money commitment that PC sims did I'd bet you we'd have the same results there as well and it would still have nothing to do with driving aids or a rewind feature.

And on topic- I popped in Ferrari Racing Legends last night and had a few races. I almost forgot how fun it was and I can't believe I've let myself stop playing it for so long. I'm definitely going to be spending some more time with it.

 

[Spagetti69]

Did you really just compare rewind to driving line? Unbelievable.

I don't think you guys get it. It's the principle of it. Just because you don't use it doesn't mean it won't affect you. Things like rewind, driver aids, 9 grades of tire, and ability to turn off mechanical damage all effect you. GT5 already has too many options, that's why public lobbies online are such a cluster****.

Yes I did compare an aid to an aid. GT5's online might be awful but rewind can't be used online anyhow.

But yes driving line, SRF, rewind, no damage, ABS and any other aid you can mention are all the same to me.

Your point about it producing careless drivers however may have some merit.
If the game cane packaged with no aids at all I agree it would create a safer more aware driver.

I do think it would alienate a lot of potential buyers so it won't happen.

 

[X-Power]

Is this game available in retail shops in the UK yet? I haven't noticed it on the shelves in my local stores yet. I enjoyed Shift 2, with the right controller settings, it was lots of fun, so I'm interested in playing this game.

 

[Spagetti69]

Is this game available in retail shops in the UK yet? I haven't noticed it on the shelves in my local stores yet. I enjoyed Shift 2, with the right controller settings, it was lots of fun, so I'm interested in playing this game.

Possibly in Game mate, I haven't seen this or WRC in any of our supermarkets or such.

Not sure what price Game would retail this at though, knowing them not far off PSN price of £39.99

 

[X-Power]

Possibly in Game mate, I haven't seen this or WRC in any of our supermarkets or such.

Not sure what price Game would retail this at though, knowing them not far off PSN price of £39.99

Thank you. It looks like I may have to search around for it.

 

[Whistle Snap]

GAME keeps shuffling the release date back on a weekly basis, this week it's 18th Jan '13 for £29.99

I don't think it's getting a retail release in the UK. Your best bet is to buy it off the PSN store, it's on there for £23.

 

[Whistle Snap]

It's a shame this game didn't ship with a photomode ala Shift, the game is very pretty when caught in the perfect location/direction of sunlight.


Is there zero chance of a patch?


I saw the old style Lotus shots in the Project Cars thread and thought I'd do the same with the Ferrari:

Also attempted to do a full interior panoramic shot but it was not possible, I could only get the straight view and look down view to match up:

 

[DrJustice]

GAME keeps shuffling the release date back on a weekly basis, this week it's 18th Jan '13 for £29.99.

If you're thinking of the PC version, the the boxed release has finally been canceled. We can always hope that the download version from Atari actually becomes available, or better yet a Steam version...

I don't think it's getting a retail release in the UK. Your best bet is to buy it off the PSN store, it's on there for £23.

For those lucky sods that actually have it available in the PSN store... Not available in Sweden and Norway it seems.

Which countries do we have represented here that can confirm whether this is available from the PSN Store?

 

[Fryto]

Yes online is dead on this game its crazy, yet shift 1 is still alive and kicking after all this time.

I only got the game (PS3) this weekend and only quickly glimpsed at the multiplayer menu.
I could just find 'find game' options and not 'create game', although there is a possibility to send 'invites'...

Anyone care to share a bit more on how online works? Now that quite some people have it here, it would be fun to set up some races with people who know how to behave online

 

[STEVE182rs]

Hi, there are three options in the multiplayer menu, find quick, find custom and create. The send invites is a waste of time as you can't join the lobby from it! Even now as you try to find a quick race it will just create your own as there are no races out there. I would jump back on this game if we got a good group of clean racers together.👍

 

[amar212]

Which countries do we have represented here that can confirm whether this is available from the PSN Store?

UK store has it, US Store has it.

Due to cheap US dollar, you can grab it from US store for 20$ if you find US PSN vouchers somewhere and create a US account to download it. Once downloaded, you can play it with your SWE account without problems (game is not region locked). Applies to UK PSN version as well.

I am so glad about more and more people looking over this game! 👍

 

[Fryto]

Hi, there are three options in the multiplayer menu, find quick, find custom and create. The send invites is a waste of time as you can't join the lobby from it! Even now as you try to find a quick race it will just create your own as there are no races out there. I would jump back on this game if we got a good group of clean racers together.👍

So basically if one guy from the forums would just create a room you would be automatically put in that room if you join...

 

[NCRthree]

Played it again this weekend. Just to re-confirm the steering feel: I was driving in GT5 for a while then switched to TDF and the feel is really close. Unless I wanted to really analyze the difference, it feels basically the same. A more discerning user might be able to tell some difference but it's fine for me. No input lag whatsoever. Using Amar's wheel settings with a DFGT on PS3.

It's really disappointing that S2 doesn't feel like this. With all the great tracks it has I was looking forward to playing it. Not worth the trouble of having to adjust myself to it's horrible steering feel.

 

[Fryto]

Played it again this weekend. Just to re-confirm the steering feel: I was driving in GT5 for a while then switched to TDF and the feel is really close. Unless I wanted to really analyze the difference, it feels basically the same. A more discerning user might be able to tell some difference but it's fine for me. No input lag whatsoever. Using Amar's wheel settings with a DFGT on PS3.

I had a bit of input lag, but setting the steering deadzone to 0 solved it for me.
For me it really depends from car to car if the steering feel is good or not.
I absolutely enjoy the 125 F1 for example, but the 250 Testa Rossa is a swaying boat.
But during the course of the game there should be enough nice rides to collect and use in quick races or online.

 

[STEVE182rs]

got a room going, if anyone wants to race online.

 

[ussr]

I absolutely enjoy the 125 F1 for example, but the 250 Testa Rossa is a swaying boat.

You should try it 599 GTB Lucky players have to drive this car only once in Career mode

 

[amar212]

For me it really depends from car to car if the steering feel is good or not.
I absolutely enjoy the 125 F1 for example, but the 250 Testa Rossa is a swaying boat.

You should try it 599 GTB Lucky players have to drive this car only once in Career mode

Honestly, I rally like that differences between the cars are so vast.

It is absolutely impossible to expect that road car drives directly like an open-wheel racer and IMO FRL is perfect in that particular area.

I have forced myself to maintain 900-setting in steering options despite the "boaty" feel of the cars once i've realized how some cars are really that different from another. I and learned to appreciate them for that.

Of course, sometimes it does not help how Career mode instantly switches you from class to class, so it could be difficult to adjust to 512BB when you were racing an F1 car for 5 races before that, but somehow I think it is the key magic of this game.. constant adjustment to variety.

I remember I lost 2 consecutive days in chasing the Bonus time for Enna Pergusa on Hard with 512BB (or was it Testarossa, I don't remember now?), but once I've managed to actually learn how to drive that car, it was a blast.

IMO Every single car I've tried so far handles as it *should*. Older cars have the floating feel because of the softier suspensions but that is the key differentiator from modern-era cars.

Also, it is very clear how every car has its own *steering properties* thus F1 cars turns much faster then road cars and vice-versa. Once I felt that I realized how the only way is to keep my wheel on 900 and adjust my actual driving accordingly to particular properties of that car. And IMO it is the only right way. Increasing saturation for every car basically *overrides* its default properties and influences the actual sensation for particular vehicle - which is not right. Road vehicle from '70s shouldn't handle directly and fast as F430 for example. And that difference is great part of the magic of this game in my opinion.

 

[TomBrady]

Yes I did compare an aid to an aid. GT5's online might be awful but rewind can't be used online anyhow.

But yes driving line, SRF, rewind, no damage, ABS and any other aid you can mention are all the same to me.

Your point about it producing careless drivers however may have some merit.
If the game cane packaged with no aids at all I agree it would create a safer more aware driver.

I do think it would alienate a lot of potential buyers so it won't happen.

But having rewind would alienate many of the true fans of GT and online would be even worse. The majority of the people buying GT and playing it still are the more hardcore fans of it. Sure GT5 gets some sales to people that are just trying it but most of the people who bought it are past fans, and those fans are the most important and none of them are asking for a rewind function. I think most of them would hate it.

Rewind is not an aid though, I find it insane that you would dare compare those 2 things. Driving line is a crutch, that you can actually learn from. A complete noob to racing doesn't know how to take corners properly, the driving line is a great tool to teach people how it's done to a certain degree. Rewind is the opposite, because what you gain from it only makes you worse. You won't be able to learn a corner if everytime you mess up you just rewind and fix your mistake everytime. There's no comparison there at all. It's one thing to give new drivers a chance to compete without knowing a track completely, but allowing them to reverse their poor driving? Not even close to the same thing and same goes for any other aid. Aids in GT5 just help you control the car and slow you down like crazy, but if you mess up you still pay for it and that's an important lesson. With rewind racing is just a joke

 

[TomBrady]

Honestly, I rally like that differences between the cars are so vast.

It is absolutely impossible to expect that road car drives directly like an open-wheel racer and IMO FRL is perfect in that particular area.

I have forced myself to maintain 900-setting in steering options despite the "boaty" feel of the cars once i've realized how some cars are really that different from another. I and learned to appreciate them for that.

Of course, sometimes it does not help how Career mode instantly switches you from class to class, so it could be difficult to adjust to 512BB when you were racing an F1 car for 5 races before that, but somehow I think it is the key magic of this game.. constant adjustment to variety.

I remember I lost 2 consecutive days in chasing the Bonus time for Enna Pergusa on Hard with 512BB (or was it Testarossa, I don't remember now?), but once I've managed to actually learn how to drive that car, it was a blast.

IMO Every single car I've tried so far handles as it *should*. Older cars have the floating feel because of the softier suspensions but that is the key differentiator from modern-era cars.

Also, it is very clear how every car has its own *steering properties* thus F1 cars turns much faster then road cars and vice-versa. Once I felt that I realized how the only way is to keep my wheel on 900 and adjust my actual driving accordingly to particular properties of that car. And IMO it is the only right way. Increasing saturation for every car basically *overrides* its default properties and influences the actual sensation for particular vehicle - which is not right. Road vehicle from '70s shouldn't handle directly and fast as F430 for example. And that difference is great part of the magic of this game in my opinion.

What are your settings? I've tried to get 900 dgree to work in Shift 2, I tried almost every different sensitivity and never got a balance between the cars so I eventually caved and started using 540. So far in TDF 540 and 70% sensitivity is fine for the F1 and the understeer prone cars which is more than I can say about the same settings in shift. I think TDF was just better made but still not perfect. I wish it was like iracing and netkar where you set your wheel to 900 but it will give the correct amount of lock for each different car instead of just leaving it at 900. You wouldn't want to drive an F1 at 900 degrees of lock]

So please leave or direct me to your settings, can't find them

 

[amar212]

What are your settings?

I think TDF was just better made but still not perfect. I wish it was like iracing and netkar where you set your wheel to 900 but it will give the correct amount of lock for each different car instead of just leaving it at 900. You wouldn't want to drive an F1 at 900 degrees of lock]

So please leave or direct me to your settings, can't find them

I have no problem with sensation of lock for F1 cars in 900 mode, really. And keep in mind I am also lucky to drive on Fanatec where I can change saturation (degrees) on-the-fly and independently of actual game settings. But default settings (same as I use for GT5 for the wheel) are really the best IMO. No single problem whatsoever, from road cars to F1 cars.

Here is the pic of my settings (Fanatec "uses" G25 profiler), sorry for the crappy picture The most crucial settings are marked with the beautiful red arrows

 

[Zero7159]

But having rewind would alienate many of the true fans of GT and online would be even worse. The majority of the people buying GT and playing it still are the more hardcore fans of it. Sure GT5 gets some sales to people that are just trying it but most of the people who bought it are past fans, and those fans are the most important and none of them are asking for a rewind function. I think most of them would hate it.

Rewind is not an aid though, I find it insane that you would dare compare those 2 things. Driving line is a crutch, that you can actually learn from. A complete noob to racing doesn't know how to take corners properly, the driving line is a great tool to teach people how it's done to a certain degree. Rewind is the opposite, because what you gain from it only makes you worse. You won't be able to learn a corner if everytime you mess up you just rewind and fix your mistake everytime. There's no comparison there at all. It's one thing to give new drivers a chance to compete without knowing a track completely, but allowing them to reverse their poor driving? Not even close to the same thing and same goes for any other aid. Aids in GT5 just help you control the car and slow you down like crazy, but if you mess up you still pay for it and that's an important lesson. With rewind racing is just a joke

Forza has had a rewind ever since I can remember. GT has not. If you don't want to use rewind, you don't have to. I regularly do iRacing and have several wins in over 300 oval and road course official events. I have A licenses in both oval and road. When I play console racing games, particularly single player, I am looking for a more casual racing experience and am less interested in mastering every nook and cranny of every track or car. Rather, I am interested in experiencing as many track and car combinations as possible. I regularly use the rewind function in Forza or Dirt so that I can keep having fun. Its very frustrating to get to lap 10 of 10 in a GT5 race and have a crazy AI spin me out which results in me having to do the race all over again to win. Have you done the F1 seasonal races in GT5? If so, you know what I am talking about. Test Drive Ferrari is a difficult game and I cited that lack of rewind in my review as a weakness of the game. Its not a sim. Rather, the fun of the game is driving different Ferrari models on different tracks and struggling to progress through the game is no fun, at least for me. For those that want super hard AI, the game certainly has that, but it also should be usable for those of us that want a more casual experience.

My two cents, take em or leave em.