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G1 Jockey 4
Lovers of horseflesh,
glue and tanning rejoice! G1 Jockey is back and for those of us with a
liking for a punt can sit back and breath a sigh of relief. In this
latest instalment of the popular racing series, there have been quite a
number of improvements made that make this the best one so far.
G1 Jockey is the all in one solution for those who
wish to micromanage every aspect of racing and being a jockey. Tons of
care has been taken to make sure that every wish (almost) has been
catered for.
Part simulator, part racer of sorts, G1 4 takes you
behind the scenes and into the world of manager, trainer and finally
jockey with the ability to buy, train, race and fully manage your stable
in order to make it in the horse racing game. The sheer amount of detail
given to the title is testament to the other games in the series.
With the ranking system in the game you can build up
your jockey’s abilities and that will inevitably lead you to getting
better horses as owners realise what you can do to win them races.
Making sure that you always have the horse in check will allow you to
win most races so be sure not to drive the nag too hard from the
beginning. Monitoring the horse does take some getting used to and you
will see the difference from the AI riders that you compete against; the
way that they handle the rides is quite different from how you will
initially as the temptation is to just go as hard as you can.
One of the improvements in this game is greater
control over the horse with the analogue sticks on your PS2 controller.
This takes the role of handling the reins of your steed and you can
apply the crop or take in the reins during the race to great effect. I
thought this was a worthy addition as in previous versions there was
something I had felt lacking but not noticing exactly what until it was
really shown to me.
Graphically it’s still a good looking game, however I
did notice a bit of pixelation during races as the pace picked up. The
framerate looked solid enough though to ensure no major aggravations
whilst riding. Attention to detail is obvious with some very good
looking thoroughbreds showing up on the field.
All things said and done if you are into horseracing
then this is a must have title for you budding jockeys out there. With
the whole new breeding and training aspects of the game thrown in, there
is a chance to immerse yourself even deeper into the life of the horse
you want to be your champion without all the early mornings that your
real life counterparts have to deal with!
Recommended.
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