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Tourist Trophy the Real Riding Simulator
I need to say two words
first in this review: Polyphony Digital. I could actually almost just
stop the review at that point and just put the scores up. Come on! You
expect more? Okay, I guess I had better for the sake of the uninitiated…
Possibly the easiest thing to clear up the above
paragraph would be to state that Polyphony Digital is the creative force
behind the amazing Gran Turismo series, arguably one of the best (if not
the best) driving simulators on the gaming market. For years PD have
created racing games that are almost like tech demos for the Playstation
console. If you ever wanted to show off what the console could do, just
throw in the Gran Turismo game that is most current and stand by to
amaze.
Now the attention of this amazing development team
has turned to racing of the two-wheeled variety and once again, the word
simulator springs to mind. There are over 120 bikes to take on in this
game and fans of motorsport will be delighted to hear that each and
every bike looks different, is modelled accurately and behaves in a
manner that is different to other bikes.
There are a multitude of views to this game and to
see the world fly past you whilst staring directly over the handles
facing down the track. It’s simply amazing. I know that I should have
expected something this good to come from these guys but it still
staggers me after many plays at the level of detail that is to be seen.
For those of you wanting an online experience,
Tourist Trophy can’t help you, sorry about that. Instead play for up to
three others is allowed and make for some really challenging
competitions. The level of modification seen in past GT games is
partially evident here but on a much smaller scale. You can tune your
bike up to an extent however then that is it. Not many upgrades can be
performed on any one bike, which in a neat way means that you really
need to contend and earn more bikes for your garage.
Upgrading to new bikes isn’t a matter of money
either, you can do this by completing challenges and winning races which
is pretty neat as well. The feel of the bikes after sooping them up is
spot on and both smaller and lighter bikes do handle totally differently
from the larger heavier bikes. Those who try to stay on the one machine
all the way through are for the most part going to fall apart when
competing with better class machines.
Offering up two modes, Arcade and Tourist Trophy
(motorbike equivalent of Gran Turismo mode), Arcade allows you to get in
and play the game without a lot of fuss. Tourist Trophy mode is where it
all gets serious and you are going to spend many, many hours playing and
enjoying the game.
I think that some gamers are going to have a feeling
of déjà vu with the game if they have played Gran Turismo games in the
past as the tracks are rehashed for your enjoyment here. Having said
that though, riding a bike along those tracks is bloody magnificent and
felt so different from driving them as well you could imagine.
All things said and done, Tourist Trophy is a game
that will hold up for quite some time. Casual gamers will be happy to
just jump into a race, whilst bike fans will like the idea of really
making those horses work through the extended career mode. Couple that
with top notch graphics and game physics and you are on a winner. Give
it a shot. |
