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Test Drive Ferrari Racing Legends
This game has been made for the Ferrari fan
and as soon as you put the disc into your PS3 (after it installs of
course), you immediately know you are in for a treat from its slick menu
and majestic, almost Italian inspired soundtrack. Developed by Slightly
Mad Studios, Ferrari Legends allows gamers to drive through the history of
Ferrari as you embark in the Golden, Silver and Modern age of this
racing legacy.
Thankfully it's not just a slapped together
racing game as there are a plethora of gaming modes that can be tweaked
to include campaign, quick race, multiplayer plus phantom time trials.
As mentioned, you can tweak your races to include the number of
opponents, time of day, weather and what cars both you and your
opponents can drive. It's definitely the ultimate Test Drive game.
You can tell that the developers love
Ferrari as each car has been painstakingly modelled after its real-life
counterpart. It's also great to see your Ferrari just before you race
with its reflective surfaces which also allows you to choose your own
colour before you commence your race. However we all know that Ferrari's
should only be one colour and that is red.
The game boasts 52 Ferrari models from a
variety of different eras that include Ferrari's from 1947, all the way
up until 2011. Whether you want to race the classics or something
modern, every Ferrari is here such as the 512 TR, F50, California and
even the F2007. Add in 36 circuits including variations and the choice
given to the player is quite unparalleled. Some of the tracks include
are the Hockenheimring GP 1982, Monza and even GP circuits.
Unfortunately no open world tracks.
For those new to racing, the game does
allow you to tweak the difficulty and give the player driving aids that
can be turned on or off. If you play a higher difficulty, the AI will
definitely give you a run for the money that will create some controller
rage. In relation to controls, they work quite well on the DualShock
controller, however if you want to take the game to a whole new level
and more importantly, realistic... than a wheel is the way to go.
We tested the game on our Logitech Wheel
and it took the game to a whole new level which was considerably more
accurate. Thankfully the developers have managed to portray a sense of
speed as you race these wondrous Ferrari cars. My favourite gameplay
mode was Campaign which allowed you to play one of three eras of Ferrari
that include Golden (1947 - 1973), Silver (1974 - 1990) and Modern (1990
to 2011). In Campaign, you need to complete missions and events in order
to unlock additional circuits and cars.
Some of these range from basic (e.g.
overtaking cars) to actually winning races which is considerably more
difficult and even head to heads with rivals. The first part of the
campaign also serves as a tutorial. Quick race is fun to jump straight
into a race as is multiplayer which allows you to race up to 8 people
online. I was a little sceptical of online play but it's actually quite
robust and I did manage to find players. No lag here and there's even
leaderboards.
What I didn't like about the game was that
the controls were not as smooth as something like Gran Turismo on the
PS3, especially in relation to the DualShock controller. Don't get me
wrong, the controls did work well but at times, the game did seem a
little dated and bordered more on the arcade side than true racing
simulation. Nonetheless, it's still a good racer.
Graphically, the developers have
perfectly managed to capture the Ferrari franchise, even down to its
nuances. The cars look beautiful and the environments are well
designed, although a little lacklustre when compared to the cars
themselves. Voice acting is good, sound effects are perfect and the
musical score creates this decent Ferrari experience.
Final Level
In the end, Test Drive Ferrari Racing
Legends is everything that a Ferrari fan could ask for from the sturdy
gameplay, decent graphics and even multiplayer to challenge your friends
and enemies. Check it out if you're a Ferrari fan! |
