Namco plans to have Ridge Racer V ship alongside the PlayStation2. Either save your pennies or be prepared to choose between GT2000 and Ridge Racer V. Both games will provide the racer in all of us with more than enough extra adrenaline. The question is: Are you a racing purist or a straight-up speed demon?
Driving Emotion Type SPublisher: SquaresoftDeveloper: EscapeNumber of Players: 1-2Available: Summer 2001
The Type S moniker is reserved for something special, something genuinely race-worthy; the CL Type S and the Boxster S are shining examples. Imagine my rapture when Square decided to publish Driving Emotion Type S. Not just Driving Emotion, but Driving Emotion Type S. Sure, Square attempted to shovel an abortion known as Racing Lagoon, part Role-Playing Game and part racing game, but I'm beyond that now.
The CD begins to spin, and I watch the intro and then the demo. Wow, the game looks really cool. Square uses something called the "Driver's Eye". The default point-of-view is a right-hand-drive first-person view from inside the cockpit. I see part of the dash and all the working instrument gauges, as well as the driver's hand's on the wheel. Looking really carefully I notice a reflection on the windshield-it's that of a helmeted driver.
So I press Start, pick an Infiniti G20, and get ready to race. Things begin to go awry when the race begins. The developer, Escape, felt it necessary to make Driving Emotion control like crap. I know what the S stands for now, and a certain four-letter word I was using quite frequently while playing this comes to mind.
Racing down the track is an exercise in tedium-oversteer left, oversteer right, and repeat until the race is over. What the hell is this? It's sure not fun, I know this much. Who has ever driven a vehicle that handles so badly that it won't even stay on the road? As if it couldn't get any worse...Let's assume you do manage to get the control down. Make sure the artificial intelligence doesn't pull one of its dirty moves and takes out a rear-quarter panel, or you're dead, plain and simple. What a shame, too, because at the very least Driving Emotion looks great; the cars and environments couldn't be better. The cockpit view is one of the coolest I've ever seen, but too bad the control couldn't match up with the rest of the game, quality-wise.
The game is done, and all that it would take to release Driving Emotion in the States would be someone to translate and localize it. Square has confirmed that Driving Emotion Type S will undergo a huge overhaul. Improving control even slightly will make a huge difference and will elevate Driving Emotion Type S from a Japanese phrase known as "kuso-ge" to "ka-kooeei-ge". And we'll be sure to take another test spin at that time.
Dreamcast RacersSega GTPublisher: SegaDeveloper: SegaNumber of Players: 1-2Available: Fall 2000
Sega GT is right, this is Sega's Gran Turismo. There's no denying it. When Sega aimed for Sony's own racer, it hit the mark right on. License tests, different classes, purchasing, earning, and beefing up cars is all the same. If this were any closer, it'd come with a PlayStation controller. The only difference, and what a difference, is the visual presentation-completely stunning. The lighting effects may not be as overpowering as GT2000, but to some this is a good thing. The only downside is that Sega GT is strictly a Japanese game, so non-Japanese car manufacturers are S.O.L. Word has it that when Sega releases Sega GT domestically, it will have some other car makers, but that remains to be seen. Regardless, if you own a Dreamcast and have no plans to purchase a PS2, this is the next best thing. Unless, of course, you purchase Bleamcast (a peripheral that allows PlayStation 1 games to be played on the Dreamcast).
Metropolis street racerPublisher: SegaDeveloper: Bizarre CreationsNumber of Players: 1-2Available: Winter 2000