Games for Lunch: GTI Club+: Rally Cote D'Azur
In a nutshell: Argh, I missed the shortcut AGAIN!
1/23/2009 7:22 PM | 0 Comments | Page 1 of 3
Developer: Sumo Digital
Publisher: Konami
Release Date: Jan. 15, 2009
System: PS3
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site
0:00 I have no idea what the GTI Club is, nor why it should be increased by a plus sign. I do know what Cote D'Azur is, at least. Anyway,
Twitter follower and Konami employee James Wong offered me a download code for the game, so I figure it's at least worth a quick spin.
0:01 The camera pans past some relatively plain and empty-looking streets as a peppy number plays over the title. Everything looks kind of basic compared to the super-detailed courses of a Gran Turismo or Midnight Club. Still, a nice, clean look.
0:03 Apparently I can hook up the PlayStation Eye to take Happy, Mocking, Sad and Angry pictures to send to opponents when, I assume, those emotions would apply. Er, no thanks. I'm gonna start with single-player, anyway.
0:04 Difficulty choices are Easy Race, Medium Race, Hard Race and Free Run. I'm a decent virtual driver, so let's go with Medium.
0:05 A vast, VAST line-up of FIVE tiny cars greets me in an abandoned parking lot. I choose a red Austin Mini Cooper because the idea of racing a Mini Cooper is just too hilarious for words. Automatic transmission please!
0:08 And just like that, my first race is already over. The steering is EXTREMELY touchy ... a light tap of the stick sends me careening to the side. The car seems very light, too, lifting onto two wheels or launching off of ramps very easily. The course design has a lot of branches -- very confusing where I'm supposed to go next. Confusing, branching levels require split-second decision-making, which doesn't go great with the touchy controls. There are a lot of sharp turns, too ... requiring frequent use of the hand brake. I made it through almost two laps (out of three) before the timer ran out. Now I've got the idea ... let's try again.
0:12 My second race starts better ... I even struggle into fifth place briefly, but it ends up much the same. These controls are just WAY too touchy ... I can't stay on the center of the track. I don't like the crowded traffic sections either ... it's hard to maneuver around all those stalled cars. That said, I am starting to like the shortcut-filled track design. Keeps me on my toes.
0:15 A hairpin turn in the first lap puts me briefly into second place, but my bounce-off-the-sides racing style bounces me back to sixth before long. I end up in fourth after three laps. "Goooooooal!" the announcer cries! Track knowledge seems of paramount importance ... I think I'm taking less-than-optimal shortcuts. Lots of bumping and grinding from the opposing cars this time ... the AI cars seem a decent match.
0:16 Hmmm, the post-race options are "View Replay," "Restart Race" or "Exit Race." Exit Race takes me back to the title screen. Does this mean there's only ONE TRACK? In the ENTIRE GAME!?!
0:17 Moving up to Hard Race in a Renault this time.
0:20 HA! At the start of the race this time, all the cars back up a bit and do a three-point turn to start racing in reverse. I follow their lead and run through what starts out as a backwards version of the Medium Race. A lot of the paths are closed off, though,
taking me to parts of the city I never think of and rarely visit. So I guess there's technically more than one "track," but still...
