This is the second attempt by Eutechnyx at making a great sim racer. With Ferrari Challenge as prequel they've large shoes to fill. But there's something different about this game.Unlike Ferrari Challenge this game features a whole new career mode that will let you drive around all continents in a search for racing points. With a curtain number of points you will unlock a new track or car. We've found this method of unlocking extremely pleasant and it's always a surprise what comes up next. Apart from unlocking new stuff and a few trophies there's not much to see here. You can also take a crack at arcade mode. In this mode you will drive around three tracks aiming at curtain objectives like finish in the top 3. You will proceed to the next difficulty level after you've finished your objective. But unfortunately there're annoying developers choices made here. For one you can't save between each attempt. Meaning that when you finished two tracks on the expert difficulty you won't be able to stop without having to re do all three tracks. For this reason this is also our least favorite mode. But there's more in SuperCar Challenge. You can do a quick race, time trail, paint your car and more! So in short you won't get bored here.
The presentation of SuperCar challenge is top notch as well. Graphics have made a step up since the previous challenge game. This time the colors feel more natural and the frame rate seems improved as well. We know this has to do with the fact that this game is a PS3 exclusive (Ferrari challengewasn't) because the engine seems pretty similar. Sound is fantastic. Theengine sound (or music if you will) is better than ever and far above anything heard from a Polyphony Digital game ever. And if you don't like the sound of a screaming V12 behind you then you're given the option to listen to your own MP3s in the background. To fine tune the whole music vs engine sound phenomenon, you are given the option to tone down the engine sound as well as ambient sounds. This is the way to go Eutechnyx, well done.
AI and steering are essential in every racing game and luckily it is done right here. The computer cars still block their lines but not as aggressive as in Ferrari Challenge. We actually liked the blocking AI, but now it's just perfect. For instance in the past the computer would try to block you even if the speed difference is immense, this time around they still do it occasionally but not as much. The driving with a controller and steering wheel both work well! We've had a hard time steering some of the cars with a controller because some of the cars were very unstable under braking. But this is a plus because the game should be unforgiving with everything off and even better the cars really all drive differently in SuperCar Challenge. This effect is what makes this game a sim and a good one too.
Now the last chapter of this review in which we talk about the issues. Firstly while we feel you can never have enough Ferraris, a little more variation would be nice. From the 44 cars to choose from maybe 30+ are Ferraris. But we won't say this is a problem because the Ferrari cars were made already for the prequel so why leave something out just for the sake of a little more balancing. More of a problem are the menus. They're slick and full of animation but maybe a little too much. This makes the interface feel sluggish at times. For example when you have to wait for the car preview to load before you can select the car and proceed. Another problem we found was the disability of the system to remember your driving aids at times. We've tried to remove the racing line but it magically came back in some of the modes. But nothing a short visit to the menu can't fix. To end the issues we'd really like to see a mixed car mode. Sometimes it's fun to race against other types of supercars as well.
SuperCar Challenge feels considerably different from it's prequel. With good graphics and sound it's presentation is ever so close to Grand Turismo 5 Prologue. The driving is amazing and the cars all really feel different, like in real life. But sluggish menus and a lack of variation in the car can limit your experience. Also sometimes the game can be frustrating, especially with arcade mode. Ultimately this game is highly recommended for simulation fans or people who really really like cars.
I'm Robin Chung, author of the dutch book Tegenlicht. I have a website that brings interesting reading material from all kind of subjects like health and gaming. The website also includes a forum, so you can discuss the articles, and you can order my book from there.
