World Racing 2 Review
December 30, 2005 by Scott Parrino
by Scott - December 30, 2005
The thrill of racing an exotic sports car is just as fun as racing in a Golf GTI in World Racing 2. With more than 90 car models and 17 different car brands, car racing enthusiasts are sure to enjoy buying each and every model and racing them in realistic locations against some very intelligent A.I.
Lets Go Racing!
World Racing 2 is one of those titles you haven�t really heard of, much like GTR FIA Racing, but makes a very good impression on you. While not exactly a Gran Turismo 4, World Racing 2 is definitely a great racing title.
Starting off in World Racing 2 is simple. Create a profile and off you go! For those who want something of a challenge, the Career Mode is the meat and potatoes of World Racing 2. Before you can even begin racing you need to take some driving lessons to familiarize yourself with the controls and learn the in and outs of driving. I know for most gamers this is pretty boring, and it is, but its over before you know it and soon you�re ready to take on your career. In Career Mode, mission races are opened as you complete the previous ones or more if you do extremely well. This mission races range from slide challenges, lap races, knockout races and the like. They are varied as time goes so that you don�t get stuck doing the same types of mission races too much, which is a good thing since some of them can get very frustrating. Most of this can be attributed to the very challenging A.I.
The A.I. in World Racing 2 are probably the best I have seen in any racing game. They will ride your slipstream to get closer and when the time is right, they�ll pass you and zoom ahead. They�ll avoid obstacles with a breeze and manage turns as if they were nothing. Now this may all seem to be a very uber-style A.I. that can whip your butt too easily, but as I played on I realized that it was due to driver experience. You see, you just can�t play World Racing 2 like a cheap racer, you need to know how to outwit your opponents and how to drive your car. Once you have managed that, you have pretty much won the race.
As for earning money to buy rides and racetracks, it all depends on how you race. You can earn the money by winning the race, but you can actually lose some by being an unfair driver. Being an unfair driver entails: cutting corners, bumping cars, crashing into cars, etc. Not only do you have to try and win, you have to try and win fairly. I think this is an excellent step in the right direction for racing games, as it teaches a racer that playing fair does pay off. Gaining more money is as simple as driving very well, from slides to passing opponents. Simple, isn�t it?
Getting the cars for single races, joyrides and challenges are easy. There is no need to perform any special moves to unlock them or complete certain races; all you need to do is earn the money you won by racing. The most expensive cars are available to purchase after a few races and adding new rims and vinyl to them is cheap as well.
Speaking of the cars, my oh my are they beautiful and exciting. They all have their own strengths and weaknesses, from acceleration, top speed, handling, rear-wheel, all-wheel, front-wheel, etc. These features make it fun to buy them all and race them on your leisure, or racing them in your career for a new experience against opponents or the clock. You can change their paintjob for free and buy rims and vinyl decorations for them, but that is about for customization. For controlling these wicked machines, I recommend a controller or a steering wheel to get the best out of them, as a keyboard doesn�t seem to do the job.
As you race your cars, you�ll want to do the obvious: avoid hitting things. As your car hits things, like cars, rocks, buildings, lakes, etc, you�ll take damage. As damage builds up, so does the wear on your car. You�ll notice your door hanging off, a fender cracked, some dents here and there. As you abuse your car more and more, the transmission will start to slip, your tires will wear down and you�ll lose traction. Keep the tachometer in the red and your car will overheat and explode. All of this feels very realistic and in some ways fun as you push your car to the limits. The only weird thing is that the crash aspect seems a bit heavy. If you hit a car head-on, you�ll just stop dead in your tracks. It feels as if your wheels are glued to the road but for other accidents, such as being run off the road, dirt getting on your car, you can go flying if you hit a ramp or rock just right. The only downside to World Racing 2 would have to be that it can be too tough for some players. The A.I. can get too intelligent at some times, especially at the last lap.
Nice Paint Job
Graphically, World Racing 2 is the prettiest looking race game for the PC next to GTR FIA Racing. The cars are modeled beautifully, down to sensuous curves and modern lines of detail. Nothing is more fun than destroying the wonderful look with a few crashes and romp in the mud. Take too much time off the road and you�ll see your shiny paintjob begin to get dirty. Never worry though; a short jaunt through a pond will clean it right up.
The locales in World Racing 2 (six to be exact) range from Hawaii, Egypt, to Miami. They all look absolutely wonderful with the graphics turned up, but be prepared from some slowdown if your rig can�t handle it. The only thing missing from the scene are pedestrians, but I figure this is just to concentrate on the racing aspect of the game rather than try and run down the businessman on the corner. The civilian cars are generic looking but helps to differentiate your opponents from traffic. The only downside is that civilian traffic doesn�t take damage and have this incredible power to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The effects in World Racing 2 could use a boost here and there. Splashing into a river doesn�t really look like you just landed in water. Other environmental effects such as time of day have no control by you. You can�t set your race at night or in the morning, it is just all random. Aside from these little graphical bits, the visuals in World Racing 2 are very pleasing and with the in-game controls, you can adjust the camera and zoom to take a nice screenshot of your Mercedes-Benz on the coast.
Sound Needs A Tune-Up
World Racing 2�s sound effects aren�t really anything to write home about. The music is so-so and I recommend to just turn it off and listen to the sounds of racing. The sound the cars make sound alright, although just slightly generic. I wish they had much more bass to them and sounded more the like the real deal. Other sound effects are done pretty well. Tire squealing and accidents sound good, but nothing really special. I was quite disappointed in the sound but the action of racing a close race didn�t really let me concentrate on the sound. There are some pluses, however. You can definitely hear when an opponent is coming up close to you, which is a big help for when you want keep him behind you and not in front of you. The announcer needs more work in the game as well. I feel bad that all you hear is the countdown and nothing else from him.
Fun For Online?
Racing online against six other live people does have its ups and downs. Depending on the connection, lag can contribute to car location and in turn lead to accidents. However, if you have a great connection and find other buddies to race against, World Racing 2 is a blast online. It sure does make for some white-knuckle racing and if you're racing against a bunch of newbies, pushing them into barriers and traffic is a blast.
A Worthy Racing Title?
So how does World Racing 2 stack up? I believe its a great title with a nice wide selection of cars and types of races to play to keep anyone busy. With more than 120 mission races in Career Mode, players are sure to have a lot of time to play new challenges and win money to buy the cars that they have always wanted.
Just remember that even though you are a great driver on the screen, doesn't mean you can skip driver's ed.
