GTR FIA Racing Review
July 31, 2005 by Scott Parrino
by Scott - July 31, 2005
Settling in behind the wheel of a 600-plus horsepower machine can make anyone�s heart beat faster and blood pump quicker. It isn�t until you give it some gas that you are getting the distinct feeling of your entire body being pushed back into your seat as your grip tightens. GTR FIA Racing can do that, and in return you come away feeling like you have actually put in the effort of a race. This is what every simulation should aspire for.
Vroom! Vroom!
As much as I love the sense of driving my truck at a mild 65 mph down the highway on my way to work and back home, I still can�t get over the feeling I had when I was in my old muscle car doing triple-digit speeds on that same highway. Of course I know everyone loves that feeling, mainly the younger generation and some older folk, of going fast. However there are times where fast isn�t what people want, but rather to take turns at incredible speeds, nudge their way in and out of other cars, and manage their pit times with a live pit crew leader. GTR FIA Racing gladly steps in and offers those who are interested the simulation that we have all wanted to have.
That said GTR FIA Racing is a simulation of high-performance racing sports cars such as Vipers, Lamborghinis, BMWs, Porsches, and everyone�s favorite from Italy, Ferrari. Each car has its own unique and diverse way of handling, acceleration, fuel economy, and looks. You will have to take into account the location of the wheelbase, which receives powers (front or rear-wheel drive), the amount of horsepower the engine produces, and the effective top speed of your car to win a race in GTR. It doesn�t stop there as you need to learn how to manage your car in the garage in terms of RPM management, amount of fuel, brake dias, down force, and my personal favorite, tire hardness (don�t ask why, I just find it fun to try out various types of tire hardness and see which works and causes you to just peel out constantly).
Pretty intense isn�t it? It is for any new player who has just started simulation racing but luckily GTR is prepared to hold your hand and work with your training wheels (if cars have those nowadays) until you feel ready to master the full-on simulation setting. That said, GTR gives players three choices in terms of flavor for their gameplay, from an arcade feel to semi-pro to the respected and equally tough simulation setting. Each offer an array of settings that range to A.I. behavior to how much the computer holds your hands. Arcade setting brings with it several more selections, which from top to bottom offer players a chance to either put in a few races without worry of managing their car in the garage or setting up RPM timing. This is a welcome setting for most as it can be very frustrating to play GTR on its highest setting and just feel helpless as your car careens into the walls.
That said, GTR doesn�t offer training courses but rather practices where you can experiment on your own. There are the warnings that show up on screen before you reach a turn that suggest which gear you should be in but aside from that you have to learn it yourself. This can be a tough learning curve to grapple but then again if you are purchasing SimBin�s latest racing simulation then you are obviously not in it to collect power-ups and nitro boosts but to master the gears and accelerate towards the finish line. GTR doesn�t offer a career mode either. Yes, there are Championships to be won, but you don�t start out with a low-rung car and advance your way up the ladder and win money to buy upgrades. This is actually a great idea as it is a simulation and you have the chance to use any car that is presented to you to race in any track or competition without worry of losing money or your car.
Speaking of the tracks, there are numerous, spanning from locations in Brazil, the U.S., Britain, Spain, and pretty much anywhere you�d think there would be a track. These are all mostly recreated tracks from the real-life except for one huge difference: they�re in your computer. What I mean to say is that since they�re accurate recreations, along with the detail and other such effects that go in to a race on GTR, they take a while to load. Tracks can vary in environment, which can affect your driving. Powerful winds, heat, track heat, any rise or decline will affect your driving in real-time so best be paying attention or else you�ll be wondering why you�re not getting any rear-wheel traction (hint: tire hardness!).
While racing you�re going to be overwhelmed with the amount of functions you�ll need to be concentrating on (depending on your setting). Sure, you can use shift up and down, accelerate and brake, but there is more to that. Steering is a skill that you must master along with gas and brake usage. I heavily recommend getting a steering wheel setup for your computer as the keyboard or a gamepad will not cut it for anything above Arcade settings. Being able to apply the right amount of gas and steering in a turn takes practice and can certainly be a pain to learn but once you do, you�ll find yourself trying to do it real life.
In real life though, you don�t get a pit crew or a nice fully stocked garage. While racing your pit crew leader will give you hints, tips, notifications (I get a lot of the violating the 55 mph rule in the pits), and something that a lot of people want to know, damage information. Hearing a nice chap with a British accent telling me my tire has a puncture feels like I�m on the racing team. Even more so when I bring my car into the pits that I am presented with a screen with any changes I want. From that screen you can change your tires, fix any body damage you have, or just refuel. Keep in mind that this takes time and you don�t want to be caught on the last lap running on fumes. Practice practice practice!
Practice is what you will need for the A.I. in GTR. They can be quite a handful if you are reckless and even more so if you are good at racing. Of course the quality changes on the difficulty setting, but the A.I. are not idiots. They�ll get behind you and ride your tail so that they can muscle around you. Or if they are noticing that you are taking your turns wide, they�ll sneak in on the inside and vice versa. It is an A.I. that a lot of people can enjoy racing rather than cursing at for utilizing cheap tricks.
The Look Of Speed
Visually GTR is as impressive as you make it. If your computer can handle it, boosting up the graphics will give you some of the nicest looking racing simulation graphics you have seen. Nicely done shadows, some hazing, the sight of an exhaust backfiring as you downshift in to a corner really ties everything together to immerse you into the sensation of professional racing. All the cars are modeled with fine detail, down to individual racing team�s designs and colors of the body and any real drivers. While driving don�t be surprised look over and see your opponent looking at you as he blows past you down the straightaway.
Unfortunately here is where you need to make a concession. Racing on your computer needs to be smooth. A frame burp will cause you to either over or under compensate a turn or pass an opponent, and you�ll just end up either damaging your car or losing your place. I recommend scaling down your graphics so that you can maintain at least sixty frames per second for optimum control. While you may miss out on the nice effects and graphics of GTR, you�ll get the true feeling of speed and not as if you are being pulled through a briar patch in a sled.
The graphics of the track are nice, but to maintain frames the crowds are basically just flat sprites with the occasional detailed cameraman or bystander. I don�t think you should worry much about that as you are going at incredible speeds so checking out the people in the stand are the least of your concern. Driving your car over grass or dirt or peeling out will give you the effects you expect and then some. Putting too much RPMs in to your engine will product a nice fiery effect. Of course if you somehow missed your mistake, GTR provides a quick replay of the past thirty seconds as well as a full replay system. If you feel fit enough to take a screenshot, GTR shamelessly allows you take one that features its logo in the upper left and gives you something to frame on your computer screen. Ferraris and Dodge Vipers are a sure way to attract attention to your desktop!
The interior of your car is great, aside from actually being in one, looks like the real deal. Light up displays, a moving steering wheel, a banner across the top of the windshield that is transparent and blocks the sun (you�ll appreciate this) gladly give you eye-candy to enjoy. My biggest gripe though is that the shifter doesn�t move an inch. It doesn�t kill the game but as an avid stick shift user, I miss the true feeling of shifting gears in high performance cars.
Quality Sound
GTR�s sound quality is top-notch to say the least. To sum it up, never has a racing simulator given me a sensation of racing a V-12 engine racecar like ever before. From the sound of your car starting up to your tires squealing around turns, GTR covers pretty much everything in the sound department. I haven�t been around a Ferrari lately so I�m not sure what the engine sound is truly like, but I doubt that a simulation game like GTR is going to record the wrong type.
The sound of your engine varies correctly to the amount of gas you are giving it and the gear it is in. Couple this with the sound of any turbo, superchargers, and shifting that goes on in your automobile and you are surrounded by a symphony of pure professional racing sound. You aren�t just limited to the sound of your car, but your opponent�s cars as well. You can hear them as they get behind you and muscle around you to pass. This is a welcome effect, as sometimes you don�t want to waste time checking your views to see if you have an unwelcome visitor coming up behind you.
The music in GTR is your standard techno quality music that isn�t too shabby. It didn�t feel cheap or generic as it incorporated many of the game�s sounds and if you are a fan of it, you can have it on while you race.
Average Online Play
Online gaming nowadays features technology that can maintain high performance gaming over DSL, cable, and even dial-up. GTR doesn�t want to be left behind and wants to give the player a chance to race someone from miles and miles away. Of course, if you have friends and they are GTR gamers; you can all play together with more than fifty players. Of course with that much players on one track you are going to run in to some pretty bad lag even with a fast connection. To keep the games nice and easy and great on the ping, I�d say limit it to about 12. If you want to do it over LAN, I say squeeze as many as your friends in and get to town. Racing online definitely has its fun but can be a pain racing against those who are really good and those who are there to ruin the game. Many a time have there just been players who ruin it for the rest of us by sideswiping, pushing, etc, and all I have to say is that you can�t avoid it sometimes. If you can, find a nice decent server and you�ll be set.
Racing online has more problems though since one second you could appear to be in first but then you �ghost� and you are suddenly in second. Connection is a big deal you�ll need to handle and it is recommended that only DSL or cable connections utilize online play in GTR. Over all it is a mixed bag and I find it better to just play the A.I. than other players online.
A Title For Racing Enthusiasts
In the end, GTR FIA Racing is a title that all racing fans should get their hands on. The feeling of racing exotic cars at high speeds and taking first place is a feeling that can only be experienced with GTR. This is definitely a fun game to play and I'm sure a lot of you will too.
