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Not much, but what's here is nearly perfect

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 29, 2002
Author: Amazon User

The premise is simple: one car, a set of 11 total tracks, cockpit view, few customization options. Other than the Ferrari license, this is a fairly weak premise on paper, especially compared to the sheer number of cars and types of racing available in Gran Turismo 2 and A Spec. What makes this game special is that though it offers little variety, what it does provide, it does extremely well.

This game is an attempt to be a simulator for the Ferrari F355. As such, the physics model is considerably more difficult (and more accurate) than what you will find in any other console racing game, the Gran Turismo series included.

All races feature heats of eight identically prepared F355 cars. Unlike GT or other games that allow you to enter a race with a car that gives you a competitive advantage over the computer, F355 forces you to beat the competition by outdriving them on equal terms. In the Gran Turismo series of games where the physics engines are a little forgiving, and chicanes may be jumped, other cars may be "leaned on" in the corners, or the median can be used to force your car to turn sharper than it normally would, you can run away from the computer competition even with identical cars. F355's physics engine is much, MUCH less forgiving, the computer cars all seem to have at least somewhat of an advantage accelerating, and the computer competition will occasionally block or bounce you. In short, like real racing, you'll be need to slowly close in on your competition over the course of a long race and then stay out of the dirt to maintain your lead.

Additionally, the courses, though small in total number, feature an excellent variety, ranging from superspeedways (Motegi and Atlanta Motor Speedway), power tracks (Monza), technical tracks (Suzuka, Laguna Seca, Nurburgring, and Sepang), and historically significant tracks (Monza, Laguna Seca, Long Beach, Suzuka, Nurburgring). All said, it's a surprisingly great and well thought out collection.

On the down side, this is easily the most demanding racing game I have played on a console, and unlike nearly every other console racing game, it offers few rewards early on. Expect to lose and lose often. Indeed, winning the short length races (2 to 3 laps) is nearly impossible to do without extremely aggressive and flawless driving AND a whole lot of luck. The mid length races are at least winnable. There is an excellent interactive driving tutorial system that shows the racing and braking lines for each track, but this only helps so much, and is only somewhat rewarding.

Additionally, the Dreamcast controller is simply not ideal for racing games. The throw of the joystick is too short and too tightly sprung to offer the type of precision that the analogue PS controllers do. As F355 is less forgiving than other racing games, the Dreamcast controller is a bit of a handicap. A second gripe is that the rumble-pack support isn't nearly as refined as the rest of the game. With Gran Turismo and Test Drive LeMans, you can get a feel for what your car is doing on the track through the controller's feedback. In F355, very little feedback is given (if any) when you gain or lose traction or brake too hard, again, making the game more difficult than necessary.

That said, if you are a bona-fide racing junkie, have the aptitude to conquer racing sims, and have the patience to do so, I have no hesitation in recommending this purchase. However, this game is not for everyone. It is brutally difficult, and frankly, offers few rewards or encouragement. It is, however, honest, pure, and nearly perfect at what it does.

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