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Simplicity, excellence, and challenge

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: October 22, 2000
Author: Amazon User

There is a purity to this game that has yet to be captured by any other racing title I've played. While some may want 300+ cars to choose from and an insane sense of speed (ie, Tokyo Extreme2 says you're going 150 mph, yet feels more like 400), F355 is restraint and perfection at it finest.

There's plenty to jigger with when it comes to customizing your car, don't get me wrong, but this racer has eliminated excess or anything that isn't necessary which is an amazing achievement these days. Yu Suzuki is a master! The game's simplicity is strangely compelling.

Graphics, physics, control, challenge, are all top notch. The only drawbacks I've found are the inability to save along the way during a world championship quest (who wants to keep their noisy DC humming for 3 days straight?), the music sucks bigtime (that could have been eliminated!) and the instant replay is regrettable at every level.

Other than that, F355 is an amazing feat. The way the environments move past you is simply astonishing. The billboards scrolling by at a silky 60 fps will make your eyes water.

If you want a sophisticated sim and a racing title that's stripped down to the bare, perfected essence, get out your plastic and add this to your shopping cart now! Go for the next day delivery! It'll be worth it!!!

The Best Racing Sim By Far!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: October 26, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This game is by far the best driving game on the market. That being said, it is definitely not for everyone. I am a huge car fan, Ferrari in particular. I am also a huge racing fan. So the amazingly realistic way that the car handles and the incredible accuracy of the tracks is wonderful, but if you are not looking for a real racing simulation this probably isnt the game that you want. There are a couple of things that the game does not have that would probably help alot of people out though, such as only one driving view (in car with a little of the steering wheel on the screen), this really didn't effect me though because the in car view always ends up being the one that I use, but if you like the outside of the car view you are out of luck. But this game is all about the racing and the racing is great. Unlike games like Sega GT and Gran Turismo you can not fire up the game for the first time and start winning it takes a little work, but it is much more rewarding when you do finally win a few races. Another strong point of the game is that you cannot build an unbeatable car, so you always have the chance to get beat by the computer controlled cars, which have the best AI that I have ever found in any racing game, they are not completely unbeatable and they actually make realistic mistakes, giving you opportunity to win, but if you blow a turn they will definitely pass you, you cant pull a Gran Turismo and start cutting them off and have them not get by you. Overall if you like real spec. racing this is the game for you. If you want something less realistic Go for Sega Gt or one of the Gran Turismos (I never thought I would be saying that something is more realistic than Sega Gt or Gran Turismo!) But if you do like real racing and the car is not an issue this game can not be beat.

greatest racing game ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: October 01, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Having a great interest in cars ive ended up playing tons of of driving games on all platformes. The major flaw with most driving games is usually bad physics, cars with terrible cornering and braking. There are 3 driving modes in the game novice.intermediate and race. Novice teaches you how to corner,shift etc. wich is actually very hard due to the fact that your driving a highly strung race car on some of the most challanging tracks on earth.

the graphics in this game are absolutely stunning never has a driving game come close to the realism in f355, from the car to the track its perfect. The engine sounds are straight out of the acctual car and vary depending on the rpm. It takes about an hour to master this game under novice mode and be able to get around the course without spinning out.finalyy a driving game based on skill and not picking the fastest car. If theres one drawback to this game its the music, bad eighties rock by the musicians at sega. But luckily the music can easily be turned off. So finally if youre looking for an easy arcade racer get SF rush but if want a challanging sim get f355.

The Greatest Racing Simulation Ever Made

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: October 20, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Wow.

I've been thinking for days about what words can describe how perfect this game is. Or should I say "simulation." F355 Challenge is the most realistic racing simulation ever created, on any system. I cannot emphasize that enough. Real-life Ferrari race car drivers actually use this game to practice during the off-season! Still, the game is certainly fun, fun, fun.

The graphics are unbelievable, and not just because they are detailed and pretty. The proportions and the ways the camera moves are so accurate that I actually had to look away from the screen to remind myself that I was playing a game! There are so many little details - the tailpipes flash when you shift gears, the tire smoke is dead-on, the tracks are perfect reproductions of their real-life equivalents. The sound is also great, and is sampled directly from the real cars.

You MUST play this game with a steering wheel (I recommend Mad Catz's). You will find the game much easier, more realistic, and more enjoyable. Beginners can pick up the game fairly easily, thanks to a wonderful training mode that paints a line on the track to follow, and a coach who instructs you when to shift and brake. Four different assist modes help you with everything from braking to stablity, and can be turned off as you get better.

Casual gamers beware - F355 Challenge is easy to learn, but hard to master. Be prepared to spend lots of time learning each track and racing it to perfection. F355 certainly concentrates on the race itself. There is only 1 car and no parts upgrades, so all the cars are evenly matched, and you must use actual skill to win a race. Plus, the AI is outstanding - the computer drivers will definitely challenge you to finish in the top 3 (let alone in 1st). Plus, they make bad turns and screw up in a believeable way. The eleven tracks are wonderful. But again, be prepared to spend hours practicing, driving each course over and over, before you start winning races. Once you do, you will certainly feel that you have earned it, and have learned some real driving skills.

Not too bad...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 05, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Ferrari F355 is a pretty difficult simulation to play, let alone master. This game is true to its arcade roots... tough yet probably one of the most realistic handling simulations out there. If you are looking for a game to quickly jump into and start competing for the championship right away, then stay away from this game... Test Drive LeMans would be more to your liking. If you want a game with a very steep learning curve that will test your mettle, then this is the game for you. The music does tend to get a bit monotonous, so it's a good thing you can shut it off. All in all, not a bad game, if you can get it at a discount.

Strictly for hardcore sim racers

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: October 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Don't get me wrong. F355 is a great game. It has awesome graphics and great control but it's heavy on the sim-factor and way, way light on the fun-factor. Once I finally figured out the controls, I still had to learn how to race efficiently for me to be able to really get into the game, which I'll admit hasn't really happened yet. I spent too much time and effort learning how to play the game to really be able to enjoy it. If you're really, really into sim racing, get this game. If you're more the arcade racing type, skip it.

I still love Ferraris.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 01, 2002
Author: Amazon User

BEFORE I START, FOR ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE THIS GAME AND THINK IT [STINKS], OR EVEN IF YOU LIKE IT, .... DISCOVER A WAY TO UNLOCK 5 MORE COURSES!! Now that that's clear, because I just finished reading the reviews, this game is ok. They did a great job with the graphics, but I do agree that this game needs more cars, even if their unlockable. And they should be unlockable because the game's name is F355 Challenge. The 5 extra courses are fun and a change in graphics, and there is even a downhill in one of them. You know what I love to do in this game? I like to put the course on that circular one, turn around, and drive the reverse way in race mode and crash into the cars. That'll teach 'em to stop winning! Cones are fun to hit in this game. I wish there was some sort of damage to your car if you kept crashing. The cars are not made of gold. And I hate it when the car goes into the grass bacause it's so hard to get out. It takes forever! So, for all you simulation experted, tasteless car racing fans out there, this game is for you.

More cars, courses, and variety needed.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: August 13, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Looking at my headline, you'd think I would give this game a 2. But the graphics are incredible and the ground is just like real. But it's not like Sega GT where you can pick from 130 different cars. All you can do to these cars are change the colors and all the confusing springs in the front and rear. It has also 6 available courses and 5 hidden courses which are all lifelike and all real. But this is more of a simulation game than an arcade game. And that was the most important part of my review.

Great game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: November 22, 2000
Author: Amazon User

F355 is an excellent car racing game. The driving sensations are really near to what you can have in the real driving. Just try this game and buy it, you won't regret. The only bad thing for me is that the computer level may be too high for novices but that's all. Sorry for my american spoken level, I'm french. So to finish I give 4 stars to this game because I think perfection doesn't exist.

One of the best racing sims out there

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 19, 2001
Author: Amazon User

F355 Challenge is truly amazing. Although it may not be able to compare to Gran Turismo, it comes very close.

Without any doubt, the graphics are exceptional, hands down.

The gameplay is also truly exceptional. The physics are as realistic as they can get.

The track selection is a very nice mix. From Long Beach, CA to Suzuka, Japan, each track ranging in difficulty.

F355 Challenge is not perfect, though. There are a few drawbacks. The AI is extremely difficult and could be frustrating to a novice. But those who can outwit the AI are well rewarded for their efforts.

Another drawback is that there's only one view which is an in-car camera with the top of the steering wheel and the driver's arms and hands viewable. The view isn't that bad, although it takes getting used to.

The only other drawback is that you can only race with one car. You can change the color of your Ferrari with a selection of different colors that are available. The car is still very nice.

Even with three drawbacks, F355 Challenge: Passione Rossa is still definitely worth buying, hands down.

Without any doubt, F355 Challenge is one of the best racing sims out there!

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