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3/5 |
Takes some getting used to
(July 01, 2008) |
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Supplied (very swiftly) by Games Heaven, I've only had about 4 hours use of this sim so far. First reactions are I'm a bit disappointed. There is no manual with this programme, the online website offers 3 VOLUMES to download in pdf format, but when you download it it turns out to be an odd format (that can't be read)!!! The games own menu is quite confusing to follow, similar to Toca Race Driver (if you're familiar with that) and it also appears to operate a similar system where you HAVE to progress through various levels BEFORE you have access to some tracks and vehicles, which I think is a con to be honest. I refused to buy any more Codemaster racing sims after finding it IMPOSSIBLE to get beyond a certain point and hence be UNABLE to access many vehicle types and tracks. Why should you have to pay twice for something you'd already thought you were getting?
Anyway,back to this sim... the programme recognised both my forcefeedback steering wheel and forcefeedback joystick, so I have a choice of both PLUS (though God knows how) I could also use the keyboard! Spoilt for choice! At present I'm using the steering wheel and pedals which is the most ergonomically natural. I'm going to have to make notes and get used to the "user defined" key functions, but that shouldn't be too hard, as I'm used to other driving sims. I'm looking forward, once I've sussed things out, to getting to grips with the game proper.
Initially I find the cars lack the "feel" of other sims, but maybe I've some more setting up to do to improve the feedback and handling. It's pretty poor at present, but I'm optimistic. I can also juggle some of the general settings to see if that improves the frame rates and effects. I'll report back later with any revellations (if I have any!), preovided I don't have a fatal crash in the meantime! I've had a couple of nasty bangs (excuse the expression!) already. Oh, and for some odd reason all the vehicles are black. I can't sort out quite why that is so at present. My aged PC's CPU not up to coping with colours? I don't think so. It's either a bug or I need to tweak some settings somewhere. Better get on with it then. Tally ho!
5/7/08: No progress. I emailed Atari for technical support - nothing, not even an automatic acknowledgement of receipt. Also the GT-Legend website was shut "temporarily" for essential work to be done - that was in 2007, and it's still not working in 2008! I'm guessing it will never reappear. Not that I would have raced online myself, but I expect this thwarts anyone racing online if they wished to?
Good job I got this cheap, I wouldn't be too pleased. I know it's an elderly game in PC terms but...... |
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5/5 |
Move over Gran Turismo
(May 06, 2008) |
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Having finally opted to buy a pc based racing simulator for the first time, I am only now kicking myself for not having ventured into this field much earlier (I only purchased the PS2 as I was in love with the Gran Turismo series. I see this game as having saved me the 300 or so quid that it would cost me to buy the new PS3 - unless of course your the type who plays a whole plethora of other genre PS3 based games.)
For me the whole racing experience on this game far outweighs the artificial and unrealistic challenge provided by Gran Turismo. This game is intelligent. The handling characteristics are phenominal. It is programmed to reflect the subtle differences between the lightweight european cars for example and the heavy, poor handling american muscle cars that are indeed faster in a straight line but which can't handle the corners. And the SOUND - awesome. That's another area where Gran Turismo failed to deliver for me.
Even the daylight characteristics of the game are impressive - I was racing on one track where my eyes really did squint as I rounded a corner and was faced with the blinding afternoon sun sitting low in the sky!
The only negative is that after only a short time I think I have almost completed the whole list of challenges - it is not a game with many different variations as compared with Gran Tur., but what it lacks in scale, it more than makes up for in sheer realism. |
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5/5 |
GTL is quite Brilliant
(July 13, 2007) |
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This game is all about real car control, drifting cars like you have never done before. For the £9 it will cost you you will get hours of pleasure out of it. The online racing is great. |
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5/5 |
Absorbing realism and great racing
(July 03, 2007) |
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An awesome game which combines nostalgia of the old cars with the cutting edge of today's racing sims. Graphics are superb, racing up behind old Lotus Cortinas, Minis, and Jag MKIIs really takes you back in time and creates a surreal atmosphere. Things run pretty well on my laptop, but I'd like to play this on a full-on gaming PC as I am used to the high frame-rates of PS2 racers like Gran Turismo. Actual handling and physics are incredible, with amazing depth. You can really feel the cars' weight as you balance them round corners. You can drive in many different ways, sliding the car skillfully in to bends Lewis Hamilton-style, or braking in a straight line and sailing round in a smoother manner. Occasionaly a bend might feel like a giant 50p piece, something I have found in other racers, not sure if this is deliberate or not really, but it's only a minor gripe against an overall backdrop of intense racing and amazing realism. Also impressive are the difficult levels. I dropped down to a novice level for a cup I was struggling with, and was pleased to find that the assists were very subtle, everything still feels much the same and very authentic; if anything it just seemed like the opponents were a little slower. I used my PS2 Logitech Gran Turismo wheel, and this works great, even without bothering to plug in power for force feedback. Easily one of the best racers I've ever played. |
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5/5 |
Best racing sim I've ever owned.
(May 28, 2007) |
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The original GTR was easily the best racing simulation of it's time, it was great. The AI was especially impressive, although there were some glitches and bugs here and there.
GTL uses a completely new game engine to GTR, and requires a very different driving technique. While the present day GTR cars have very high levels of grip, the cars in GTL date back to the 60's and 70's and the word grip should be used loosely by comparison.
So much fun can be had drifting these cars around corners (Rather than just pointing them in the right direction) once you've gotten some practice in. Unlike GTR, where losing the tail is pretty much 'hello gravel and tyre wall', GTL is far more forgiving, infact for some of the cars sliding is the only way to get a decent lap, and thats what makes it so much more fun than GTR.
The AI isn't quite at the same level as GTR, but it's very close behind.
GTL was very demanding on my PC at 1st, with low frame rates on some of the tracks. But with a few simple tweaks with the help of some online racing forums, I had it running 50% faster.
There's a good selection of tracks here too, but there now alot of free downloadable tracks that go well into 3 figures, so you'll never get bored with it.
Online racing is just pure fun and then some. If you can join a private racing league as I've done, all the better.
I've played GTR2 for a little while too, and yes it's a big improvement on GTR, but the super high levels of grip leave me a little cold. It's alot faster yeah, but speed doesn't always equate to fun.
To sum up, will everyone like it? If you enjoy playing Need for Speed Carbon, Burnout etc, then forget it, this is not for you. But for anyone who wants to throw a car around a race track and battle with up to 30 other drivers online, you just can't get any better than this. |
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