 One of the games mentioned as a potential winner in the initial Wii lineup was GT Pro Series, which had the added bonus of coming with a steering wheel attachment for the Wiimote. The game itself was set to featured cell-shaded graphics which would put off comparisons of the Wii to other next-gen systems graphically, and using the remote to steer would be an interesting and easy to learn way to play the game. While the steering wheel accessory is another innovative use of the Wiimote, how would this driving game, built on gameplay and not on graphics, hold up?
Immersion (Story/Environment)
There really isn’t much of a story to the game beyond racing cars. You have an assortment of real cars and fake tracks to choose from, and the assortment can be expanded, as well as the cars tweaked as you win different races in the series. The environment doesn’t feel right however, with repetitive tracks and graphics, it’s hard to tell the cars apart, many of them are so similar to each other in looks and ratings that some of the selection feels like a waste, and tweaking your car is very straight forward, as every part either does something cosmetic (like a new horn) or a direct improvement in the driving translation. The only immersive part of the whole experience is the driving wheel attachment, and that can be used with any other driving game that has similar controls as well. Gameplay
The controls are fairly simple, as the Wiimote is held on its side and turned like a steering wheel. You use the 1 and 2 buttons for gas and breaks, and D pad for shifting, or other options depending on the control scheme you choose. While the steering wheel attachment isn’t needed, it does add to the driving feel, and is useful when learning the controls. However, the steering feels loose and unresponsive at times, which given how responsive the Wiimote has been in other games, is entirely on the game side. You have a championship run, where you play as a single player in races on different tracks and with different rules (usually limits on cars available), but after a while, they mostly feel the same. Also, all the tracks tend towards drifting tracks, which make non-drifting racing almost impossible. Another annoyance is always starting in last place, so you not only have to race well, but you have to play catch up every race, which gets tedious. You can also play in a 2 player vs. mode, or a time trial. 2 Player Split screen works fairly well, though it’s always only you and your opponent, with no CPU drivers to deal with as well. Graphics and Sound
The Graphics are a huge disappointment. Not because they weren’t realistic, but because they would be disappointing on a game cube, and are probably closer to Nintend-64 level. The tracks are repetitive, with the same signs, cliff sides, skylines, on every track, they all blend together. The music is also very basic midi level, and gets repetitive fairly quickly. The sound effects are ok, but about what you’d expect from a racing game, nothing truly earth shattering. Above and Beyond
Two player mode players very well, with a top/bottom split screen, so you don’t loose much viewing area, and since you don’t need the wheel attachment, no one is really at a disadvantage if you only have one (You can buy more form Ubisoft, or your local retailer, MSRP of $19.99). The fact that the game comes with an accessory makes it a bit more appealing, and the wheel itself is easy to construct, small enough to store, and seems well build and durable. Overall
The biggest plus to the game is the Steering Wheel accessory, which works well. The game itself can be fun for a while, but eventually gets rather repetitive, and the difficulty curve of the game gets rather steep, having to always come from behind. While the controls offer a promising glimpse into future Wii racing titles, they don’t quite feel as accurate as they should have been, nor does the game control lend itself to feeling like you’re truly in control of the car. Fun for a few hours perhaps, but it can get fairly repetitive after that. Bront’s Score: 5.0 out of 10 Discuss this review on the Forums. |
