RACE: Caterham
Review
New Cars, extra tracks but still the same great gameplay
by William Thompson
reviewed on PC
Sightseeing
Graphics are at least on a par with other racing games currently on the market. One feature I enjoyed was the ability to race from different driving viewing angles. The usual (and in my opinion, the most realistic) in-the-cockpit view is available as well as views from behind the car and on the bonnet. The vehicles themselves look accurate (not that I’ve actually had the pleasure of driving a BMW sports car or a Caterham vehicle) and the look from the vehicles is impressive. The racetracks are well rendered, giving that authentic feel, although I guess, all bitumen looks the same. But the grandstands and other off-track characteristics such as trees, protective barriers and pit lanes look splendid.
That leads me to one other small, but great feature of the Caterham expansion. The game has a settings Auto-detect function or Performance Monitor. Basically, this feature enables RACE to detect the optimum settings to play the game. So if you’ve got a lower-end PC, the game will automatically revert to a lower graphics setting to keep the game running smooth. On the other hand, if you’ve got a high end PC, the game will let you know that you could increase the graphics settings and still have a silky ride.
“You’ve been warned for cutting the track”
Audio is standard fare from this type of racing game. There is the usual roar of the engines, the metallic scraping and clunking as vehicles collide and the sounds of the gearbox as you shift down through the gears. One thing I really liked though was the in-game penalty warning messages. A number of times whilst still getting used to the subtlety of the controls I accidentally cut the track (before ploughing into the protective tyre barriers) and a voice would tell me that I’ve been warned for cutting the track.
Keyboard controls are simple enough. Getting used to the handling of the cars can take a bit of getting used to though. If you don’t turn enough, the car goes rolling over the kitty-litter and into the protective barriers. If you turn too much, spinning out is the result. And in RACE, it is a fine line between the two. It certainly takes a few laps before getting the hang of the intricacies of the different vehicles and their handling. Of course, a racing-game enthusiast would probably own a racing-style controller. This helps. The controller definitely feels a little more receptive than the keyboard. Also, I actually found it easier to drive the Caterham sports cars than those from the existing selection including BMW, Alfa Romeo, Mini Cooper and Honda. Maybe it’s because they’re lower to the ground, but they seemed to have much better responsiveness and handling than some of the other vehicles.
Should I take it for a spin?
Overall, RACE and in particular the Caterham expansion, definitely offer enough of a variety to make the game interesting. The visuals are fantastic, greatly helped by the Performance Monitor feature, whilst the audio is typical of racing games. RACE is great for driving game enthusiasts due to the vast number of car tweaking options available, but still accessible to those who just want to load up and drive away.
It is being shipped as part of a two disc bundle with the original RACE– The WTCC Game, so there is definitely some value there for those who have yet to play the original. For those with the original (and for those without), the game is also being released via the Steam distribution system, so there won’t be a need to head out to your nearest EB store to get your hands on a copy. Personally, I’m a bit old-fashioned when it comes to games and I like to have a physical copy in my hands, so I’d be inclined to visit the store. The Steam distribution may also cause some problems for those gamers with small download limits. But for fans of the genre, this is another racing game that should be high on the list of must-play games.
8.0
fun score
No Pros and Cons at this time
