Superstars V8 review
Never underestimate the power of functionality. If a game has window dressing in abundance but nothing functions as you need, then the game will inevitably fail. V8 Supercars thankfully has functionality in spades. The front end is practical and will inevitably draw a direct comparison to Race Pro. But whilst cars were unlockable in Race Pro, and it did have some sort of progression system, albeit simplistic and poorly executed, in V8 Supercars everything is available from the start.
This has been done I suspect as there is only one form of racing available, that of the title, and it is done more than adequately. Coming in at two-thirds the price of full retail, one might expect two thirds the game. But what it does, it does very well which is seat you in a growling, twitching V8 Supercar, and propel you around real life circuits at 150 mph plus.
Driving the cars themselves is for the most part more on the simulator side than arcade, but feels more like Forza than Race Pro. Control is very tight and the car feedbacks the different layers of the track very well. The sensation of speed is very good. You will find yourself breaking early to begin with, as it will take time to learn that you can trust your car to turn in to the corners, whilst travelling as fast as you are. The cars have over 450bhp, so throttling back in a corner and then pulling down on the accelerator will result in the car sliding, usually every time. You can really steer the car with the accelerator, more so than in any other game released on the 360.
The whole experience feels authentic, the cars behaving as you would expect, both in handling and race physics. There does seem to be the notorious “air bubble”, which appears to be bolted on to the bumper of the car, meaning you will tap the car in front even though it’s still two foot away. Whilst in many games the air bubble is not too big a problem – in V8 Supercars drafting is vital and the bubble can tarnish the experience somewhat.
The obligatory car set up is available, and whilst it has not got the complexities of Race Pro, it does provide the usual variations on damper rebound, ride height, brake bias and the like. In-game telemetry can be viewed in the pits at any time. Realistic damage means that bumpers hang off and brakes fade over time. The wear and tear of the car is proportional to the amount of laps, meaning fewer overall laps will see your tyres and brakes wear out, far quicker than if you have longer races. Those that barrel through a chicane, with no regard to the racing line could be found paralysed, with a low maximum speed for 5 seconds, wiping out any advantage gained through cutting corners too much.
Graphically the game falls far short of a masterpiece, but while textures can be bland and flat, they are at least smooth rather than jaggy. The screen has a vignette feel, more exaggerated when the sun is behind you. In fact the difference between driving into the sun and driving behind can make you reach for the brightness control on the TV remote, but it’s a small complaint and one that does not detract from the game.
Your competitors in offline mode are more ruthless than forgiving, and think nothing of giving you a smack if you’re interrupting their racing line, but they will respect blocking attempts if you are defending your position. The challenge on normal is hard enough – the legendary setting is nigh impossible to win a race, no mistakes can be made so for purists there is definitely a challenge.
There is a championship mode which takes you through a full championship, but no career as such. A championship meet consists of two practise sessions, a qualifying session and finally the race itself. The dynamic weather system comes into play here, as you may have dry weather all the way through to qualifying, but then be faced with a wet track for the race. Thankfully your pit crew (dependent upon its experience), should have outfitted the car with the appropriate tyres.
A nice addition is Superstar licences. 20 challenges that put you in different situations, varying from defending leads with tyre wear, to only having a few laps to overtake a certain number of cars.
What will ultimately make or break a game at this price point is the online experience. Supporting up to twelve participants on track and lag free racing (at time of writing), the formula is there to start a community that should embrace the game online, and has time to establish itself before Forza 3 arrives. One thing that may divide opinion is the inclusion of the need to press the left bumper button to talk to competitors over Live, but at least it stops the subconscious ramblings of someone concentrating on their best lap.
A game in summary that does what it advertises but offers little more, but when what it does is done well it proves that little else is needed. Sure, it could be polished up but the rough body shell houses an engine that will be enjoyed by anyone brave enough to take the V8 for a spin
