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Platform Filters:   All Platforms  Xbox   GameCube   PlayStation 2   PC   Game Boy Advance   Site Sections:   Updates  News   Games   Publishers   Developers   Reviews   Previews   Release Dates   Editorials   Glossary   Contact Us		Review:       3rd January 2002: Lotus Challenge  Can a Lotus-specific driving game make a dent in the PS2's flagship racer, GT3? Posted by Marc Hull - PlayStation 2 - UK and Europe The PS2's racing game outlook is bleak. After the long wait, anticipation and then eventual rejoice for Gran Turismo 3, few third party companies are willing to put up a fight against it. After all, few companies other than Sony would be able to generate the same level of euphoria for a game, and have the muscle to create such a monster of a title, and let's face it - all future PS2 racers will be judged by it until GT4 comes along. However, one way to make some sort of impression on the beast of the game would be to try a different approach, which is what Virgin Interactive have tried with Lotus Challenge. As the name suggests, instead of trying to cover every aspect of racing like GT3, this game centres completely around Lotus cars, both past and present, and tries to cover them in as much detail as possible. So, the game contains only Lotus cars - a bit of a limitation, some may think. However, this formula has been made successful before by other companies, most notably Sega's Ferrari F355 Challenge which contained only one car (and is still one of my favourite driving games), so I was more than willing to enter it with an open mind. Unfortunately, whereas F355 Challenge was fun due to its realism; the fact that the braking distance, speed and then eventual acceleration for every corner had to be calculated to perfection to get up to first place; Lotus Challenge seems to be stuck between being an arcade game and a simulation. Unfortunately, in the end it lacks the realism and excitement to be either. While I've never driven a Lotus car, those who are lucky enough to have had the experience say that they are fast, responsive and a dream to handle. However, the cars in Lotus Challenge just don't seem to go fast enough, and corner as if all they can manage is to cruise. To make the situation worse, the track designs are flat, and often contain long straights which, due to the underpowered cars, can be quite frustrating. Despite the fact that the courses are meant to be based on real-life locations, including Tokyo, the Arizona Speedway and the Jupiter Beach Raceway in Florida, they don't seem to have been used to full effect. Graphically, the game is solid, but that's about where it ends. While the cars look detailed and realistic, it's obvious that few polygons were left to model the tracks, which lack detail in the surroundings. Overall, while it doesn't look bad, and is free of technical glitches such as slow-down and pop-up, there's little here to show off your PS2 with, unlike a certain other game which I've mentioned far too much already. However, alongside the average race modes there is also stunt mode, which throws the whole 'simulation' image out the window. Here you are taking part in the making of films and adverts, in which you have to perform certain unusual tasks on special 'tracks' such as a Hollywood film set, an Oil Rig or the Italian Alps in order to progress, which in a lot of ways is more entertaining than the main game. Overall, while there are some good ideas behind the game, including a structured story mode where you follow the life of the Lotus Challenge Team, the actual execution produces only an average game. If only the handling had been refined more, the cars given an extra dash of speed and the graphics given the sheen we're used to seeing from the latest PS2 games, this could have made a worthy distraction from GT3 for a week, but as it stands only true Lotus fanatics will get much entertainment from it. Marc Hull             Latest Images:		Review Scores:    Graphics:   Sound:   Gameplay:   Length:   Overall: Click here for our Review Score Guidelines.  Review Summary:  While Lotus Challenge contains many different types of Lotus cars, a story mode where you follow the progress of the Lotus Challenge Team and a nice stunt mode, the actual speed and handling of the vehicles makes racing more of a chore than a form of entertainment. Couple this with an average graphics engine and you end up with another 'so-so' racing title for the PS2.  Related Games:  Lotus Challenge for PlayStation 2  19  Screenshots  1  Review Click here for All Game Information.
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