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       Review:   
4th July 2001:
Le Mans 24 Hours 
Racing onto your PS2 - Drive for a whole day and night!
Posted by John Grothier - PlayStation 2 - UK and Europe

Imagine a race that never ends- with unique regulations and enduring spirit. Imagine a race where the greatest car manufactures come to celebrate each year. Don’t imagine it, live it – now on your PS2.

Melbourne House and Infogrames have released Le Mans 24 Hours on the Playstation 2. Although another port from the Dreamcast, the PS2 version offers 30 more official cars, more tracks, more car settings and improved AI.

Le Mans blends realism and arcade playability perfectly. Even though it is an officially licensed product, which includes all the prototypes and GT cars, it is an immensely playable and offers a real challenge to both new and seasoned racers alike.
The racer includes Quick Race, Championship, Le Mans 24 Hours, and Time Trial. A multiplayer option is also included. The quick race option is just that, but the Championship mode is where the real game begins…

You start the Championship with Rookie GT and work your way up to Pro GT. There are lots of cars, GT and prototype to unlock, as well as endurance challenges and races. The winter challenge is particularly tough. As you progress your fellow competitors will be harder to beat, and the tracks get even longer. The sun will set, and weather changes to give you the ultimate racing test.

The Le Mans 24 Hours mode includes ‘Petit Le Mans’ – a shorter version of the main race. The full Le Mans 24 Hour experience is based on the 2000 season, and allows you to race in real time, saving your progress at any time, so you can complete the full 24 hours through multiple racing sessions.

The Graphics in Le Mans are stunning in places, but due to the PS2’s anti-aliasing problems ‘jaggies’ regularly appear. The weather effects are very effective, rain and snow are faithfully reproduced, and of course, offer more of a challenge while racing.
Sound effects for the cars are clean and crisp, but the in-game music is very forgettable.

The PAL conversion of Le Mans does have a 60htz refresh mode, but does not have the all-important screen adjust to go with it; so play might be off-centre depending on your television.

Le Mans 24 Hours is more than just racing for a whole day and night. The championship mode is extremely playable and importantly has lots to unlock. If you already own the Dreamcast version there may not be enough new features to warrant another purchase, and it is only a few weeks before the ‘Real Driving Simulator’ is released, but Le Mans is a strong racer in its own right, and will still challenge you for months to come.


John Grothier


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 Review Summary: 
Racing with realism and arcade playablilty. All official cars from the Le Mans race, exclusive PS2 tracks, improved AI, detailed car settings make this a great racing title for your Playstation 2. 1-2 players.

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Le Mans 24 Hours
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