Should You Like your driving games hardcore and uncompromising, your choices are pretty limited these days. The tricky simulation end of this spectrum, once a flourishing and happy place, today consists of the Grand Prix series and not much else. If, however, you discover the idea of forcing an identikit Formula 1 car from the likes of Michael yawn Schumacher about as appealing as watching Vanessa Feltz talk about the merits of botox on Cosmetic Surgery Live, you will be delighted to know that upcoming driving sim GTR wants a bit of the action.
Based around the FIA GT series, the game sports the kind of cars you would only normally see gracing the drives of footballers and rock stars (Ferraris, Porsches, Lamborghinis, etc). With every car tuned to within a inch of tragedy, this competition boasts none of the mind-numbing predictability of Formula 1, the large performance creatures jostling for position and implementing sneaky overtaking manoeuvres at each turn. After racking up some mileage with the preview code I may also state that this promises to become among the most realistic driving adventures on the PC – so real, in reality, when our generation editor Clare took it for a testdrive, she needed to stop after ten minutes because of motion sickness.
A Labour Of Love
GTR has been developed by SimBin, a Swedish ensemble that is producing the entire game out of its pocket. You might not have heard of this team before, but it has got connections in all of the ideal places. The president has been a professional race driver and the developers have utilized real FIA GT drivers to confirm the automobile handling.
Attention to detail is the byword – that the sport has over 70 accurately modelled cars, ten highly detailed official tracks and three modes of play that cater for both hardcore and casual drivers. Fancy the instantaneous adrenalin of an insanely quick but easy-to-drive vehicle? Stick it on Arcade. Desire a more realistic encounter but aren’t really ready to dip your toes into full sim mode? Try the Semi-Pro setting. And obviously if you’re really hardcore, there’s the full Simulation mode. This boasts a super-realistic driving model, a true recreation of the tournament and obviously the ability to tweak your vehicle to your heart’s content. This is not out of bounds for novice drivers , with a collection of driving aids, pre-defined setups, walkthroughs from the experts and advice on how to take each comer.
Of course, the real test of any racing sport is that the driving model, and by what I have seen SimBin’s time under the bonnet has repaid. The physics-laden model provides one of the most realistic drives I have ever needed, and every program is so correctly modelled you can actually feel that the person imperfections and debris beneath your wheels. Weather preferences affect vehicle handling as well, and you can either select from a list of weather choices or choose to expenence things precisely as the series drivers did.
Up Close And Unusual
With up to 56 cars on track at any 1 time, you’ll have to fight for your position on the street, and even at this early stage that the Al shows plenty of soul. Opponents drive with all the aggression of individual opponents – undertaking, overtaking and generally pulling off every move in the book to get around you. SimBin has also guaranteed an internet mode to test your skills against other drivers from all over the world, as well as committing to regular online updates to the sport.
All of that rounds off a strangely satisfying package. With its blend of fun and realism and its exhilarating driving model, this Swedish beauty has all of the credentials it requires. Check back next month to get our comprehensive inspection and authoritative conclusion.
Engine Noises In Gtr Are Music To The Ears
Given the option of listening to anything in the world, I’d personally decline the supply of Beethoven’s most stirring symphony, ditch the delights of Vivaldi’s beautiful compositions, and instead strap myself in the driving seat of a souped-up uber-vehicle. Maybe that’s just me, but the importance of music has for too long been overlooked in the world of driving games. Obviously, you’ve always had engine sounds, but they have never truly captured the unbridled cacophony which assaults you when sitting at a racecar. SimBin, nevertheless, has gone everywhere to make GTR seem exactly like the real thing.
Leaving no equipment unturned, the team has faithfully sampled the motor sounds and notes of every vehicle in the game, ensuring each one sounds identical to its real-life counterpart. You’ll also be happy to know that there’s not only one level of’street noise’. Up to 16 audio files can be performed at any 1 time, so that you may expect to hear the low burble of the exhaust, and the majority of this straight-cut gearbox at elevated speeds, debris out of the street bouncing off the vehicle and far more.
System Requirements
PC compatible,
Systems: 
Windows 9x, Windows 2000 
Windows XP, Vista, Win 7, Win 8, Win 10.
Game features:
Single game mode
