RPG-like leveling system for driver and car; outstanding car models; overall an addictive but somewhat frustrating game.

User Rating: 8.3 | Enthusia Professional Racing PS2
By deactivated-64a06d694e655 | Review Date:
Image a fantasy RPG where your only stats are hit points, attack, defense, and magic. And imagine that any battle can successfully end one of two ways: You either win or you lose. And when you fight a battle you are as preoccupied with taking close to no damage as you are with beating your foe. And that at the end of each conflict you receive a number of hit points based on how well you fight, how difficult the battle is, and how much damage you take. And when you level, your total hit point pool increases, as does your attack, defense, and magic skills. And add to that the ability to switch charcters, where they share the HP pool but the rest of the stats are individualized for each, and you pretty much have defined Enthusia Professional Racing.

In essence it's a car RPG, and it has 200 real cars, all beautiful modeled, and each has its own set of stats and can be leveled as you race them. You can also tweak suspension, transmission, and other settings for each, but you don't buy or sell them. You win them in a drawing! After each race you can potentially add a new car to your stable, and you can switch cars before each race.

Enthusia is a simulation, not unlike Gran Turismo 4 (GT), but it offers far less content. And while GT is really a car enthusist's dream, and a generally great simulation, it is not a great game. You take and make it into what you want it to be, but you have to work hard to get it to challenge you appropriately.

Enthusia, on the other hand, is a great game. It always challenges you, and it offers a complex but satisfying system that rewards you for careful, strategic driving. It may not be as deep as GT is when it comes to winning, buying, improving, and selling cars, but you feel a much stronger connection with your cars, and doing well within its quirky framework is very satisfying.

If you love car simulations but you tire of having to force GT into being a real game, I highly recommend Enthusia. It may frustrate you, and it may boggle you, but it won't likely bore you.

Gord_Mose

Other Helpful Reviews for Enthusia Professional Racing

Load Comments (0)