A fun romp thru the golden era of GT racing
User Rating: 8.5 | GT Legends PC
Simply put, this is a solid game. It's fun to play yet challenging. I think Simbin is not very far from having an excellent game with a few tweaks. The sound quality is superb. I love to hear the big block muscle cars throaty growl and the higher pitched European GT cars with their distinctive whine. And each car has a unique sound. Nicely done. The graphics are very good. Tire skid marks are left on the track, rubber tire smoke lingers in the air, car detail is crisp... it's all good. There's a nice mix of tracks which keeps things interesting. There's also an ample collection of cars to drive some of which must be unlocked to drive but others you can simply buy if you have collected enough credits (cash). And the driving physics seem to be fairly spot on for realism. This keeps game play interesting enough. Some of the early cup races can take as long as 25-30 minutes to complete which can get a little long but then again part of racing is to maintain focus throughout and finish in the top places. As I read in another review, more often than not I don't place very high in the qualifying rounds ending up in the middle or bottom third yet in the actual race I do quite well easily passing cars on the first lap. Simbin has a range of difficulty settings to ratchet up game play and the realism for some replay value. A few gripes I have are that damage in the game is really inconsequential for the most part and is not very realistic. Slamming into a wall at 80 mph results in a modestly dented fender and bumper with a slight pull in steering. There's no penalty of having to pay to repair the damage. This would keep me more honest in my racing. As it is, it lends itself to more of an arcade feel even though the driving physics are realistic. Also, it would add a much deeper element to the game to be able to buy upgrade parts to improve performance. The game only allows one to tweak tire pressure, braking balance, toe-in, suspension spring load and some other items. This is all well and good but not being a motorhead I usually pass on these items yet being able to buy a lightweight carbon hood or upgraded transmission suits my gameplay style better. There are no options at all for any car upgrades. One big complaint I have, and this has been true for nearly ALL racing games I've played is that the animated steering by the driving is very jerky and not realistic at all. Will somebody please fix this by smoothing it out. It's so annoying I always choose my view to be in chase mode so I don't have to see the steering wheel move in herky-jerky fashion. Overall though it's a thoroughly enjoyable game with good driving physics, nice cars and graphics and an entertaining sound track. It's well worth the money. My hope is that Simbin will release a follow on game or expansion pack to provide some of the noted gaming improvements. Enjoy! 
