Great sim game
I understand that this game is not for everyone but for a driving enthusiast it is seventh heaven. The representation of your car's handling in this game is absolutely spot on and I feel to get the most from this game you really need to invest in a force feedback steering wheel otherwise you miss out on so much tactile subtlety. The cars behave exactly as I would imagine a 600bhp + monster to behave. As in they are very hard to keep on the road at high speeds, impossibly so if you resort to the kind of driving techniques you would apply in the likes of TOCA / GT / PGR. While these games are emmence fun and instantly enjoyable they don't represent what it takes to drive a powerful car exceptionally fast.. control. How many times do you see someone in PGR3 make a last minute dive for the apex of a hairpin turn, coming far too fast with no appreciation for the racing line but with clever use of the gears / barakes / handbreak the car masterfully drifts and pulls out gracefully. Try this approach to driving in real life or in GTR 2 and you will accomplish one thing a very quick and somewhat painful trip to the hospital.
GTR 2 really hits home the need for subtle and precise control of your car. The driving school is a wonderful introduction to high speed driving for those who would like to learn the techniques required to drive on a track, which does a wonderful job of reinforcing the ethos of control.
Physics and control aside GTR 2 has some wonderful graphics and awsome sound. While GTR 2 is no where near as pretty as most of it's competitors the sounds are the most realistic and immersive in any racing game I've played. From the sounds of your engine screaming at high revs to the radio chatter to the sound of your tyres just clipping the gravel trap on a corner nothing else sounds as good or goes to as much length to convice you your are on the track.
Finally the tracks themselves offer such a wide variety from fast and relentless to highly technical. There is nothing better than the feeling that you could stop playing this game take your car to the nearest track and apply what you've learned. I think it is going to be a very long time before any other driving game comes along that basicly forces you to drive as a race driver would and give you some glimpse into the world of premier motorsport quite so convincingly as GTR 2