Racing Sim Thread, Part II

[pk500]

Track list for Project Cars 2:

https://ar12gaming.com/articles/project ... track-list

Nice to see IMS and COTA!

[Dave]

Just like the first one, it is nice to see less-often-seen tracks like Donington, Fuji, Dubai, and Zolder on the list. Combined with the interesting car list, it makes it more likely I'll pick this up at launch if the early impressions indicate the game isn't a mess.

I'm still waiting for Mid Ohio to show up in a game again, also hoping to get Barber sometime.

[TCrouch]

Those are both still in iRacing

[Dave]

Should have clarified console games! Some day I hope to jump into iRacing.

[DChaps]

MXGP3: Milestone’s Finest Hour?

While I don't have enough time for the games and racing sims that I already have, after reading the MXGP3 review by James from Pretend Race Cars , I purchased it last night, but have yet to play it. I purchased MXGP1 and MXGP2 back in the day and found some enjoyable points to both games, but mainly just because there are so few options for decent motocross games. Anyway, I will let you know what I think after playing tonight, but check out the as usual, very detailed review from PRC. This one was completely under my radar.

https://pretendracecars.net/2017/05/31/ ... nest-hour/

Their absolute finest hour as a developer, MXGP3 is easily the all-around best dirt bike game that has ever been made for modern video game consoles. Though the subject matter of focusing on a predominantly European motocross series may make things difficult for those who are unfamiliar with any kind of two-wheeled off-road racing aside from the Monster Energy AMA Supercross championship, sim racers who brave the initial unfamiliarity will find a motocross game with virtually no show-stopping flaws; uncharacteristically competent for Milestone. The final product is enjoyable not just because Milestone have seemingly gotten their act together after years of mediocrity and it’s a nice story to see them knock one out of the park, but also due to the fact that there’s just so much s*** to do in-game, and everything is complimented by a physics model that balances realism with accessibility.

The biggest problem motocross games have traditionally exhibited over the years, is the unwillingness of developers to see the sport of motorcycle racing in anything other than black and white as it pertains to the overall riding physics. You’re either leaping over barns or canyons in a single bound, running flat-out around even the most treacherous of circuit layouts – think the MX vs. ATV Series – or just staying on the bike for more than a few corners is an exercise in frustration – as seen in the ultra-hardcore MX Simulator. There has never been a happy medium that implies motocross is just like any other form of motorsport; yes, you’re making these huge leaps five, six, maybe even seven times per lap, but there’s also multiple corner lines, braking points, and – wait for it – even throttle management.

MXGP3 introduces us to that happy medium. There is no rider balance mechanism as seen in MX Simulator – so the hardcore guys might be a bit put off – but the separated bike and rider controls first perfected in MX vs. ATV Reflex return here, along with buttons for both front and rear brakes, giving you a pretty diverse level of control over your virtual avatar and his steel horse. With a rather convincing set of physics powering the whole thing – a change that’s highly appreciated compared to the stiff physics of the first two iterations – bikes feel nimble yet weighty, and you’ll find yourself experimenting with a combination of braking styles and pedal inputs to free the bike up on corner entry.............

.......This is easily the best motocross game that has been released in quite some time, and provided Milestone can properly support MXGP3 – both with patches and additional downloadable content – we’re looking at a definite turning point in the two wheeled portion of our genre. It’s really good, and easily Milestone’s best work in the history of the company.

[TCrouch]

I got it a couple of weeks back; agreed, it's a very fun game. I settled into full racing weekends after getting smoked by the AI, and then eventually find my rhythm around the track and started doing a lot better. Really, really enjoy that one.

[Jimmydeicide]

You should tell Hrudey

[pk500]

If only Milestone could build this kind of quality into the MotoGP series. I LUST for a good MotoGP game. The last good one was MotoGP 2 by Climax in 2004 for the original Xbox.

I'm really surprised by this review since Milestone is the KING of mediocre racing games. The MotoGP, WRC and Sebastien Loeb Rally series by Milestone are the pinnacle of watered-down licensed games that do nothing poorly and nothing well.

[dbdynsty25]

If only Milestone could build this kind of quality into the MotoGP series. I LUST for a good MotoGP game. The last good one was MotoGP 2 by Climax in 2004 for the original Xbox.

I'm really surprised by this review since Milestone is the KING of mediocre racing games. The MotoGP, WRC and Sebastien Loeb Rally series by Milestone are the pinnacle of watered-down licensed games that do nothing poorly and nothing well.

I wonder how MotoGP 17 is...which just released this week, by Milestone as well:

https://majornelson.com/2017/07/10/moto ... -xbox-one/

[Rodster]

All the reviews i've read says it's an average MotoGP game. One review says Milestone played it safe. Most Steam reviews back that claim, that it's OK, not bad but not good/great.

[pk500]

All the reviews i've read says it's an average MotoGP game. One review says Milestone played it safe. Most Steam reviews back that claim, that it's OK, not bad but not good/great.

Yep. In other words, a Milestone game. Milestone is a synonym for mediocre.

Do fellow XBL beta members here remember the pure fun of Climax's first MotoGP game, MotoGP? Sure, the thrill of seamless online play with voice chat can't be overstated. We probably could have played Septic Tank Flush Manager as one of the first XBL beta games and have been thrilled.

But MotoGP and its successor, MotoGP 2, had just the right balance of grip and a variety of control options that produced fantastic, fun, sim-cade racing at its finest. Milestone never has replicated in the last decade what Climax did twice in two years.

[pk500]

What an utterly uninspiring list of classic cars in F1 2017:

https://www.motorsport.com/sim-racing/n ... te-933076/

How does this game go from offering some great late 70s, 80s and early 90s cars in F1 2014 to this? Cars from the 2000s and 2010s are NOT classic.

Codemasters' F1 releases are usual annual purchases on Day One for me. But I'm really on the fence about buying this one, especially with Forza 7, Project Cars 2 and NASCAR Heat 2 releasing in September and October.

Doubt I want to pay full price for a lousy lineup of classic cars, updated liveries and driver rosters. Plus there's always the specter of Codemasters effing up a fine franchise, like it apparently did with DIRT 4.

Definitely waiting for media and hands-on reviews of this game before considering prying the money clip. Did that with DIRT 4 and ended up bypassing it. Glad I did.

[Rodster]

What an utterly uninspiring list of classic cars in F1 2017:

https://www.motorsport.com/sim-racing/n ... te-933076/

How does this game go from offering some great late 70s, 80s and early 90s cars in F1 2014 to this? Cars from the 2000s and 2010s are NOT classic.

Codemasters' F1 releases are usual annual purchases on Day One for me. But I'm really on the fence about buying this one, especially with Forza 7, Project Cars 2 and NASCAR Heat 2 releasing in September and October.

Doubt I want to pay full price for a lousy lineup of classic cars, updated liveries and driver rosters. Plus there's always the specter of Codemasters effing up a fine franchise, like it apparently did with DIRT 4.

Definitely waiting for media and hands-on reviews of this game before considering prying the money clip. Did that with DIRT 4 and ended up bypassing it. Glad I did.

Last years game really didn't add much besides cleaning up the graphics from their 2015 effort. I found the progessive season update feature a bit of a letdown. Track and team wise the game will be similar with the exception of the classic cars I don't find to be true classics. How about Senna's 1988 McLaren or Fangio's 1950's car or how about Hill's championship 60's car or better yet a Jackie Stewart 70's car?

That said we are already way into the season and last years game was recently discounted for around $15. I'm thinking I may just wait till next year for the huge discount instead. I've said it before that Codies needs to release the game prior to or before the first race which is something Papyrus was good at with their Nascar games.

If Heat 2 uses the same DLC robbery they used in their first game i'll pass on that as well.

[pk500]

Track and team wise the game will be similar with the exception of the classic cars I don't find to be true classics. How about Senna's 1988 McLaren or Fangio's 1950's car or how about Hill's championship 60's car or better yet a Jackie Stewart 70's car?

EXACTLY. Jim Clark's Lotus? Rosemeyer's Auto Union? Mario's John Player Special? The ground-effects Brabham?

If Heat 2 uses the same DLC robbery they used in their first game i'll pass on that as well.

Thankfully most of that DLC was for updated liveries rather than game features. The racing model of the current game is QUITE good.

Enjoyed a humdinger of a championship mode race last night at Kentucky. My car felt like it was on rails after fresh tires. But I screwed up changes in the pits, which resulted in my car sliding up the hill in every corner after about 10 laps, losing time.

[pk500]

Huge plus for NASCAR Heat 2: Return of split-screen racing. Even in this era of XBL, it's still fun sometimes to sit with another human in the room and race. My sons loved split-screen racing with the old NASCAR Heat on the Xbox 360.

[TCrouch]

I'm also really excited for online races with AI again, so you can race a buddy with a full field. They did a pretty amazing job with the handling model last year and the AI was actually raceable. It was pretty bare-bones, but I still enjoyed it. I don't care about racing 25 humans as much as I care about racing 4 or 5 guys in a full field. That could be incredibly fun.

[pk500]

I've jonesed for a good motorcycle racing game since the days of MotoGP and MotoGP 2 on the original Xbox. It's a sad commentary on the genre that those remain the best motorcycle racing console games of the last 15 years, although a couple of Milestone's Superbike games were close.

So my curiosity was piqued by the Xbox Store sale on Ride 2 for $24 last week. I read many reviews of the game, and it appeared to be an improvement over the original Ride, which I didn't play. They said the sim qualities were believable enough, there was a great selection of more than 200 bikes, and a solid lineup of real and fantasy tracks. The addition of the Nordschliefe, Ulster 200 and Dunrod road racing circuits sealed the deal for me. (Oh, how I would love to buy the Isle of Man TT course as DLC!) Many reviews and users called this the "Forza of bikes," which sounded good to me.

Reviews and gamer feedback also indicated Ride 2 was the best motorcycle racing game of the last years, which is a pretty low bar to clear. So what the hell: $24 is less than half the price of a new game. I bought it.

What a pleasant surprise Ride 2 has unfolded for me in the last week! This is a solid, fun game for anyone who likes motorcycles and motorcycle racing.

Ride 2 never will be mistaken for a pure sim. But the grip and physics are believable, and there are three physics levels. I'm on the middle level, and you will lose the front end or be flicked off the bike on a high-side if you're too aggressive. While contact between riders is too permissive, any contact with guard rails or barriers will result in a painful crash.

The racing AI is solid. AI riders will leave holes to slide under in corners, and the AI riders will pass you easily if you make a mistake.

Control options are abundant, too. You can use separate front and rear brakes or just use the left trigger to control both brakes. And in a huge plus, the entire controller can be mapped any way you want. Every function can be edited.

Ride 2 is set up like Forza, with a career mode, individual challenges, equipment upgrades in various categories, full bike setup options and the like. No Rivals like Forza, but Milestone clearly used Forza as a model for the Ride series. My only frustration with the career mode is that credits are stingy after non-podium performances, so it can take some time to raise enough money to buy new bikes or upgrade existing bikes.

Milestone never will win any awards for the graphics, either. Very average, with steady 30 FPS framerate. But the sense of speed in the cockpit view on a Superbike or even a 600 is fantastic.

The fictitious track designs are excellent. And the real-life tracks are faithfully re-created.

There are three areas in which Ride 2 stands out.

One, the previously mentioned sense of speed and lean in cockpit view. I find myself tilting my torso at 45 degrees in either direction on long, sweeping turns, a great sign of immersion.

Two, you really feel the difference between bikes. A 125cc bike or cafe racer feels pedestrian compared to a Superbike or even a juiced-up 600. Much like the difference between a Class D or E and a Class P or X car in Forza.

Finally, the racing is very compelling. Some of the races are so competitive and hard-fought that I find myself trying to pull my right trigger through my controller in the search for more speed. You really pay for bad corner lines and improper throttle and brake control.

Ride 2 isn't iRacing on two wheels. It probably isn't even Forza or Project Cars. But it's damn fun, the best motorcycle racing game I've played since MotoGP 2 in 2003 or 2004 on the original Xbox. It deserves to be closer to the center of the console racing game radar. One of the true gaming surprises of the year for me.

[DChaps]

NASCAR Heat 2 -- Xbox One -- First Impressions from David Land:

Unfortunately, the remnants of Irma kept me from being able to actually play Nascar Heat 2 when it released at midnight, but David Land had a live run through of Eldora, Mid-Ohio, etc. using the different series cars. Definitely seemed like an improvement, and AI seemed strong as well. Cool to have Eldora, Mosport and Mid-Ohio in a console racing game. Anyone else pick this up?

[Rodster]

I might get it depends though on the reviews after it releases.

[TCrouch]

Only spent a couple hours with it so far, but the handling and AI are both fantastic (using a PS4 SCUF controller, as my wheel isn't connected atm with the move).

It might be the worst-looking racing game I've ever seen on the PS4 Pro, however. Seriously looks last-gen on a 4K HDR display...it could be running at 720p, as far as I can tell.

But I had some absolutely fantastic racing in the trucks at Dover in a career race. I could go 3 wide, low lane, high lane, whatever I wanted (and was able) to do. I could get a run on the outside, punch the truck in front of me in the rear and launch him down the straightaway, getting the outside line moving quicker. What's more awesome is they didn't apply brake when I did that, so you could actually RACE hard like that. I even had a few chrome horns late, where I'd tap them in the LR to push them up the track and slide by underneath.

I ran races at Auto Club, Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dover, Kansas...I think that's all of them. Only bizarre thing I saw was on a restart at Atlanta--the entire field came to a screeching halt, like somebody broke in the front, and it bottlenecked everybody. I didn't watch the replay, but it sure seemed that way. I hope that's not a consistent thing, because the rest of the time, I've been thoroughly impressed by the AI and racing. Impressed enough to forget about the XBox-360-level-graphics.

[pk500]

I definitely will buy NH 2 after a price drop.

I'm still enjoying the AI in NASCAR Heat Evolution. That game captures the ebb and flow of stock car racing, as tire wear accelerates and affects chassis handling, better than any NASCAR game I've played since NASCAR Racing 2003 on the PC.

So I'm in for a treat if NH 2 builds on that, as most reviews and user feedback indicate.

[TCrouch]

From my limited time, it's quite a bit better. I can go door to door without having that bang-off-of-each-other physics wobble they did last year, and the bump drafting is LIGHT YEARS better. Plus the cars spread out even better...I thought they were good before, but after 7 or 8 races this year at different tracks, seeing how competitive almost every line can be is impressive. Never seen anything like it.

[DChaps]

Baja: Edge of Control HD is Spectacularly Broken [Updated]

https://pretendracecars.net/2017/09/14/ ... ly-broken/

Pretend Race Cars saves me some money by posting this detailed first impressions of Baja: Edge of Control HD, a remake I was really looking forward to.

There’s been a lot of animosity directed at THQ Nordic from the motocross gaming community, but I’ve never gotten to experience first-hand the justification for it until this morning. I was really hoping to spend a large portion of the day playing Baja: Edge of Control HD – as I have no problem listing it as one of my favorite Xbox 360 racers, and could not wait to play a remastered rendition on modern hardware – but after purchasing the game twice, and requesting a refund once, I’m left pretty disgusted at the kind of bullshit THQ Nordic have pulled here. To put it plain and simple, Baja: Edge of Control HD should not have been released, as there are pretty mind-blowing controller problems across multiple platforms..............

.....................My own personal hype train was derailed when I discovered that on the Steam version, the external controller config applet doesn’t actually work. By default, keyboard keys are mapped to all of the buttons on the Xbox 360 controller, obviously so you can bust out a controller and reconfigure everything to your desired layout – which 99% of the time you’re just going to mirror the stock layout and just ensure all the respective axis’ are correct. Here is where things get absolutely insane – the applet crashes upon trying to do so. You know, the basic process of clicking on “Throttle” and pressing R2 to map that button as your gas pedal? Crashes the applet. One hundred percent serious here.

So obviously that means no wheel support either, as while there’s indeed a tab you can click to configure your racing wheel prior to launching the game, and graphically it is a nice applet, again rebinding crashes the thing. Playing Edge of Control HD on the PC right now consists of pressing the “O” key as your throttle, and using the arrow keys to turn..................

..................For those of us who loved Baja, and there were a lot of us, we don’t really have a choice here – we really needed the remastered version to be 100% functional. Right now, it’s not.

[Rodster]

So is Nascar Heat 2 made by the same developer? It says the game was made by Monster Games or that's what was listed on Steam's website. Are the graphics the same on the PC vs the consoles? Judging by the season pack it looks like the DLC won't be as obscene as the last time. You can buy all 7 DLC packs for $30.

[TCrouch]

Monster Games relabeled 704 Games.

PS4 looks like trash compared to PC. The FXAA antialiasing method is the culprit--turn it off on PC and it looks great, but even in 4K or 3440x1440 it looks like garbage with it on. Can't turn it off on PS4 that I found.

Project Cars 2 reviews are hitting the web, and they're pretty much universally blown away by the game. This bit from IGN's review in particular caught my eye. Some people around here will likely perk up when they read it:

On a gamepad, though? It’s simply a different game to the first altogether. It’s just so much better. I haven’t even touched any settings; straight out of the box Project CARS 2 feels manageable and planted. It’s a fraction more numb on turn-in compared to the 1:1 directness you get on a wheel but the twitchiness of the first game is just gone. You don’t need a wheel to enjoy this deep, nuanced handling model; there’s a satisfying, challenging, and most of all manageable racing experience to be had here, regardless of your control method.