E.O.S. Hands-On

Developed by Player 1 Games, Exhibition of Speed seems eager to earn a place among the Dreamcast's already healthy roster of driving games. The build we got to play had all the features intact, and judging from the package presented, it's safe to say that EOS has a good chance of turning out well.

Though the build we played boasted a healthy vehicle count, Titus made it clear that the selection of vehicles presented was subject (and very likely) to change, as certain licensing matters still need to be resolved. That said, a multitude of auto manufacturers were represented, including, among others, Ford, Alfa-Romeo, and Mitsubishi. According to Titus, the final vehicle count is 20, and it will be interesting to see what licenses make it into the final game, as a good number of "fantasy" vehicles were included in the build we played.

It seems safe to say that EOS is solidly built, from a gameplay standpoint. While not all of the vehicles handled perfectly, Player 1 has a very established set of ideas to build upon, and we can only hope that the coming months are used to tweak the vehicles' handling and responsiveness.

Existing somewhere between the realm of arcade racers and a harsher, more sim-driven school of thought, EOS should be challenging enough for devotees of the latter to appreciate, yet accessible enough for fans of the former. The tracks are definitely arcade-like, but the vehicles' handling works to offset this, requiring a bit more precision and discretion to deal with effectively.

Graphically, EOS seems to be coming along rather nicely. The frame rate wasn't exactly up to snuff in the build we played, but Titus assured us that it was being worked on intensively. With that in mind, it's easy to envision a rather impressive looking game - the cityscapes in EOS are nicely detailed and teeming with life, imbuing them with a living quality rarely enjoyed by anything in the racing genre. The nonurban tracks are also quite impressive, and the car models seem adequately functional.

With some more time in the shop, EOS could shape up to be winner. Given the game's rather loose Q4 release date, it looks as if it just might get the time it needs. When a more firm release date is set, we'll undoubtedly provide you with an update. Until then, enjoy the screenshots.