GTR 2 Hands-On: Deep in the Corner

The success of last year's GTR FIA Racing proved that, yes, there still is a market for realistic and lovingly detailed PC racing simulations. As if to highlight the point, an Xbox 360 version of the original GTR is being published by THQ in 2007. Still, the PC side of the SimBin house is working hard, having cranked out GT Legends, a retro sequel to GTR featuring vintage racers, and now GTR 2. A true sequel to the original, GTR 2 is set to arrive in stores in early September with more cars, more tracks, and lots more to do behind the wheel of some of the hottest race-spec cars in the world. We got a chance to check out the latest build of the game during a visit by the SimBin folks and are pleased to report that it looks to be yet another exciting installment in the series.

When asked what the single biggest point of feedback GTR players had about the first game was, producers said the original game's difficulty. Now, this might seem like strange feedback--after all, shouldn't a realistic racing simulation offer a good degree of challenge?--but, in the spirit of their game reaching as many potential driving fans as possible, the developers at SimBin have taken the feedback to heart. The first way they've done this is by offering a driving school mode. Comprising more than 70 challenges, the driving school mode in GTR 2 will cover everything from the absolute basics, such as acceleration challenges, to more complex maneuvers, such as cornering and overtaking. Each lesson begins with a short text description, and then you dive right into the test itself. Later challenges in driving school mode break down 15 of the courses on a sector-by-sector basis, letting you tackle each specific section of a track before you run it during the "real thing."

As you make your way through challenges, you'll earn gold or silver medals for your performance. You can use these medals to unlock new items, including track variations and new championships. And speaking of championships, you won't just be racing the official 2003 and 2004 FIA seasons found in the game--there are a ton of specific series you can unlock over the course of the game (such as an all-Italian series, all-Viper series, and so on). In all, you'll find 40 different championships to unlock as you make your way through the various challenges.

The idea of keeping you busy extends beyond the driving school, too. One cool new feature is the ghost time trial. Here, you turn laps at a particular track, and a ghost of your best lap time is recorded and saved by the game. Once you've got a lap you like, you can upload it to a server and let other players attempt to beat your time or download the ghost laps of other racers to topple their time. GTR 2 features an integrated racing line (which shows your color-coded information for actions such as braking, throttle, and idling), and when you download a ghost lap in GTR 2, you'll be able to analyze exactly how that driver attacked every corner in the game. In short, it seems like it will be an invaluable tool toward improving your offline and (eventually) online driving performance.

Of course, beyond the new gameplay modes (which also include a full re-creation of the Proximus 24-hour event at Spa-Francorchamps and online multiplayer for as many as 28 players), simply driving the car in GTR 2 is more than enough to keep your hands busy and your mind at full attention. The same demanding driving model is well intact in GTR 2; with the in-game assists such as traction control and braking help enabled, you can find yourself winging your way around tracks like Estoril and Hockeheim with relative ease. Disengage those assists, however, and you really get a feel for the demands of rocketing around corners at ludicrous speeds. The cars feel heavy and solid yet are apt to bounce you practically out of your chair during bumpier sections (think the back straight at Monza after the Lesmos curves).

GTR 2's physics have been extended from the original game to include a more refined realistic-damage model. Jam your car into a wall and you'll watch as the hood pops off and the front end of the car crunches inward. Bash into a fellow driver and a wheel might go spinning off the track. If you happen to wreck hard enough, you run the risk of the engine exploding. The team has also put a lot of work into the tire physics found in the game, resulting in a driving model that feels more realistic not just at high speeds but at low speeds as well. The difference between a lap run on cold tires and one on fully warmed up and grippy rubber is more tangible than ever before in GTR 2. In addition, as rubber marbles build up on the track on the "dirty" racing line, players will feel the cars react to the junk on the track should they get offline a bit.

While the game will of course support a range of force-feedback wheels, that isn't the only control scheme you can use. The truly adventurous PC racer might get a kick out of racing with the mouse-and-keyboard setup (or, rather, might end up kicking his or her PC in frustration), and the game will also support numerous gamepads. In the original GTR, we found the PS2-like Logitech Rumble Pad 2 to our liking, but we just might be converted over to the Xbox 360 USB controller now that we've tried it out with GTR 2. Specifically, the left and right triggers are better suited to the subtle throttle and brake shifts than the Rumble Pad 2. If you can't afford the plunge on a quality racing wheel, but already own an Xbox 360, you should be all set.

Graphically, GTR 2 isn't a massive step up from the previous game in the series, but it still looks sharp. The car models are the stars of the race here. The vehicles start out as nicely trimmed models at the beginning of the race and slowly build up gunk and dirt as the race wears on. In the cockpit view, which is the star of the GTR 2 show, you'll notice dust and debris build up on the windshield. You'll also see a fully animated driver model that will steer the car and shift gears in line with your input on the controller. The cockpit view is also the best point of view to check out the amazing rain effects on the windshield; when you're caught behind the spray of a car in front of you, it makes diving into high-speed corners that much more threatening. Other environmental highlights include realistic day-to-night conversions during endurance races (which can be sped up to be completed in a fraction of the time, if you don't have 24 hours to give over to a race), as well as animated pit crews and more than 50 cars on the track at the same time during offline races.

With its more inclusive approach to the hardcore driving sim, GTR 2 is aiming at a slightly wider audience this time around, which will hopefully translate into more sales. Still, with more than 140 real-life car models, the full FIA-GT license, 28 officially licensed and modeled tracks, and the same challenging driving model, GTR 2 is aiming to please its hardcore contingent. Expect to see a full review of the game after it's released later this month. Until then, try the demo out for yourself.