Test Drive LeMans
Score: 75% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Infogrames Developer: Infogrames Melbourne House Media: GC/1 Players: 1 - 4 Genre: Racing
Graphics & Sound: I am not overly impressed with the graphics in Test Drive Le Mans. The cars and road looked okay, but the backgrounds were blurry and untextured. As a matter of fact, most of the game was untextured. The lighting effects were not good at all, but the game ran smooth as glass, the colors were bright, and it had multiple camera views. The overall feeling that I get from the graphics is, well, bland. Even the sound left much to be desired. Instead of a good racing soundtrack, we are given a techno conglomeration. The sound effects, however, are very good. A little more work on the graphics, mainly rendering, and this is an impressive racer.
Gameplay: As if you couldn't tell, Test Drive Le Mans is a Le Mans 24 hour racing game. Don't worry; you don't have to play for 24 hours straight. Le Mans offers a compressed time option to simulate the time laps. Also, there are four other modes of play. You can race in a Timed Trial, an Exhibition Race (Quick Race), a Championship Series, or in split screen Multiplayer action (up to four players). The main problem I have with the game is the lack of realism in the non-Le Mans modes. When driving the Le Mans, your car has normal wear and tear in addition to racing damage; however, in any other mode, racing damage does not exist. Other than that, you have about 40 cars to race with on 10 or so tracks in two different divisions with up to two dozen other cars at on time. Man, that's a mouth full. All in all, I found Test Drive Le Mans to be a very fun racing game. Although it takes a while to play, the Le Mans is a fun race. Also, the game handles great, so the other modes of play are great too. Of course, it's not the best out there, so unless you want the Le Mans race, you might be a little disappointed.
Difficulty: I thought the game to be pretty easy going as far as difficulty goes. In the beginning it's a little rough, but once you get used to it, it's not too bad. The difficulty can be adjusted, and the controls are defaulted nicely. If you have a steering wheel, it's a definite plus. The controls are so accurate that the game can be overbearing if you don't watch what you are doing. All of the analog features help to make the game feel real, but it also makes it a tad bit harder.
Game Mechanics: The game runs fast, very smooth, and handles great. I found that the controls are responsive, customizable and accurate. The camera angles are changeable and the sound effects are good. The analog steering, accelerating, and braking help to accurately portray racing in the real world. Test Drive Le Mans is mechanically sound with good gameplay. The graphics could use a little work, but if you're into Le Mans, you should not pass this one up.
-Storm, GameVortex Communications AKA Jeremy Kelso
Striker Pro 2000 Test Drive 6