There is lots of detail here too. There’s alot of dust and must flying around to satisfy the off-roader, and you’ll even notice blades of grass bending in the car’s wake. The speed blur is well done, and the warm lighting really sets the atmosphere of the area.
There are lots of courses here, too. There are British forests, dustry Australian and Spanish tracks, Japanese lakes and mountains, and many other picturesque locales. It’s tempting to go off-course and explore what’s down that ravine, see what lay beyond the horizon, or visit the inhabitants of that inviting hill-town… there’s just alot of detailed scenery that adds up to extremely realistic visuals.
Once you complete a race, you get the expected after-race cockpit camera as your racing avatar either celebrates or hangs his head. As expected from a racing game you can watch replays of your performance and view stats. It is neat to watch (and crigne) to see your car from different angles as the windshields are smashed, the car slides off a dusty cliff, or is otherwise mangled into a useless pile of carbon. Or you can inspect your vehicle’s damage as the computer takes control of your vehicle and continues to drive the track.
The audio is absolutely supurb. The between-race music is an improvement over some of the “butt rawk” you’ll find in other racing games, and the subtle environmental noises are rendered very well, and realistically change between in-car or outside views. The engine notes are extremely well done as well, and are rather accurate for each type of vehicle.
You will crash, and you will crash frequently. But the handling is designed to almost lose control as you slip on the gravel. It is very satisfying to recover from a brutal wipeout or slide through a fast corner. Traditional racing fans (PGR or NFS players) may find it a little difficult at first, but the physics aren’ as impossible for Forza fans, who expect a realistic simulation. You can change the difficulty to fit your expertise level, though, so every fan of driving games can enjoy the new sliding experience.
