Grand Prix 2 Preview

Originally previewed in Interactive Entertainment Magazine – Episode 20.

When it comes to auto racing, most American motorsports fans are more comfortable driving around in circles. IndyCar drivers do visit a couple of street circuits, and even the good old boys on NASCAR’s Winston Cup make an token stop or two at a road course. However, most US racing fans get their first exposure to the sport (either live or on the tube) via oval tracks, and that’s what they stay comfortable with.

That’s really a shame, because there’s no question in my mind that the best drivers in the world today compete on the Formula One circuit. I make this argument with the passion of a convert. I saw my first auto race, at somewhere around the age of 6, at a tiny quarter-mile oval located in the hills of Vermont. This turned me into a serious stock-car snob, a condition which persisted until a couple of years ago, when I spent some time watching a Formula One race on ESPN. After watching these guys tackle a lengthy, twisting circuit at speeds ranging from 50-200 mph, I decided that they had a little more on the ball that I had previously thought.

Grand Prix II is Spectrum HoloByte’s attempt at capturing the flavor of the racing’s toughest circuit in a PC simulation. Technically, the game is the sequel to MicroProse’s World Circuit, a title that will survive as the brand name for Spectrum’s new racing line. Planned future releases for the World Circuit line include Grand Prix II: 1995 season, an add-on disk featuring the Formula One tracks from the 1995 season; Grand Prix Manager, a strategy title based on building and managing a Formula One racing team; and Ram Racer, an arcade-style racing release.

Since Grand Prix II is licensed by FIA, the sanctioning body for Formula One, you get the authentic tracks from the circuit, along with the real drivers. If you’re more familiar with racing simulations based on oval tracks, or if you’ve cut your racing teeth on such arcade-style games as Bullfrog’s Hi-Octane or Gremlin’s Slipstream 5000, you’re in for quite an adjustment. This style of driving goes way beyond turning left and keeping your vehicle at the bottom of the track. Grand Prix II puts you through all the paces, from negotiating a narrow chicaine at 50 mph in first gear all the way up to winding down a straightaway in sixth gear at more than 200 mph.

If you’re not convinced that you’re ready for the challenge of changing gears 100 times or so a lap, Grand Prix II includes driving aids which should help, including auto gears, auto brakes, suggested gear, ideal line, and self-correcting spin. There are also five levels of driver ability, which should help you avoid the pain of finishing behind drivers who you’ve never heard of before.

Designers are hoping that the tracks won’t only look real – they want them to feel real. Toward that end, the game engine will feature full pitching and rolling, which means your view will tilt when you climb a curb. You’ll also spin out if hit a banked portion of a track at the wrong angle. The graphics package will also strive for realism. The tracks will be faithfully recreated, and you’ll see the appropriate sponsor signs flash past. The game will include texture mapping and light sourcing, and should you grenade your engine, blow a tire, and drive off the track into a sand trap, you’ll get a look at the game’s 3D effects.

Multiple camera view will be available from inside the cockpit, and you’ll be able to change these view on the fly. You will also be able to jump your camera into the cars immediately ahead and behind you. All of these little trinkets will come in handy when you replay a great finish or spectacular crash.

You can drive each track on its own, or you can set up a championship season and run all 16 tracks in order. There will be practice rounds and a qualifying session available before each race. You can also go into the garage area and make the same adjustments to your car that Formula One crews make to their machines.

Grand Prix II looks as though its going to be another strong entry in the serious racing simulation market. If you’re a racing fan who isn’t familiar with the Formula One circuit, this will be a good way to learn about something new, and have some fun in the process. Spectrum HoloByte plans to release this title before the end of winter.

Minimum: 486/33, double-speed CD ROM, 8MB RAM, DOS 5.0, 10MB hard-drive space
Peripheral support: Joystick
Sound support: SoundBlaster and compatibles, Pro Audio Spectrum

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