Ghost Machine – Studio relatively young. Nevertheless, their ambitions are higher than the roof: the site says that they gathered under the wing of former specialists from EA , DreamWorks And Sony Pictures Imageworks. And your new project – Motorsport Revolution – They are completely positioned as the heir to the series Forza , promising us a "cinematic car adventure with a full immersion".
We played the early version of this racing arcade. And, unfortunately, they discovered that while the game is weakly justified by the hopes assigned to it.
► such blockages arise at the start of almost every race. Why bots are not able to keep their car on the highway is a big question.
Serious motorsport
Revolution – far from the most realistic racing arcade. But it is completely devoted to serious motorsport. The developers tried to postpone several disciplines at once: both “formula” races and several varieties of Turin. The list of sources of inspiration also indicates Le-Man, but there is no one. I would like to believe that only for now.
Everything takes place mainly on really existing tracks. True, no licenses were brought: all tracks are hidden under the "pseudonyms". Called Big Country, for example, hides the Australian Mount Panorama, where the legendary Bathurst 1000 competitions are held. Well, Belgium is a famous spa francrades, on which at one time in Formula 1 debuted (and a year later he won the first victory) young talent Michael Schumacher.
► like this, according to the developers, the hands of the pilot look at the steering wheel. With virtual reality glasses, this looks even more convincing.
In terms of studying the details of the Avtodrome, however, infinitely far from the ideal, but also from real prototypes. The same spa is similar only to configuration. And when it comes to thinner matters, the game inevitably disappoints. Approach Gran Turismo 6, where attention is paid even to arranging trees and bumps on the asphalt, of course, no one awaits. But at least the width of the roadway in some turns could be set the right.
Car models also cause complaints. Of course, a cult Toyota Supra is recognized in the yellow spot on the screen, but for 2014 it looks, to put it mildly, unappetizing. And if you peer into the details, you find even more problems: up to the point that the whole bottom of the car is flooded with one flat gray texture, and the roof inside the cockpit is black.
Forced fun
The problems with physics are even more striking. While it can be characterized only as strange. Cars react reluctantly to the brake pedal, refuse to obey the steering wheel and more resemble radio -controlled toys. As if you are not in the cockpit, but you control the car from afar, glancing at the camera that is happening through the camera installed inside the car.
► Even on the oval, the opponent managed to lose control. Well, we are better!
The problems are especially good for the “formulas” problems: neither the level of clamping force, nor the efficiency of the brakes, the developers were able to convey. Moreover, for some reason, kokpit of carpets swaying while moving, as if installed on hinges. A similar effect is characteristic of the races of the beginning of the last century, where the cars were more reminiscent of the habits.
But still the most important thing – a sense of speed – is reproduced not bad. Adrenaline at the entrance to the turn instantly injected into the bloodstream. True, the car turns at ninety degrees at once, and the braking distance stretches to a third of the straight line, but there is a certain charm in all this – at least the call throws the challenge.
At the same time, artificial intelligence, alas, did not stop "making great good nonsense". Opponents crash into each other, make mistakes, fly out, tumble and arrange blockages on every bend.
► a normal damage system for now, alas, no. Instead of it-a sheaf of sparks, some white dots and it is not clear where the smoke gets from.
At first this is shocking, but after some time you already begin to smile maliciously when the opponent flies into the chipper, opening your path. Yes, it does not smell with realism, but to evade the control of rivals and observe a bunch of small on the track is terribly funny. If desired, Ghost Machine could have a great competitor to some Flatout. Unless, of course, to fite the damage system, otherwise the collisions are pleasing only to smoke and sheaf of sparks from under the wheels.
Incomplete immersion
► The surface of the highway is even, but the wheels at such moments jump as if we are driving off -road.
The main thing that developers bet on is, as they say, the effect of "complete immersion". And they plan to achieve the desired using virtual reality points Oculus Rift. There are not many racing games with support for this technology, you can remember only IRACING And Assetto Corsa. But even these little -known races Motorsport Revolution , Alas, it loses on the quality of execution.
Having pulled out the glasses, you can, with a view from the pilot's eyes, be combined with rivals or pass at full speed the famous O’Rozh turn on the highway in the spa. And this, of course, could not but rejoice, if not one “but” – the developers did not think about the beauty of interiors.
Sitting in a copy of Lamborghini Gallardo, it is not very pleasant to look at muddy textures, an angular steering wheel and white “seams” on the control panel. And it’s worth looking around, and you can inadvertently “pierce” the driver’s carcass or accidentally punch the supercar texture with your head and stick out without opening the windows. The joy and sensations of flights do not add such incidents.
► Making the steering wheel in 2014 for some reason failed.
There are generally indecent technical problems. There is almost no voice acting, cars now and then fall through the ground, images in the menu in a very low resolution. This is not counting the aforementioned discords with physics, artificial intelligence and graphics.
I would like to believe that all these troubles are an exclusively early version – the game is at the very beginning of its path. The developers promise not only to fix everything (let's hope, why not), but also add a full -fledged career regime. Otherwise now there is nothing more to entertain yourself, except as a fast race. Nevertheless, something interesting can be released from them.
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The word Revolution in the name sounds too proud. Motorsport So far, it recalls the course work of a student programmer than a full-fledged game for twelve dollars. Perhaps everything will change over time. However, judging by the number of projects “in development” on the Ghost Machine website, hopes are fragile. The effect of two birds with one stone – and in the case of the developers of eared as much as six! – Nobody canceled yet.
Success factors
Risk factors
- The game is entirely devoted to serious motorsport;
- The speed is felt wonderful;
- Support Oculus Rift.
- bad models of machines;
- licenses were not brought;
- Problems with physics;
- extravagant and stupid AI;
- A lot of technical problems.
We will wait?
Potentially interesting arcade, which, if you correct numerous shortcomings, will quite be able to captivate for several hours free evening. And if you have or will be Oculus Rift, to captivate all the friends-recognizables. Although in this case the merit will already belong to the game only partly.