What, you say you can’t afford to buy a Ferrari? It seems that a lot of people fall into this category, but never fear, Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli is here! This game won’t save the world, like Underdog, but it does give a fair arcade-simulation of what it feels like to drive and race a Ferrari.
The game is broken down into several single player modes; quick race, arcade, challenge, trophy, and time trials. There is online multiplayer but no offline MP. FCTP gives you only one car selection in the beginning–a Ferrari F430. As you race more and rank higher in the standings, you’ll receive credits, which in turn, allows you to buy other Ferraris to use in races.
There are 15 real-life tracks and each one gives you plenty of challenge in memorizing the various twists and turns of the courses. Some are easy, and some will drive you crazy. But after a while, you’ll get used to the handling of the car, and you should be able to finish in the top 5 with regularity. But the game gives you a “been there, done that,” sort of a feeling. Nothing original; just something you’ve experienced countless times before.
The race tracks are true to life, the cars are gorgeous to look at, and the physics, for the most part, are pretty accurate. What may be lacking is the quality of excitement or heart in the game. While FC does a fair job as a semi-sim, there is decidedly something missing as far as it being fun. The AI cars aren’t necessarily the brightest, and it’s very easy to get in front of a car to block its way and put a good deal of distance between you and the lagging Ferrari.
Penalty flags show up when you try to cut corners on the race track and this slows you down for a limited amount of time before you can rev up to full speed again. Crashing into the rear of cars is a tactic you can use to spin them out of control, but your car comes through without too much in the way of reduced handling or speed. You can slam on the brakes while you’re slowing down from 140 mph to 40 to navigate a hairpin turn without much effort or brake-fade though the entire race.
For the tactician and hardcore sim racing fan, the game may fail to provide the real-life drama that one would expect from crashes, drafting, and racing through the pack. For fans of racing games in general, FC seems rather sterile and stark in its approach. You move up in rank, get your credits, and use them to buy more cars, and so on and so forth.
Frame rate for the game is ok, but oddly enough, FC seems to be running at only 30fps. Not really a big issue, but the graphic quality looks rather dated and not what you would expect from today’s generation of racing games.
Sound is average with your typical race car engine sounds, and limited sound track selections.
Ferrari Challenge: Trofeo Pirelli is your basic no frills racing game and if you love Ferraris, you may want to check this game out.
