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Le Mans 24 Hours Review
Chris Leyton
00/12/0000
The suprise dreamcast hiot makes a welcome appearance on the PS2.
Le Mans 24hr surprised a lot of people when it hit the dreamcast last year. Few could have predicted the enthralling gameplay and fantastic graphics. The game garnished great reviews and did well on the machine; Infogrames Melbourne House have now ported it across to the PS2 in the hope of building upon that success.
For anyone not in the know Le Mans is a race held in France that funnily enough lasts for 24 hours, making it more of an endurance race then anything else. Le Mans on the PS2 sets out to replicate this, so much so that a 24-hour option is available for the enthusiasts and insomniacs out there.
Itās immediately evident that Infogrames have taken this port seriously, graphics have been significantly improved over the dreamcast original; thereās a significant increase in the amount of polyās being pushed around, the sublime lighting effects have been re-worked and now look nothing short of stunning, seeing the sun rise during the twilight hours is a spectacular experience.
The cars are now sporting realistic environmental mapping, which lends to the realism factor. Unfortunately some of the textures on close inspection donāt appear to be as detailed as in the DC version, once again the PS2ās much-publicised problems rears their ugly head.
Despite looking great, thereās one small problem, namely Gran Turismo 3, I feel mean for bringing it up because Le Mans does look the business but compared to Polyphonyās efforts it just canāt compete.
There have been a few modifications to the gameplay that have enhanced the overall game. Firstly, the handling has been slightly tweaked; heavy emphasis is still placed on controlled breaking and pinpoint speed control, but spinouts and various other frustrating elements have been toned down. Itās a slight tweak to adjust the balance between authenticity and playability, but itās worked, as the game is now more fun to play. However donāt be too concerned that theyāve changed it to an arcade racer, as itās only a minor change.
Easily the most impressive thing about Le Mans is having 24 cars on screen, if weāre playing the comparison game, GT3 makes do with a pathetic 6.
New to the PS2 version is updated rosters, new courses, new cars and most importantly a fully working pit-crew that are animated superbly. For the first time in a racing genre theyāre actually needed, allowing you to customize your strategies and car, believe me when I say races are won and lost down in the pit lane. Unfortunately the excellent 4P mode hasnāt made the translation, which is a big loss, as having a 24hr-endurance with three of your mates is an experience Iām never going to forget.
PS2 owning car enthusiasts are well advised to pick Le Mans 24 up, itās got great visuals, compelling gameplay and that highly unique 24hr mode. Itās harder to recommend to casual gamers as the excellent GT3 is nearly upon us, but I donāt want to take anything away from what Infogrames have achieved, Le Mans 24 is great.
