Game Information

PSM Quote: "It'll never catch the race leader"
PSM Score: 7/10

Price: £19.99
Released:
March 1999
Extras: Link cable compatable

Formula one games nowadays are all about realism, graphics, official stats, handling and the options! Lets start this review by looking at the options Monaco GP comes with...well, firstly there is the Championship mode, Arcade, Single race, and Time attack modes. The Championship mode is the main deal here, as you choose a Team/Driver, and then race the 16 races in an attempt to become the Formula one World Champion. The 16 races are all the official race tracks, such as Silverstone, Monza and the mighty Monaco...however, the same can not be said of the Teams and Drivers...for these are not official, a Formula One game without the teams and drivers, this isn't allowed surly...well it is, as this game shows! More on this later, now the rest of the modes, well the Arcade mode is a simple idea, where the cars handle slightly easier then the full Grand Prix mode, and the cars cannot be damaged. You start off with only three tracks selectable, yet as you win more races...so more races become available!

"All modes come complete with a full set of Flags, and they are actually used to good effect"

The Arcade mode is a good little idea, yet it isn't as fun or exciting as the Championship mode...the Single race mode is simply an exhibition race, where you select a car/Driver, then a race track and go racing, it's as simple as that really. The time trial mode is again you basic time attack mode, where you select your car/driver and track and then try and beat your best times! All modes come complete with a full set of Flags, and they are actually used to good effect, though not as good as F1 WGP2(N64), where you actually get the other cars alowing down under yellow flags, or indeed Le Mans 24hr on the Playstation where you get the oil flags out, and then the tracks feel like they are covered in oil! The time trial mode also comes with a ghost car, which can be saved to memory car. The game does ask alot of your memory card, and to be honest you really need 4 free blocks to get the most out of this game, mind you compared to GT 15blocks this is nothing! Even so, you have been warned!

All the cars can be set-up in the garage section of the game, and you can change such things as the front and rear wings, the tyres and all the things you would expect to set-up in the real Formula One world. The game also comes with a two player mode, which can be played via a split screen or via a link cable...a nice idea I feel...yet it's not as much fun as TOCA 2!

"A few more weeks in the developers office would have done this game a world of good."

There are enough options here then, and one further feature is the team editor mode, now this may sound like a good idea, and it certainly needed to be added, why? Well, because the game doesn't come with official teams and drivers, the teams are simply called Team1, Team 2 etc etc...not very good! Therefore, you do get the feeling that this game has been produced without an official license, and so they included this team editor mode to allow us to have Mclaren and WillaimsF1 in there, I mean only the names, Why? Well, because you can only edit the names...which is simply not good enough, other games such as Top Gear Rally on the N64, and even Rage Racer allowed us to have a car editor where you could change the cars design. A few more weeks in the developers office would have done this game a world of good.

Mustn't grumble, at least they included this option, if they hadn't...well! The drivers names can also be edited...and so you can have your Mika Hakkinens driving for McLaren...Ubi Soft have included a few car designs, which are based on current cars, yet not enough! There is a car which looks like the McLaren, a Jordan and a WilliamsF1 lookalike...but if only you could have edited them yourself!?

Enough of the options, how does the game play...after all thats what the games made for! It actually plays pretty good, the frame rate is good, and it's just as smooth as Formula One from Pygnosis and you do get the feeling of driving an F1 car...especially using the in-car view. The handling at first feels all wrong, it seems to move a bit too quickly, or not enough...oversteer to understeer is the order of the day here! You will spend the first hour or so simply spinning of the track at every turn, just like it should be:O) A few tries in the car-set up mode should sort this out, as the set-up changes you make, do effect the cars handling!

"This game is challenging yet fun, and at times you will feel like your a real F1 driver"

The graphics are pretty good, but again not as good as the mighty Formula one from pygnosis or indeed F1WGP2 on the N64. Things are detailed enough, a nice draw distance and some really nice effects, such as the dust when you run wide...that looks very nice, or the way you pick up dirt on your wheels when you spin off...and you will be spinning off alot trust me! This game is challenging yet fun, and at times you will feel like your a real F1 driver, the AI of the computer controlled rivals is spot on, they will dive up the inside, and will spin off on there own...bringing out the yellow flags!

The sound is good, some nice Formula One engines and there is a pit radio also, which works well. The same can not be said of the Presentation...this has to be the worst presentation of an F1 game I have ever seen, and I've seen a few. It's just a simple, pick this, and then pick this...so basic it hurts! However, the official tracks have all been designed 100% to their real life conterparts, and this is surly more important then the presentation...

As an F1 game, this is no where near as good as the best F1 game ever GP2 on the PC, and it's not as detailed as F1WGP2 on the N64, and is also not as good as Formula One on the Playstation, so if you have any of these games and your not an F1 nut, like me, then there is little reason to buy this game. It doesn't really offer anything new, yet if your into Formula one...you will enjoy this game, as long as you can forget about the teams and drivers not being there. You do need to spend a good half hour editing them names...trust me!

This is ultimatly a pretty run of the mill game, and so many times you get the feeling the game needed a few more weeks, months even, on the production line! With better presentation, official teams/drivers and just a little bit here and there this could have been the best F1 game of 1999, as it is, it's just a tale ender. If this game was a team, it would be the Sauber team...a few points here and there, but not a winner!

Kevin Preston

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