Game Preview: Ferrari Racing Legends

Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends
Platform: Playstation 3, XBox 360, Windows PC
Developer: Slightly Mad Studios
Publisher: Atari

Ferrari is acutely aware that not everybody can afford a real-life Prancing Horse to sit next to the family car in the garage, which is where Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends comes in.

Officially sanctioned by Ferrari, the new racing simulator comes on the back of 2010’s Ferrari Virtual Academy, allowing fans to explore the limits of a range of Ferrari vehicles, old and new, road and race cars. Albeit virtually...

All told, gamers can drive 52 fully modelled Ferrari vehicles, which feature accurate 3D representations of both interiors and exteriors.

As long-time gaming veterans will know, the Test Drive franchise has had its ups and downs, but if nothing else it has always focused on the freedom to drive a wide variety of cars over a large landscape. In some titles, players could roam around a virtual sand-box environment in an automobile.

Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends brings more focus to the franchise and as such the gameplay is more in the tradition of racing simulations. Yes, this game will be a challenge.

To extend the games longevity and scope, it will feature multiple race types including rally, GT and Formula 1 and there will be more than 39 circuits (including variations), all of which can be experienced from the cockpit of a classic Ferrari or from behind a brand new Ferrari 458 Italia.

From the simulation point of view, the game's developers describe it as using "… a convincing physics model, tuned for exciting pick-up-and-play racing," which sounds like an oxymoron. You either have convincing physics, and the game's hard, or unrealistic physics, and the game's all about pick up and play. But who knows, perhaps we'll see a blend of the two that works serendipitously?

The Ferrari Racing Legends game also gets "visual damage effects" which are said to have an important role in how the races unfold. Hopefully there's some spectacular crashes possible as well!

Ferrari tragics will be in seventh heaven with this title, as the 52 Ferraris range over a time line of more than 70 years of the famous marques history, and include everything from F1 race cars to limited run production cars.

In order to keep players coming back to the game, there will be a campaign mode backed up by online multiplayer for up to eight players to compete, so it could be fun online versus your mates.

Jim Wilson, the CEO of Atari, reckons the new game will mark a turning point for the Test Drive franchise, and says it will deliver the goods for car enthusiasts.

"Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends is a landmark chapter of the iconic Test Drive saga. Ferrari has been an essential partner throughout the history of the Test Drive franchise, and the opportunity to celebrate the unrivalled Ferrari Racing Team and the legendary Ferrari brand promises a one of a kind experience for all driving enthusiasts," said Mr Wilson.

Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends has been developed by Slightly Mad Studios, creators of the Need For Speed Shift series of games, so there's certainly some pedigree going on behind the scenes.  In Australia and New Zealand the game will be available from August 15th for Windows PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.