Gran Turismo Sport has plenty of rivals

Clearly the gaming fanatics at motoring.com.au have given the ‘thumbs-up’ to the forthcoming PlayStation 4-exclusive Gran Turismo Sport, but there’s no shortage of options for racing fun in the virtual world, particularly if you don’t own a PS4.

Speed Switch
First up for all you new, somewhat starved for content, Nintendo Switch owners looking for some frantic and exotic racing, there is Gear.Club Unlimited from developer Eden Games.

While there are lots of prestigious high-value and high-performance cars to play with in Gear.Club Unlimited, to be honest, other details are a tad meagre. Eden Games expects players to: “demonstrate a strong competitive spirit during frantic races to win championships and set the fastest lap times, alone or against their friends”

There is also the promise of highly customisable vehicles. From bodywork to engine, players will be able to tinker with their ride to become more powerful and aggressive.

The formula for speed
For F1 fans, the latest season simulation is on the horizon. The extra good news is Codemasters’ F1 2017 will include the latest technology, teams and tracks plus some updated nostalgia elements.

What does that mean? Well, for example, players will be able to drive the 2006 Renault R26 raced by Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella. The R26 scored eight wins out of 18 races, seven pole positions, five fastest laps, lead for more laps and won more races than any other car in 2006. It helped Alonso win his second Drivers’ Championship and Renault claim its second consecutive Constructors’ Championship.

There are also a number of historic McLarens, Ferraris, Williams, and even the 2010 Red Bull Racing RB6, to test in the game. Here’s the complete list of historic F1 cars to collect in F1 2017:

1988 McLaren MP4/4
1991 McLaren MP4/6
1992 Williams FW14B
1995 Ferrari 412 T2
1996 Williams FW18
1998 McLaren MP4-13
2002 Ferrari F2002
2004 Ferrari F2004
2006 Renault R26
2007 Ferrari F2007
2008 McLaren MP4-23
2010 Red Bull Racing RB6

Mr Zak Brown, McLaren Group Executive Director, told the folks at Codemasters:  “It’s pretty hard to pick just four significant McLaren Formula 1 cars – so all credit to the people at Codemasters for choosing these iconic, championship-winning machines.

“I don’t think you’d be able to get away without choosing 1988’s MP4/4 – it’s probably the most iconic F1 car of the last 40 years, a machine that looks as sleek and fast today as when it was first raced. And it’s superbly complemented by another Senna car, the V12-engined MP4/6; Mika Hakkinen’s beautiful, silver-liveried MP4-13, and Lewis Hamilton’s jaw-droppingly complex MP4-23.

“If you’re a gamer, or a McLaren fan of any era, then I think you’re going to want to race these cars in Codemasters’ F1 2017.”

F1 2017 will arrive on August 25 for Xbox One, PS4 and PC platforms.

A project of speed
We were massive fans of Project CARS when it arrived out of the blue in 2015 and we really welcome the sequel.

Hands up those that love Ferraris. OK, Project CARS 2 will get your pulse racing.

Arriving on September 22, on Xbox One, PS4 and PC, Project CARS 2 has a real prancing pony focus.

“Having Ferrari in Project CARS 2 is fantastic news for our drivers,” explained Mr Andy Tudor, Creative Director at Slightly Mad Studios. “But it also comes with its own unique set of challenges. With so much pedigree and expectation, getting the feel of these Ferraris right, in-game, was a massive responsibility for us. Fans and drivers of both Project CARS 2 and Ferrari expect something special, they expect the cars in-game to echo all the hallmarks of what it is to drive some of Maranello’s greatest-ever cars. We can’t wait to get our drivers into these Ferraris and let them experience what we’ve achieved. These cars are truly special.”

Project CARS will also provide plenty of other cars and places to race. To be precise, there are 60 carefully chosen locations and over 130 layouts, including our own Mt Panorama.

According to the folks at Slightly Mad Studios: “Each track features breakthrough LiveTrack 3.0 that ensures each track comes with 4 seasons of dynamic weather stunningly rendered, sublime day-to-night transitions, along with snow, rain, mist, wind, mud, gravel and more all affecting the 180-plus cars’ grip and handling, inch-by-inch, second-by-second. Puddling, drying, rubbered-in, and constantly varying driving lines will challenge driving skills and pit stop strategies, while even the angle of the sun will change the grip on every inch of every track.”

For-za love of Speed
For those who own a Microsoft gaming platform (PC or Xbox One), and have somehow become bored with playing Forza Horizon 3 set in Australia, then it might be time to look at Forza 7, the simulation side of the Forza duo.

Yes, Forza Motorsport 7 is a pure racing simulation, but it does bring a lot of fun along for the ride as a little bit of the excitement of the Horizon titles has ebbed into the more serious title’s DNA.

If you’re happy at the prospect of the massive Ferrari love coming in Project CARS 2, then you will also be excited at the sheer number of supercars gracing the Forza Motorsport 7 garage. When it comes to Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini, developer Turn 10 Studios is boasting the biggest collection ever rolled out in a video game.

Forza 7 will include over 700 cars to choose, or earn as your career takes hold. This release of Forza has a broader focus on the driver’s career, including, for the first time ever, the ability to take your driver avatar out of the cockpit.

He may not have made his way into the latest DiRT 4 title, but Ken Block is back in Forza Motorsport 7 in the form of a special Hoonigan car pack: “I’m really excited about the fact that we’re releasing a Hoonigan car pack with Forza,” Block enthused.

“The fact that fans are going to be able to drive not just my twin-turbo, 1400 hp Hoonicorn RTR V2 that I’m running in Climbkhana, but also my Gymkhana Escort, is awesome. Plus being able to drive BJ’s Loki, [Brian] Scotto’s 911 and all of the other cars? None of us actually let anyone else drive our cars really, so this is definitely the best chance anyone’s going to have to get behind the wheels.”

Forza Motorsport 7 will appear on Xbox One and PC (via Windows 10 cross play) and will take advantage of the increased power of the Xbox One X when it is released

The speed of need
And finally, the venerable Need For Speed franchise returns this year with Need For Speed: Payback from Ghost Games out of Sweden.

We do still love a good Need For Speed title and hopefully the 2017 version will contain a little less full-motion-video cut-scenes than the previous Need For Speed (2015), and more of the gameplay innovations of Need For Speed: Rivals (2013).

This franchise is developing a reputation for story driven racing and word on the street indicates Need For Speed: Payback will feature three playable characters in an open world environment which will allow drivers to pick their own way through the game. Sounds similar to games such as The Club, or even Forza Horizon 3.

“Need for Speed returns this year to challenge what players expect from racing games,” said Marcus Nilsson, Executive Producer. “We’re still delivering everything our fans love about the franchise – the deepest customization, an impressive roster of cars, intense races and open world pursuits – but with Need for Speed: Payback, we’re bringing together all those elements in an all new blockbuster driving experience. From the story, to the different characters you can drive as, to the varied missions, to the edge-of-your-seat moments, this is our vision for what action driving entertainment means today.”

Hopefully the high-speed pursuits that are the hallmark of a NFS game will be emphasized, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC owners will need to wait until November 10th to find out.

So Gran Turismo on PS4 is a grand simulation, but for others looking for racing thrills of a different kind on perhaps a different platform, there is plenty to look forward to this year.