SuperCar Challenge

The racing genre is fast fragmenting beyond all recognition. From impossibly vast environments to power-ups, concussion effects to explosions, it seems developers will stop at nothing to ensure their title has that valuable unique selling point over its rivals. Except, of course, bearing any relation to reality. What’s more, PlayStation 3 owners have found genuine racing thrills difficult to come by, split evenly between previous System 3 output and Gran Turismo 5’s tantalising morsel. Fear not, for further diversification is at hand.

As its title suggests, this offering eschews the necessity to plough through dozens of automobiles fit only for a knacker’s yard, choosing to concentrate on the market’s very top end. It’s disappointing then to be forced into handling a model that should have been put out to pasture years ago. While perfectly consistent within its own slightly wonky rule set, allowing gamers the thrill of shaving precious milliseconds away, some of the world’s greatest engineering achievements feel like jumped-up rally cars, pivoting in the middle when you steer and powersliding a tad too easily. Entering corners at a rather alarming angle quickly becomes commonplace both for players and their elementary school opponents, who’ll also block opponents off in pursuit of that pesky racing line.

Credit is clawed back somewhat by a single-player career structure that rewards experimentation almost as much as skill, and for visuals that sparkle particularly from behind the wheel. All in all then, a short-term viable alternative to twiddling your thumbs waiting for Gran Turismo 5.