Ford Racing 2 - XBox review

23 October 2003 0:00 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Racing games are a fickle bunch - either they are a tour de force with more realism that being on the road itself or they are the equivalent of a three-year-old child playing with a play mat. Unfortunately for Ford Racing 2 it falls into the latter category.

Of course the first problem that you will encounter is the fact that you can only drive Ford cars. While to some the idea of driving the classic Model-T Ford or the great American pick-up truck is certainly an agreeable thing, driving a Focus or even the Probe isn't. Strangely, when the game features so many Ford cars that the loveable Transit has been left out.

The Fords range from over the last 100 years although for some reason everything is capable of going at 100mph and it seems that the only thing that changes is the sound of the engine. Likewise road terrain seems to have no difference on the physics of how the car reacts and you are this makes the whole point of the game - to open up new levels and new vehicles to drive - rather pointless.

The gameplay runs in pretty much the same formula as most driving games of this ilk - in that you race against the clock or other drivers to open up more vehicles and more areas and more race choices. What is disappointing is that this game doesn't bring anything new to the genre what so ever.

Verdict

Unless you are an employee of the Ford Motor Company or have a passion for driving a Ford this game offers little. For those wanting realism, go and buy Gran Tursimo. At £20 however, Empire understand that this isn't going to be the bees' knees, but for those wanting to have some fun, there are plenty of games out there that offer a lot more than driving a Monedo through a series of check points- like Empire's own Starsky and Hutch for a start.

Score

Review Recap

Made by: Empire
Price as reviewed: £20
The good: None
The bad: All cars feel the same, no Transit
Quick verdict: Limited by sticking to one make of car and the handling and dull graphics, forget it. Even Midtown Madness 3 gives better driving than this.
Score