The driving genre of games is fairly crowded and with series like Gran Turismo, Burnout, Midnight Club, Need for Speed, and Ridge Racer, many of the newer, less recognizable racing titles are having a tough time trying to crack into the market. The only way these less established games are going to standout is if they bring something really different and unique to the table, and unfortunately Ferrari Challenge: Trofeo Pirelli fails to do so.
Eutechnyx and System 3 essentially put together the basic elements found in just about any racing title. There are 4 game modes to choose from. Quick Race is your typical exhibition mode, Challenge puts you in season mode where you race on various tracks from all across the world, and finally there are the Time Trials and Arcade racing modes. Beyond that, there is a Showroom which allows you to view and visually customize the different cars you’ve unlocked.
Regardless of what mode you choose to play, Trofeo Pirelli does feature a decent racing engine. With over 50 Ferraris to unlock and race, Eutchnyx did a fair job of capturing the feel of driving these beasts (not that I’m speaking from experience). The older models tend to be a little tougher to keep under control, while the newer cars have a better combination of handling and speed.
Of the different racing options, Challenge is where you’ll spend most of your time as you race through the Ferrari Challenge Championship. The series is broken into weekends in which you’ll participate in two races. However each of these races are based on time limits as opposed to a set number of laps. So no matter how fast you go and how many laps you complete, you’re just going to keep driving and driving until the 15 or more minutes are up. The problem with this is that you’re going to find that there is a lot of space between you and the other racers. If you manage to fall behind, you’re going to spend 10+ minutes each race playing catch-up. Conversely if you take the lead, the majority of the race has you defending your position all by your lonesome. Beyond the racing, Challenge mode also includes minor tuning options in between events. They allow for more physical changes that affect the performance of your car. It’s a nice feature, but nowhere near the depth of what you might find elsewhere.
Up to this point, Trofeo Pirelli isn’t a great game, but there isn’t anything terrible about it either. Enter the visuals. From the moment I see the first load screen, I can’t shake the feeling that the game reminds me of the original Playstation. I continue through the options and onto some races and, quite frankly, it looks awful. This game looks like it was indeed developed for the PS1 more than the PS2. The pixels are sharp and rough giving everything from the cars to the trees to the stands a jagged look. The detail in the tracks is very underwhelming as well. Often it’s difficult to judge the distance between your current position and upcoming turns. God forbid if there’s an “S” curve in the track.
In the end, Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli is not a very good game. It does the same thing you’ll see in just about every other racing game, but it doesn’t do them well. The driving mechanics are decent enough, but mandatory 15+ minute races can get boring 2 minutes in. Visually, there’s nothing good to be said about what’s here. Ultimately the lack of anything original and presenting the usual standard options severely diminishes the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Ferrari and push it to the limit.
Overall Score: 5.5/10
