Driving in a state of intoxication ...
So far it would seem all right, then. And instead, unfortunately, once you get out on the track to compete, the sad reality comes out, and FSR shows all the more negative aspects of the game, starting with imperfect gameplay. Once the race has started, in fact, the car's controls are inaccurate and it often becomes difficult to keep the road consistently more because of these than due to errors during driving due to poor practice or to the "pressure" exerted by the opponents on the car. The latter in turn have a ridiculous AI, to the point that they often seem drunk and blind as they swoop down on you for no apparent reason, as if they didn't see you. When they realize the presence of the videogamer, the pilots managed by the CPU begin to take him at the doors. Never mind, "we reciprocate them" you will say. And instead no. Ironically, while the blows of the opponents have a certain damaging effect on your car, those inflicted against them do not, and indeed sometimes they end up damaging even more the car you drive. In a similar context, where in fact the only wise thing that remains for the player to do is to try to stay on the track with the bodywork semi-intact, it becomes almost impossible to plan any strategy or try to exploit one's skills at the steering wheel. Luckily at least visually the game is saved. From a graphic point of view, Ford Racing stands out positively for a good general detail, evident in the construction of the tracks, the surrounding landscapes, and the vehicles. The latter are well cared for, similar to their real counterparts and easily identifiable, at least for the fans, from model to model. It should be noted that in the game there are the damages suffered to the cars, which is why visually, even if not too realistic, you can see your vehicle reduced to a junk full of dents if you crash into opponents or parts of the track. The speech is different as regards the sound: apart from the roar of the engines which is discreetly differentiated in relation to the various vehicle classes, the rest appears rather repetitive, from the general effects downwards. Then we cannot say anything positive about the soundtrack: in fact it does not exist. Music is only present in the menus.
The collector...
In "Challenges", however, the types of races can be of various types, with different things to do and objectives to be achieved. For example, it may happen that you try your hand at races called "Overtaking", in which the main purpose is to overtake a certain number of cars to win the race, or "Elimination", where you have to avoid finishing a lap in the last two positions, since at the end of each of them whoever is last or second to last is eliminated. And so on. It should be noted that this mode is playable in two different ways, that is alone or as a member of a team. In this case, the gamer controls two cars during the race, with the aim of placing them both in the best positions. To switch from one car to another just switch by pressing the appropriate key (the CPU manages the other car). In "Career" mode there are twenty-four unlockable cars, divided into three main categories: Classic, Sports and High Performance. To the first category belong, as the term suggests, vintage cars of the American car manufacturer (variable production year from 1962 to 1971), to the second relatively more recent cars, such as the Focus RS of 2002 or the Mustang GT of 2005, while in the last category you can choose prototypes of Ford cars, characterized by fairly high parameters that are then felt, within the limits of what is allowed (later we will see why - Ed.) on the road. The other available modes are "Quick Race", which as the title suggests allows the user to try their hand immediately on the track without paying too much attention to options and the like, "Arcade", about which there is little to say, and "Multiplayer": this last other is nothing but the same "Arcade" mode extended to a local connection only. In fact, you can create or host a match and you can choose whether to face the race alone or as a team, exactly as in the aforementioned mode.
Conclusions
Other than improved porting ... Ford Street Racing LA Duel is the exact photocopy of the other versions for consoles and PCs. If aesthetically the game stands at discrete levels, the same thing cannot be said from the point of view of playability, a key element of every video game, where we really don't have it: the title does not differ much from the mediocrity it has up to to now characterized the saga. Too bad, because some ideas, such as dual driving in the race, weren't bad. Recommended only for Ford fans and those looking for just a few hours of fun without excessive pretensions.
- Pro:
- Good graphics.
- Some interesting ideas.
- Fair number of cars available.
- Against:
- Gameplay to be reviewed.
- Little longevity.
- Boring.
The Ford Street Racing series has never enjoyed much acclaim among the huge audience of driving game enthusiasts. In fact, to tell the truth, he probably didn't have any in general. Due to a not excellent playability and a certain monotony of the whole, the Razorworks saga has "stood out" in the negative over the last few years both on PC and Ps2 and Xbox. Now, as mentioned in the introductory hat, the team in question will try again this time on PSP with what can be easily defined a port of the almost namesake Ford Street Racing released some time ago on other platforms, but, according to its creators, with some news that in terms of gameplay should have improved the product. The game begins with the classic request to create your own personal pilot profile and save. Immediately after you are projected into the main menu which offers the four modes offered by the title, among which the most important is certainly the one called "Career". The purpose of this mode is to challenge dozens of opponents on various tracks (in the game there are eighteen in total plus their respective inverse counterparts) in fourteen events scattered through the streets of the city of Los Angeles, each of which will contain a "Competition" and two "Challenges", to become, victory after victory, the best driver and car collector in the city. The "Competition" is structured in three rounds, at the end of each of which the driver managed by the videogamer is assigned a score according to the position obtained in the race. Upon completion of the set of challenges, a definitive ranking is drawn up on the basis of which a certain number of useful credits can be obtained for the purchase of new cars in the showroom, in relation to the position reached.
