Grand Prix 4

Actually, we had scheduled the test of Geoff Crammond's new simulation. Then the call came: "No test for this issue," reported Publisher Infogrames. Well, we rebuilt the booklet. But during E3, Infogrames called again: "The test sample is coming tomorrow!" So we turned half of the booklet over again. But Grand Prix 4 did not come. Only after a daring night-and-fog campaign and long telephone calls with a courier service did we finally get the CD with the testable version, four days before the closing date. A real Formula 1 race can never be as exciting as the life of a GameStar editor ...

Colorful graphics

The bar for Grand Prix 4 is darn high. Geoff Crammond himself delivered the previous reference with Grand Prix 3 two years ago, against which all competitors failed - until this year. His current work comes on the market with a completely improved graphics engine that can make even top computers and Geforce 3 cards sweat. The result of the Pixel Marathon are extremely detailed routes and realistic-looking racing cars. At first glance, Grand Prix 4 differs from the EA Sports competitor: the look looks cleaner, more colorful and smoother. The reflections of the surroundings on the car look a little exaggerated, but you can reduce this in two stages. If you play on PCs with less than 1 GHz, you have to switch off details at the edge of the route. As a result, entire mountains and forests suddenly jump into the picture or all the buildings in the pit lane are missing. As a result, the graphics quality suffers noticeably. If desired, the program determines an automatic setting of the graphics. You just specify how many frames per second you want to see. The result often looks moderate or jerky - then you have to fumble with the detail switches by hand. The game shows special effects such as spray, dust and smoke in a more dominant manner than F1 2002. The overall effect of the latter is dirtier and therefore a little more realistic due to the rougher textures.

Sticking in the fast lane

More important than the optics is how the computer opponents assert themselves on the track. Driver names like Jean Alesi or even Mika Häkkinen make Formula 1 experts pay attention: Right, Grand Prix 4 has to get by with the outdated license of the 2000 season. This is a clear disadvantage compared to F1 2002 with the current season dates. The cleverness of the AI pilots is reminiscent of GP 3 and is less adjustable than with the EA Sports competitor. In the options menu, you can decide whether the boys are all going equally well or prefer the way they did in the 2000 season. It's very funny when dropout king Alex Yoong suddenly wins one race after the other.

All three settings have one thing in common: drivers like the ideal line so much that they are reluctant to leave it. Well-timed overtaking maneuvers like in F1 2002 are rarer here. Driving around an obstacle is not always successful - several or two cars got stuck in an accident during our test. Timely braking before corners should also have been better by Geoff Crammond: Again and again, really powerful drivers like David Coulthard or Michael Schumacher thundered into the rear. Since you can't set how aggressive or passive the opponents drive, at worst you have to activate the indestructibility mode to survive a race unscathed.

With accelerator, brake and force feedback

Anyone who switches from their own Opel Corsa to one of the 800-hp giants will quickly be amazed at what a hearty step on the gas pedal can do. Thanks to the driving aids already known from the predecessors, you can defuse the frenzy. As usual, you can switch on or off using the steering and brake assistant, ideal line, automatic gearbox and the like. This is even possible during the race. A driving school like at F1 2002 is missing; only the relatively detailed manual tries to make the first round easier for beginners. On the other hand, anyone who had already raced the Grand Prix 2 in 1995 will feel right at home with the program grandson seven years later. The driving experience is similar to that of the predecessor - both of which were trend-setting. With precise steering movements, it can be endured well at the limit, and the level of realism is even higher than that of its predecessors. Placing the body on the floor looks very real, because in extreme cases the car jumps slightly and loses the vacuum. Afterwards, you can ponder in the gravel bed whether the shortening via the curbs was really that clever ...

Crafts in the box

This time Geoff Crammond and his development team got the support of modern force feedback steering wheels without any defects. We remember: Grand Prix 3 overestimated many players because the program, for example, did not correctly recognize Microsoft's popular Sidewinder steering wheel. With a keyboard or gamepad, the game only makes sense as an action racer: Without driving aids, races can only be won with a good steering wheel. Because then the player receives the necessary feedback on how much gas is still compatible with a wet slope.

As usual, tickle more grip or top speed from your floor in the setup menu. However, the manual provides insufficient assistance in this regard. Those who are not familiar with camber and brake balance have to wait for appropriate setups from the fan base. It will probably also deliver the drivers of the current season on its own. The optimal boxing strategy can be determined by trying it out. (FS)

The complete article and additional screenshots can be found in GameStar issue 07/2002.