SuperStars V8 Racing (Review) Playstation 3

If flying at high speeds is your idea of fun, then you need to step into the driver’s seat of SuperStars V8 Racing. It doesn’t claim to be anything beyond what it is; we’re talking pure, adrenalin racing.

What sets SuperStars V8 apart from other racers is its easy-to-pickup gameplay. There is no need to be an expert of racing sims to enjoy V8 Racing either; you have settings for both arcade and simulation. That’s the biggest scare some gamers have when it comes to racing games. They will flock to a series like the Need for Speed because they are afraid of getting a racing simulator that is more than they can handle.

SuperStars V8 Racing is a massive game in a small package. You get everything you’d come to expect from a racing game, but in a neat, small package. Focusing on all European cars, you can drive everything from a Jaguar to a BMW. Each car has its own unique way of handling. It doesn’t matter if you are driving a rear-wheel or an all-wheel drive vehicle; things can get dicey depending on how you’re driving.

One thing you will notice right away is the weather system. This has to be one of the few racing games available that incorporates a weather system. There is nothing more fun than  racing on a wet track, slipping and sliding all over the place; there’s nothing like it anywhere. It’s definitely something you don’t get a chance to experience often in racing games.

All the famous European tracks that we’ve come to love are here:  from Mugello in Italy to Portimão in Portugal; even Kyalami in South Africa.

There is a total of nineteen drivers racing at one time, and this can make the situation quite messy when you’re racing towards a hairpin turn. SuperStars V8 Racing also has four difficulty settings: easy, medium, hard and legend modes. You can also customize the number of laps you want, the weather conditions, and even your starting position (if you are setting up a quick race).

Along with quick races, you can also choose training, race weekends, championship races, and even Superstars Licenses. Championship mode will put you through your paces to see if you have what it takes to be a champion or not. Championship mode is comprised of a handful of hard races all done back-to-back. Before each race, you will have the choice to run two practice races to get a feel for the track.  Each practice race can be played as many times as you wish, meaning there is no set lap for a practice race.

After both practice races, you will be asked to complete a qualifying race that will determine your starting position in the main race event. SuperStars Licenses mode has a slew of challenges to keep you busy when you are not racing in the championships or going against other players via Playstation Network. Theses challenges entail Countdown, Special Trails, Duels, and Race Scenarios.

You have a total of twenty drivers to choose from with their own unique cars to drive.  If you want to drive a certain car, you must pick that driver. Each car brand is classified as its own team. This means anyone who drives a BMW would be categorized as Team BMW, so to speak.

You have complete control over the customization of your car.  Just about every piece of the car can be tinkered with, but keep in mind that these options do not have to be altered in any order to be able to race. I have won plenty of races before tweaking my car in SuperStars V8, but if you are a gear head at heart, you can spend countless hours working on your car.

The photo realistic graphics are really impressive for a racing simulation. The only thing lacking is the ability to take snapshots of your races or save replays (as far as that goes).

The way water reflects off the track is beautiful as the light and shadows of the vehicles  pass over them. The car models are so well designed, it’s a shame that you can’t capture the moment while you are driving. The tracks and their environments are so photogenic, you would swear you were watching a race on T.V.

There are four views you can control your vehicle from: there is a 3rd person view (behind the car), a chase cam view, an inside, but no cockpit view, and my personal favorite — the hood cam view. So no matter what your personal preference is, there is a view to fit just about anyone’s play style.

There is very little music when driving; it is either heard during replays, inside the garage, and before championship races. The music that you do hear is a mixture of heavy metal and death metal, and it sets the tone for the aggressive atmosphere the game is trying to capture (which it does very well).

Some people may not understand the meaning behind such harsh metal music in a racing simulator, but it’s meant to pump you up and get your adrenalin flowing, and it does just that. It’s a wonderful touch not seen in many titles regardless of the genre.

I would have enjoyed having some music while driving, but I understand that having music would have interfered with their portrayal of a simulation (it would have made the game feel more arcade-like instead).

In SuperStars V8 Racing’s case, I feel it was a good move not to include music during the driving sequences. I know a lot of  gamers might disagree with this,  but I feel it would have interfered with the racing experience.

With in-game music being absent, you can hear your car’s engine, the shifting of gears, and the tires squeal as you break for a hairpin turn.  All of this would have been lost if the developer included in-game music.

SuperStars V8 Racing is a brilliant racing simulator that I enjoyed immensely; I can’t seem to put it down. If you are a racing junkie like me, SuperStars V8 Racing is a steal on the Playstation Network for only $19.99. I have paid for downloadable content that offered much less. In this case, you will be gaining a complete racing experience for the price of some DLC.

James ‘Daripp3r’ Pittaro
Platform: Playstation 3 (Available on PSN)
Size: 1.5gigs
Developer / Publisher: OGames
Price: $19.99

Review Score
Graphics
The photorealistic backgrounds and race car models create one enjoyable experience.
Sound
The vehicles’ sound effects supersede other race sims on the market today.
Gameplay
SuperStars V8 Racing is a wonderful driving simulator; it is easy and fun for all ages. Plus, it’s a breeze to pickup and learn. No tricky learning curves here; just honest-to-goodness driving bliss. The only thing lacking was the ability to snap photos, keep a log of all your races, and to save your replays.

Overall
SuperStars V8 Racing comes highly recommended. It’s an enjoyable racing experience, so don’t be fooled by the price tag. SuperStars V8 Racing is a racing simulator that should be enjoyed and respected.