Ferrari GT Evolution (DSiWare) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

Gameloft posted record profits last year with most of their business coming from downloadable content both for the iPhone (and phones in general) and now the DSi. This wasn't a great surprise to anyone, as the company have been pushing out visually impressive games for some time now and are credited for doing the impossible with the DS version of Assassin's Creed. Gamers will recall though, that while this did look fantastic it didn't play nearly as well. Their racing games have also been a universal hit on all platforms and Gameloft were one of the first third party companies to support the DSiWare download service with Asphalt 4. GT Evolution comes hot on the heels of this classic (but well worn) franchise but will Ferrari cars be enough?

Gameplay

As usual, with your average driving game, you'll want to head for the Career Mode if you want anything more than a quick race and it's really only here that you experience the whole game in all its glory. You are a rookie driver constantly contacted by e-mail from both friends and rivals, challenging you to enter races and exhibition events. Although these take place in a number of different countries, there are eight locations in total, for some reason, you are constantly forced back to Tuscany in order to enter, yet another, three lap race. Why this happens is a bit of a mystery but at least there's enough variety elsewhere to keep you coming back including such challenges as racing around a track without hitting cones or racking up 'drift' points. You'll also be pleased to learn than most of the tracks also have short cuts although these are not as well hidden as in other games of this nature.

All of this racks up credits that can be spent on buying new cars and Ferrari fans will be delighted at the number of models that have been included here. You'll even have the opportunity to test drive all of the cars although there seems to be very little difference in how they handle. All of this is, of course, in the Career Mode so anyone who doesn't want to get wrapped up, in hours of gaming, may want to dip into the Quick Race where you can change almost anything in your race from number of laps to the location of the race. There's also a Multilayer and while both of these modes add obvious value to the overall package you'll still need to play the Career Mode in order to unlock all the cars.

Controls

The control system here is incredibly user friendly and the layout is just as you'd expect. The only real challenge is mastering the 'drift' maneuver, which does take some practice, so that you can rack up those all-important points.

Graphics

Visually, the game looks very impressive indeed although that's what we've come to expect from developers Gameloft. It includes some impressive car modeling, with an impressive 32 to choose from. The real highlight though is the various tracks with located everywhere from Rome to New York. They are all incredibly well designed with enough landmarks to make you feel that you are driving though the city in question. The weather effects are also pretty impressive and the sky will darken as rain hits your windscreen in Tuscany while the winter streets in Berlin are covered with snow.

Sound

Nothing really spectacular here as far as music goes but the cars do sound good.

Dual screen

You wont need your stylus at all although you can take a snap of yourself to be used as an avatar and displayed on billboards around the track.

Final comments

GT Evolution is probably the best racer currently available for the DSiWare download service but unfortunately the flawed Career Mode damages the whole experience. This forces you to play the same tracks over and over again so, while the various Challenges and Competitive races are entertaining, the fact that you'll keep returning to Tuscany for yet another three-lap race makes for an incredibly repetitive experience. It still looks, sounds and plays great, it's just far too much of the same thing.

Pro: Looks Good, Nice Challenges.
Con: Very Repetitive and you'll be Sick to Death of Tuscany
Final score: 7.1

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