The racing genre has had a renaissance of some sorts. Suddenly, the game companies decided to inject some life and revitalize the aging field. Games like
Burnout 2 and
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit II have done an excellent job of bringing the genre off of life support but can a newcomer to the realm, Atari, really set the bar for racers in the year 2003? Yes, yes it can.
From the onset of the game you probably won’t be very impressed. There are few options to choose from and even fewer vehicles and tracks at your disposal but as you dig into the game you’ll realize just how deep and engaging it is. The Dream Mode is the meat and potatoes of the game, putting you in control of a car manufacturer that will be built from the ground up. As you progress you will transform a filthy garage into a top of the line high-tech facility complete with an R&D Department and the obligatory gorgeous receptionist.
As you progress through the Dream Mode you’ll participate in increasingly difficult races. How you place in these races determines how many points you can spend on researching newer and more powerful vehicles. Do you put all of your points into a new roadster, or do you maintain some patience and save up for that sportscar? It’s entirely up to you and for the most part, it works really well.
The Mercedes Benz is the true king of German Automobiles, just ask HusemannWhile the game features a healthy helping of real-world vehicles you won’t be driving any of them in the Dream Mode. Instead you’ll pit your own vehicle against the badboys in hopes of gaining market dominance. As you defeat more and more of your enemies you’ll unlock new technologies that will make a drastic impact on both the appearance and performance of your vehicle. Furthermore, progressing in the Dream Mode will unlock new tracks and vehicles for you to use in the Arcade Mode.
In reality there are only 10 or so tracks, although they branch off at different points to make for new paths and scenery. This is a method that has been employed in numerous games in this genre and it works quite well. We really liked the track variety in
Apex because there’s such a drastic change that comes with each. One race may put you on a high-speed oval while the next may place you on a winding mountain track. This adds an amazing sense of variety in this game, one moment you may be speed around at speeds excess of 150mph while the next you may be finessing your way through the snowy hills. Learning how to handle and approach each situation will prove to be the difference between first and sixth place.
To flesh out the game there are your usual one-on-one, time trial and single-race modes. This is where you’ll get to step into the cockpit of a nice variety of vehicles. Each of the vehicles in the game feature three different stages of tuning which are essentially, normal, fast and faster. What’s nice is that when the vehicles get upgraded they feature the tuning from their real life manufacturers. For instance, when the Mercedes gets tuned you’ll see the AMG logo plastered all over it, a nice nod to fans of the real thing.
When we first began we were a little unimpressed by the physics. However as time went on they grew on us and became pretty damn impressive. It’s almost like a natural extension of real life, the way these vehicles handle is nothing short of superb when it comes to realism. Each and every single vehicle exhibits a proper feeling of weight, giving you a great feel for them as you head into turns. There’s a great sense of responsiveness in the controls, as you progress you’ll learn when it’s necessary to push the pedal to the medal and when it’s time to let off the gas.
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