Ferrari Virtual Race

Pros

• Great cars and great detail.
• Crash damage makes the game look realistic.
• A good demo to get the feel of the game.

Cons

• The controls aren't as sensitive as modern games as of this review, but that's a bit unfair for the release date. That said, handling was merely "okay" for its time.
• Cars still look a bit waxy and the interior was a bit too bright and toy-like.

The demo for Ferrari Virtual Race is a pretty good test of the actual game. You'll get only a single track on this version, but quite a few different cars and paint maps to choose from. While it is a demo, the file size is fairly small (for those of us who are free from the most basic broadband constraints). If you want to figure out what Ferrari Virtual Race is all about without spending ages on a full download and purchase, give this demo a spin.

Realism is often a benchmark of how well a racing game is put together. This game boasts a lot of detail in the painting and reflections, but how else does the game achieve realism? In the best way possible.

Crashes.

Racing game enthusiasts know well the value of putting detail into vehicle damage. Ferrari Virtual Race scores high for having some pretty realistic, reactive damaging points. From the fender damage to busted hoods and scraped paint, the damage in Ferrari Virtual Race actually shows up when you make a stupid mistake.

Or if someone else decides to drag you into their stupid mistake.

The car choices are nice, although since it's a Ferrari game...you're driving Ferraris. While it makes complete sense to anyone with a bit of common sense, you won't believe the number of people complaining about this, looking for other car manufacturers in a game very obviously branded as Ferrari.

While driving, there is an "ideal line" that gives a hint as to where to drive for the most optimal guidance and acceleration. Of course there are ways to beat drivers on an ideal line, but if you're new to racing games or just bad at driving in games -- or real life -- let the line guide you a bit.

Inner vehicle details are nice. The graphics are a bit dated as of this review, but for its time the game has some attractive detail on the interior that fits the style and ideology behind a true Ferrari.

The AI isn't too challenging. This isn't really a game designed to be unbeatable by casual players, but there is a bit of a learning curve to it. If you're used to driving automatic, it'll be worth learning how to shift properly in order to compete better. That'll be good for the game and real life.

You'll want a video card if you're going to be playing this game. If it's at least a 1GB GDDR3 video card, you'll be fine. GDDR5 is out, old and probably cheaper, so don't go shopping specifically for the lowest specs if you're trying to budget. Websites like Newegg.com have easily used sliders and selections to find the card you need at the price you can handle.

If you're playing on a laptop, make sure it's dedicated memory, not integrated. That is, make sure the laptop has its own "brain" for handling video so the processor can take a break. For an explanation of why that matters, check out a few sites and forums on the discussion.

Pros

• Great cars and great detail.
• Crash damage makes the game look realistic.
• A good demo to get the feel of the game.

Cons

• The controls aren't as sensitive as modern games as of this review, but that's a bit unfair for the release date. That said, handling was merely "okay" for its time.
• Cars still look a bit waxy and the interior was a bit too bright and toy-like.