Customer Reviews

Grand Prix 3

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have played both Grand Prix 1 and Grand Prix 2, both these games are the best Formula 1 simulators I have ever seen. I don't understand people who judge simulation games because of their graphics quality. If you want stunning graphics, you buy arcade games! Simulation games are supposed to make you feel inside a racing car and both previous versions succeeded in that category. Why would you want to drive a car from an external view? Is that how you drive your every-day car? EA F1 2000 has good graphics but its AI is one of the worst ever. The opposing cars always slam into you and it's almost impossible to finish a race. Grand Prix 3 is based on Grand Prix 2 and knowing Grand Prix 2, the game never crashed as long as I played it, I can be sure that Grand Prix 3 is much better. Just read reviews on any gaming web site......Grand Prix 3 is the best Formula 1 game ever! I can't wait till it's released in the US!

Overall I really enjoy playing Grand Prix 3. The game does have a couple of down sides, but let's start with the positives. First, the driving is very realistic (at least, it feels real to me :)). If you turn off many of the computer assisted options the game becomes almost un playable without a wheel or other analog input device. As would be expected, the cars are very sensitive and are easy to spin unless you are very careful on the throttle and steering. If you add rain into the mix the situation becomes even more difficult. It is like driving on ice. Also, any change to the car (damage, wear, etc) can be felt in the handling.

If you're in to tuning your car this game also has a lot to offer. You can tune the car at very high levels (wing adjustments, tire types, etc) all the way down to subtle suspension changes. After tuning your car you can take it out for a practice session and then look at graphs of how your car performed. With all of the tools this game provides you can put an enormous amount of work into tuning your car. If you're just into driving, the game comes with preset car setups for each track that work pretty well.

Next on the plus side are the graphics. I was very impressed with the amount of detail in the game. The sky accurately reflects the reported weather conditions and the detail on the cars (especially during replay) is amazing. As weather conditions change you can see the lighting changes all around you. As clouds pass over the scene will darken. You'll even see showers falling on selected areas of the track, along with puddles and a "dry line". During heavy rain events the standing water on the track beautifully reflects it's surroundings.

Now for the downsides. First, the replay feature is very limited. Specifically it is limited to the last 20 seconds. Even though you can view the last 20 seconds from any car a variety of angles, I expected a much more robust replay system in modern racing game.

The car damage seems to be lacking a bit of realism. While the cars do fly through the air, flip and break apart believe ably, it seems like you can go through a pretty major accident (such as hitting a wall at about 50 mp) without doing any damage. This just doesn't seem believable to me. The most recent patch for the game (available on their website) addresses this problem, but not totally.

Next, there is no verbal communication with the pits. Other games offer constant radio contact, but this has none. Having some pit chatter going on in the background would really add to the game.

Finally, the instruction manual could use some work. It covers the game pretty well and give you enough information to tune your car, but is by no means in depth. It is also lacking an index, so quickly looking up what a particular menu item means is impossible.

Even given the negatives this game is an absolute joy to play. I highly recommend it to any racing sim enthusiast.

It is now 9 years since Geoff Crammond programmed the original Amiga version of this series, known in the US as World Circuit. When I first played it the graphics were mindblowing, the handling superb, the advanced nature of the car setup was unprecedented, and the computer AI was excellent. All in all it broke the mould for the racing simulation genre.

In 1996 he eventually followed it up with Grand Prix 2. Technology had advanced massively in those 4 years, and that release showed it, with the most spectacular textures ever seen. The car setup system had been advanced dramatically, as complex set up options like suspension travel and ride height could be changed, as well as teh ones in the prequel. New featrues appeared left, right and centre. Although there was no wet racing (though this could be patched in but in a less-than-effective way) it was still easily the best.

Now what? In 2000 Hasbro have released this, which is little more than an update of GP2. The graphics are improved but by no means stunning. A few new options have appeared, and the game has been updated for the 1998 F1 season (patches are available for the 2000 and 2001 seasons though). The crashes are more spectacular and cars now roll and land upside down with parts disintegrating. The wet weather system is the best addition. They have gone way above the basic system here. Not only are the visual effects astounding, but the way the track can vary from wet to dry thoughout the race, offering an additional tactical element where a brave driver can make huge gains (as happens in real life eg Rubens Barrichello at Hockenheim 2000) and having dry patches where the cars have cleared the water, as well as puddles. The wet weather engine is easily the greatest ever written.

But the worst thing is that several problems remain from Grand Prix 2, adn in some cases from the first one. The original title had 20 second replays with no speed-search, rewind, or option to save them. Fine for 1991 but now gamers expect these features, and will not find them here. There is alos a crazy situation where cutting a chicane slows the car for a few seconds. This can be fun trying to block cars and often trigger pileups, but it isn't in keeping with such a realistic game. It would have been nice if a few groundbreaking features had been added, such as the safety car (never before seen in an F1 game), cars stalling on the starting grid, or pitlane penalties, as this is nowhere near as significant as its prequels.

All the same, this is tremendous fun to play. The racing is thrilling and battling for a position with Schumacher the regenmeister, or Mika Hakkinen the Flying Finn is tense and exhilerating. Setting the car up, finding the improvements and getting the laptimes down in qualifying is very rewarding. A full range of difficulty levels and driver aids are included to allow drivers of all ages, skills and experience levels to have a good race, and races can be of short lengths as well as the full 2 hours, so all attention spans are catered for. If you've never played a serious F1 sim, get this, as it's probably the best one. But a few additions could have made a classic.

Initially I really did not like this game. The graphics weren't up to the high standards of todays gaming market, and after four years there really wasn't much to set it above the already great grand prix 2. It is, however, still as addictive as ever. If you can learn to forgive the graphics you will love it, and even if you can't get over the graphics, 3rd party patches will be realeased making it look and play better. If anything, buy it as an investment as it will be added to greatly, and bear in mind, the game has been in production for four years, and up until may of this year, the only person who had been doing any work on it was Geoff Crammond. That isn't bad going for one person.

I have played both Grand Prix 1 and Grand Prix 2. By that time they were the best F1 simulation games. Following the rule, Mr. Geoff Crammond has done it again: For the third time he has done a magnificent game!

To be considered the greatest F1 simulation, the game has to pass the gamer the feeling that he is in the control of the situation. From settings to competition, this game is close to perfection. Every single adjust you make in your settings, you feel it on the track. This is why I feel free to recommend this game to F1 fans, and, of course, racing simulations fans.

I only can't recommend this game for those who expect to find a career mode (you start in a small team and grows, as long as you show good results, being invited to drive for other teams). This engine, found in other games, like F1 Racing Simulation and Monaco GP-II, won't be found here. Maybe GP4, or GP5 brings it, but, frankly, it's not necessary to assure that this is the best Racing Simulation ever.

Look, if you are an F1 fan and want to feel what it's like to plan a race, the strategy, what it's like to find the perfect car setup for you personal preference, what it's like to race with the best - than you should really buy this.

It's not a graphics state of the art Quake-a-like thing, but the atmosphere is fantastic and no one can take that away.

I agree it should be better, but Geoff Crammond, game designer, is bit of a freak, judging by his decision to do the whole game almost alone, and that is the minus, because one man cannot do it all and get it all right.

Still, the most important thing is that the feeling of the whole idea of Formula 1 he got pretty well. Even the Arrows team assisted in designing the psychics in the game and were impressed by it.

And, as for graphics check out http://www.smyoung.fsnet.co.uk, or to be precise http://www.smyoung.fsnet.co.uk/gp3edit.htm and I 'm sure you'll be happy.

Of F1 2001, Grand Prix 3, and Grand Prix 4, I keep returning to Grand Prix 3. As a casual player on a XP system, I looked for a game with a straight forward setup. No problems. Fast action. Good graphics. LAN play is good. Just wish there was interent play.

Ok, so Grand Prix 3 has two advantages:
1, firmer suspension feel, better math for driving through corners.
2, highest level of online add ins.
Ok, I'm done singing it's praises now.
Get the most recent version from EA sports and you'll be delighted right out of the box. Don't worry, there are still a few good downloads for it too, most importantly, it is easy to travel through the screens, select choices, and you don't get stuck in "long lines" (you'll be waiting for loads no matter your system). EA sports runs a great vehicle math model, with occasionally spectacular crashes (ok, I know you want to watch them, you always get full replay!! Well worth it! (just make sure to tune the replay length to over 10-20 minutes)). The different levels are more than varied, (you get your butt kicked by the pro's and, you can actually kick the butts of the rookie levels). Maybe this is written in the wrong area, I'm writing this to save you the money if you've heard "this is the one (meaning GP3), go get EA's game and be happy! (Oh yeah, and I too am eagerly awaiting the release of World Sports Car in Sept of 2002.) We'll see where it all goes! Keep driving and make sure you have a force feedback wheel, everything else is meaningless!! Drive fast, turn left,,, AND RIGHT!

The Grand Prix sim world is still in need of a top-notch racing-sim. I've never actually driven a real GP car of any era. But if GP3's physics modeling is remotely accurate, the modern Grand Prix cars are just marvelously high-tech slot-cars, guided around the track by marvelously high-priced chauffeurs. I like GP3 better than F1 2000, but with today's advancements, a Grand Prix sim should be available which flaunts the graphics of NASCAR Heat, along with a physics model on the level of, say, the venerable GPL. For some reason, we're not there yet and GP3, although entertaining for a week or so, is not in this league on either category. GP3 is certainly fun and I pull it up every now and again just to listen to the Euro-music, but when I'm in-practice, GP3 looses to GPL every evening. It does have one advantage that many of today's power-hog sims don't; you can still run this quite nicely on a 450PII and a cheap 3DFx card.

This game is easily the best racing sim there is. I don't beleive Grand Prix 4 is an improvement, it's an arcadey version of GP3. GP3 is not a gran turismo type of game - it's very skilful. You might find yourself going off all the time at first but can improve indefinitely with practice and knowledge. Great attention to detail. ...