It’s unfair to compare racing games to Gran Turismo.  Since Gran Turismo came out game developers have been busy trying to come up with their own Gran Turismo.  Because of this, racing fans have compared almost every racing game to Gran Turismo.  It’s really unfair to almost every racing game released today because there is so much to compete against just in Gran Turismo.  But if we can forget that every racing game isn’t a Gran Turismo and just enjoy the game, then you should be pleased with Group S Challenge.

There are essentially only two modes of play in Group S Challenge, the Arcade Mode and the Circuit Mode.  The Arcade Mode allows you to jump right into a race and select from 20 different tracks.  Within the Arcade Mode is a single player game, 2 player versus game, One Make and Time Attack games.  The One Make game allows you to compete against the computer, but with everyone in the race driving the same type of car.  So if you think you can drive an Audi TT Coupe better than anyone else, now you can prove it. 

In the Arcade Mode you can select from four different group selects: Group-C, Group-B, Group-A and Group-S.  Group C is the lowest and easiest of the different groups, while Group-S is the top of the line difficulty setting.  All four of the Group settings are selectable right away in the Arcade Mode.  You can then select from the different cars in the game as well.  All of the cars are licensed models of real cars.  The car manufacturers range from Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Audi, Ford, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Renault to several others.  Some manufactures will have several different car models available, while other might only have one.  For example Honda, Nissan and Mazda might have four to five different cars available, while Fiat and Renault will only have one car.  There is also an additional variation of a car available, called an Aero Car.  These cars are specially designed cars with specific aerodynamic parts.  You can only obtain the Aero Cars by playing the Circuit Mode.

The Circuit Mode is composed of three different sections: Championship, Line Line and Duel section.  The Championship section is the true meat and potatoes of the game.  This is where you will probably spend most of your time playing the game.  You start off in the bottom Group setting, Group-C.  You have to work your way up to the top, Group-S, by finishing a series of races with a certain ranking for each race.  For example to complete the Group-C setting you will need to finish in the top 3 of each race you compete in.  But you don’t just earn the chance to compete in the next group setting you also earn money.

You start off with 50,000 DP (money/cash) that you can spend on a car.  Once you’ve purchased the car you can then purchase certain parts to help improve the cars performance.  The parts available depend on the specific car you purchase.  The parts range from turbo kits, new suspension kits, new brakes, weight reduction and new tires.  You can also purchase different wheels for your car as well.  Once you’ve purchased a part you can then have the part installed on your car.  If you don’t like the performance of the part you can also remove the part and go back to another setting.  You can also adjust the performance of the different parts as well.  You can adjust how hard the brakes work, the stiffness of the suspension and other settings.  All of these parts settings are standard features that most racing fans will probably be able to adjust right away.  Gran Turismo veterans might be a little disappointed with the lack of tweaks available for some of the parts.

Once you’ve got your car adjusted you can compete in any of the races in the Championship settings.  You don’t have to compete in the entire series of races.  If you win one of the races you will earn additional GP that you spend on another car or more parts for your car.  The money you earn on the Group-C setting is lower then the other Groups, so it pays to finish the Group-C level right away.  You’ll need the extra GP to purchase all of the cars that are available in the game.  Start off with 50,000 GP is nothing compared to some of the prices of the cars, for example one car might cost you 10,000,000 GP.

If you don’t want to compete in a race to earn extra GP, you can try your skill in the Line Line section.  The Line Line section has you racing by yourself on a randomly generated course.  The point is to follow a set of dots that are placed on the track.  As you run over the dots, you start to earn GP.  But you need to be careful because if you run into a wall then you lose GP.  You’re also under the time clock as well.  If you finish the track within a set time limit, and based on the number of dots you picked up, you’ll earn extra GP.  The GP you earn from the Line Line trials doesn’t compare to what you win from an actual race, but it’s a challenging and fun way to practice your driving skills. 

The other section available in the Circuit Mode is the Duel.  In the Duel section you compete in a one on one race against the computer.  But in this race the computer is using a car with the best aerodynamic parts.  You will compete in a series of three races and if you win the races you can receive either one or two special Aero Cars.  But in order to compete in the Duel section you must first obtain specific cars that you must use during the races.  One race might require that you have a Ford Focus, VW Golf and a Honda (Acura) Integra before you can compete.  This is an interesting idea, but it’s something that you can’t try out right away.  You’ll need to earn money to purchase additional cars before you can compete in most of the Duels.  It would have been nice if you could compete in one of the Duels at the beginning of the game. 

All in all, Group S Challenge is an entertaining racing game.  The controls are well done with your cars not spinning out all over the track during a race.  The different amount of cars, upgrades and difficulty settings will keep you into the game.  The lack of different tracks can be a let down for someone looking for tracks across the world.  If you can look past the Gran Turismo comparisons, then you will enjoy this racing game.

Gameplay 8.2 

The controls are well done, with you having complete control of the cars.  There are two different brake types you can use, the handbrake and the regular brakes.  While you might not be able to perform massive power slides in the game, you won’t be spinning out in every corner.  For veteran racing fans, they should be able to pick up the game and jump right in with the controls.  Some cars might feel loose at first, but you can adjust the part settings (such as the suspension and brakes).  You will run into the problem of not braking soon enough while trying to take a corner, while you slam into a wall.  The only time I lost control of the car during a race was when I was bumping for position with the computer.  Sometimes they would bump me right as I was coming out of a corner, which would cause me to spin out.  But even then it wasn’t a complete spin.  If you have a racing wheel you can even adjust the sensitivity of the wheel.

Graphics 8.0 

The graphics for the different cars were well done.  However the graphics for the cars did have somewhat of a washed out look.  Even though the car graphics had a reflection effect while driving around the city, the cars still looked washed out.  It seemed as if the cars needed another coat of wax.  None of the cars will show car damage while racing. The graphics for the different city locations were very detailed and elaborate.  It’s funny that when you race on a track that’s available in another racing game that the graphics for the cities (and tracks) always look different.  The city graphics in Group S Challenge are probably some of the best I’ve seen.  The cities come across as a busy metropolitan area, with huge skyscrapers and buildings.  A few minor complaints about the city/track graphics were the spectator graphics and cloud graphics.  Both of these were just 2D graphics that seem pasted onto the rest of the graphics.  There was hardly any dropping of the frame rate during the races.  From time to time you would notice a slight stutter or lag, but it was just for a brief second.

Sound 7.5 

The sound effects of the different cars come across loud and clear during the game.  From the roaring of the engine to the screech of the brakes, each car has it’s own unique sound.  The music is an assortment of techno songs that adds a nice atmosphere while racing.  The music plays in the background while your racing and shouldn’t interfere with your concentration.  There wasn’t an option to build your own custom soundtrack like other Xbox racing games.  A custom soundtrack feature would have been a nice addition to the game.

Difficulty Medium 

The game does ramp up the difficulty during the Championship Mode.  You have to earn your way up the difficulty ladder, so you can prepare yourself for the higher settings.  The computer-controlled cars didn’t play a game of bumper cars during the majority of the races.  Most of the time the computer would try to find a way around you on a straightaway.  Now during a corner, the computer might get stuck behind you especially if he caused you to spin out.  There were a few instances where the computer was stuck next to me, sort of in a T-bone position, and while I tried to backup the computer would still try to move forward.   This would usually lead to me spinning out some more.  The rubber band effect was still in place during a race.  No matter how bad you wrecked you could always catch up to the computer.  But the same rules applied for you.  If you had a 10-second lead and had a bad wreck into a corner, then the computer could catch up with you as well. 

Concept 7.8 

Ever since Gran Turismo came out the concept of racing games has been the same.  You race a real car, try to earn more money to buy another car, and then upgrade your car with new parts and accessories.  The same holds true for Group S Challenge, it’s nothing that hasn’t been done before.  However there are a few unique concepts in the game.  The Duel mode is unique since it makes you purchase specific cars that you need to use in the Duel mode.  Since you have to use these cars to earn the tricked out Aero Cars.  The Line Line mode is also unique since it’s a way to learn how to actually drive your car.  I know that might sound strange, but if you follow the dots exactly as they are laid out on the track, it will help you control your car during a race.  

Multiplayer 7.0 

There is only one multiplayer option available in the game.  The arcade mode offers a 2 player versus mode, which is played out on a split screen view.  With the recent release of new Xbox racing games that offer Xbox Live support, it’s a shame that Group S Challenge doesn’t offer online racing.  Some type of Xbox Live support would have helped the game tremendously.

Overall 7.7 

Group S Challenge offers gamers a solid racing experience that might leave some gamers wanting more.  The good graphics, tight controls, unique gameplay options (Duel and Line Line mode) are great parts of the game.  However the washed out car graphics will probably have some gamers looking at other racing games.  The lack of a custom soundtrack feature is also a big minus, especially for a Xbox racing game.  The lack of Xbox Live support also hinders the overall score as well.  If other racing games released can offer Xbox Live racing, then why should we expect this from Group S Challenge?  However if you can overlook these omissions, veteran-racing fans will enjoy the game.  It’s not the best package around but it’s enough to keep your motor running until something else comes along.