975th played so far
Genre: Racing
Platform: PC
Year of Release: 2005
Developer: SimBin Studios
Publisher: 10tacle Studios/Atari
After fairly recently playing GTR 2, we now get to play the previous SimBin game – same system, different races, and so a lot of realistically timed races in their specific setting. It’s the last game in the realistic racing genre that I’ve only been trying for a year or two… but that’s how close to the end we are.
Our Thoughts
Looking at the list of games, it feels like Grand Prix Legends is almost closer to the setting of this game. While that game was set in the era the old cars belong to, GT Legends sets its races in the modern time in championships for older cars.
While the game is another accurate simulator, letting you skip practice but having a full length simulated race – aside, obviously, from having far shorter rounds with only about three laps at a time – you don’t immediately start with the full circuit, but instead do shorter laps and only have those unlocked for the earlier rounds. As you unlock more cups and challenges, the tracks unlock further as well. Not only does it make for easier challenges, it builds your knowledge of the track a bit more as well. The downside is that you can’t immediately play what you want, it would be nice to at least get some free practice on these tracks earlier. Even so, the shorter rounds are weirdly exhausting even now, so it felt good that I didn’t have to play them too often.
I also like a couple of the other changes to help build that realism, even though they probably add to the exhaustion. The game basically has no HUD by default, instead relying purely on the visible instrument panel and other in-universe features – most notably the pit lineside boards they hang out each round to pass on your position and such. They’re remarkably helpful in making the game more immersive.
Final Thoughts
It’s hard to say whether I’ll actually play one of these racers again, as they’re quite exhausting and less accessible, but I appreciate GT Legends is out there. It shows what you can do with the genre and how, it feels, you can really create an immersive racing simulator. It’s worth trying and I’ve certainly still been enjoying it.