Gaming Target - Xbox: Sega GT 2002

Written by Ryan Smotherman on July 29, 2002

First Impressions: No, unfortunately Sega did not join forces with Gaming Target.to create the ultimate corporation, Sega GT. But a man can dream can't he?

It seems that after the release of the original Gran Turismo back in 1998, simulation has been the Уthing' in the racing genre of videogames. Take it from a person who spent plenty of time with the game, Polyphony Digital's creation was a masterpiece, and as such, it has spawned many sequels, as well as wannabes. Sega GT (not to be confused with the Sega arcade game Sega GT) for the Dreamcast was one of the more noticeable racers that attempted to out-Turismo Gran Turismo, however, while the game certainly wasn't considered bad, everything in the game just didn't click, leaving for a racer that lacked in a variety of categories. The game featured extremely sloppy controls, a poorly designed interface and menu system, and overall felt very generic. But Wow Entertainment is back once again with Sega GT 2002 for the Xbox, and more than anything, they're looking to right their wrongs and make a sim that will turn heads.

The first thing I want to talk about is the controls. As an owner of the first Sega GT, this is what really turned me off from it more than anything. Trust me, it was bad, almost to the point of being unplayable (does constantly spinning out sound like fun to you?). Sure, you could adjust it in a variety of ways, but it still just never seemed right. The good news is that Wow has announced the control issue has been taken care of in the sequel, as the cars have been realistically designed to convey exactly how each car handles and performs in real life, hopefully resulting in a seamless driving experience. Speaking of cars, Sega GT 2002 is looking to be a car buff's dream come true, featuring classic cars from the 60's, 70's, and 80's, as well as modern day behemoths and strange looking concept cars. In all there will be over 125 high performance vehicles from high profile carmakers like Ford, Acura, Lexus, Audi, Honda, Toyota, Chevrolet, Peugeot, Fiat, Alpha Romeo, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Dodge, Subaru, Lotus, Caterham, Mazda, Jaguar, Mitsubishi, and Renault.

As for the gameplay, it's called a simulation for a reason. Once you take to the streets in one of the 12 tracks (set throughout 5 environments), you're going to quickly find that extreme driving skill and know how is a must. And like in any good racing simulator, you're given the option to tweak and alter any part of your vehicle to your liking. All you grease monkeys will surely get a kick out of fine-tuning your vehicles to shave off those milli-seconds. Which is good, cause your going to need that expertise if you want to take on the Sega GT 2002 mode with success. This is your basic, top of the line championship mode that you find standard in most racers today. You'll start will a set amount of money to purchase a low level car, and you'll then be able to race in a diverse range of competitions, in turn, earning more money to use for purchasing enhancements to the cars you already own, or to purchase new cars in general. Other modes of play included in the game are the typical Time Attack and Quick Battle Mode (take on an opponent via split-screen), as well as a Chronicle Mode that exploits the use of those classics rides.

As for the game's look, sensational would be a nice word to describe it. Judging by what I've seen, I don't think I'd be out of line by saying Sega GT 2002 is possibly the best looking racer ever; even more incredible than the popular Project Gotham Racing and Rallisport Challenge. The cars look strikingly real, thanks to being generated with an insane amount of polygons, and the lightening and reflections on the cars seem to have been taken to an entirely new level. Environments are also up there on the high levels of quality. They're huge, highly detailed, and beautiful. They're especially impressive as your flying down the track at a solid 60 fps. You can also tell that Wow Entertainment is putting the Xbox to good use, by taking advantage of bump mapping, and the vertex and pixel-shaders. No doubt about it, Sega GT 2002 is definitely set to impress on the visual front.

Sound-wise, expect to hear the standard engine effects (which naturally come in a huge variety), as well as the customary screeching tires and crashing effects. Additionally, 5.1 DD surround sound is fully supported, not to mention the Xbox's burn feature, allowing you to use any music you want as you take to the tracks.