Another boring year in the simracing community. Yes, as you can see, GPL is still the mother-of-all racing simulation. Even if nobody at Papyrus gives a damn about it (well some do - thanks Grant Reeves), it's still years ahead of any other game engine. There was some bright moments, still. This ain't the flight-sim community.


DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR: GRAND PRIX 3

Well okay some of us (like me) sure knew it wasn't going to be like the hype, but actually not that bad! C'mon even if those screenshots and the marketing hype by Hasbro (reincarnated evil they are) made us see the few advances of the game engine, could somebody please slap Geoff Crammond in the face for this 1997-wannabe game he created? The core game engine is still from his old 1989 revolutionary (but way too old) racing game World Circuit. Yes, it's not a typo, nineteen-eighty-nine. Before the Berlin wall came down. There is still all the major faults that GP2 has. A so-so game engine that acts more on recreating the feeling then actually modeling what a bloody F1 is! Poor graphics engine with an amazing amount of sprites. Yep, sprites. Sure they are very crisp, but please, this is a 2000-released game. Back to more important points, the core game engine is like I said still the same, and it has some major flaws. It's so important for a Crammond game that everything else is closely related. Why isn't there any real multiplayer in GP3? Because of the old game engine. Why can't you hear other cars in GP3? Because of the old game engine. Why am I playing this? Because you got caught in the marketing hype. Hasbro must be tapping themselves in the back for shipping this POS. It's oh-so evident that the game reviewers have completely been absorbed by the Hasbro-created hype. Reviews for GP3 are almost all in the 90%+. Only few of them (per example Randy Magruder, the best racing reviewer in the gaming industry) have actually some common sense and rated GP3 according to it's value : about a penny and a half. I could rant much more, but I'll keep it for later. Just don't get me started on the poor track accuracy hehe ;)


RUNNER UP: F1 2000

Another modern F1 that fails. None actually have achieved serious gaming success in terms of quality imho. They all suck, at various degrees. The sequel to F1 2000 (F1 Championship Season 2000) is the best of the worst. F1 2000 had the worst track accuracy that I have ever witnessed in a F1 simulation. I just dislike ISI's game engine. I dislike it's feeling, It feels a little too blant for me. The title was shipped unfinished because of the start of the F1 season. F1CS2000 is actually WHAT the title should have been. But hey Electronic Arts ain't much better then Hasbro.

Let's be a little positive here, Frank!


BEST SIMULATION OF THE YEAR: MERCEDES BENZ TRUCK RACING

Mercedes-Benz Truck Racing is really an incredible simulation. It was created for hardcore simracers that appreciate the fun of driving. You might go "WTF? Trucks?", but hey they are really a joy to drive. Great graphics, amazing track accuracy, nice AI and tons of options. But what shines here really is the amazing game engine that Synetic has. They are probably the most under-rated box in the simracing industry. The physics are dead-on, it's as freaky as GPL how close to reality you are. It's a masterpiece of gaming art, this sim. It's the second best sim after GPL on the market. Anybody who likes virtual motorsports should buy it. It's really THAT good.


RUNNER UP: NEED FOR SPEED - PORSCHE UNLEASHED

Yep, an arcade game but still a gift for serious racing simulation fan. Yes, Porsche cars are cool to drive, but the development team decided to scrape their old game engine for a new one, and it shines. Some of the best fantasy graphics can be found here. The game engine is excellent for an arcade game, and is very scalable for your needs. The career mode is what shines here. You go throughout the years of the Porsche company, and create yourself a garage made of those cars. You also can compete in virtual obstacle and step up in the company as a test driver.

P.S.: I had to say it, but GPL is still the best sim of the year. With the number of add-ons the community gave us, it could be sold as a completely different title.