Pros: extremely realistic and challenging, online races and rankings
Cons: Other than the cheesy music there are none.


I love racing games. So when I heard about Yu Suzuki's F355 Challenge I was psyched. Because if you know Yu Suzuki, you know some of the best racing games ever made. And this little labour of love is his best ever. Possibly THE best ever as far racing simulations go. I say this game is a labour of love because Suzuki himself is a huge Ferrari fan and it's highly noticeable when you play F355. Every nuance of the Italian Stallion is emulated perfectly here for you to challenge and thrill yourself. If you've ever imagined yourself driving a Ferrari (keyword being imagined), then this game is a must play. Just don't be discouraged if you thought it was going to be easy. Driving a Ferrari really fast around sharp curves is an extremely difficult technical stunt. But not to fear, there is an excellent training mode to help you get aquainted with your new F355. Provided you are willing to learn. ;) Now here's how I would score F355 Challenge on a scale of 1 to 10 in the following categories:

Graphics: 10

I'm telling you these next generation consoles are something else. Bottom line, amazing photo-realistic visuals (picture sunlight filtering through clouds). Probably the best you'll ever see in a racing game. Yu Suzuki really has a knack for details. The real world tracks are brought to life in exacting detail.
F355 also features "magic weather" which allows for racing in various conditions and times of day that affect your visibility. And, get this, it randomly generates cloud patterns everytime you race. Cool, eh?

Sound and music: 9

The engine sounds are disturbingly realistic. High revs will make your ears bleed. Opponents engines are also disturbingly realistic as they zoom by and around your car's position. The tire sounds are varied enough to give you a perfect indication as to how much traction you are retaining. The music is not suited to my tastes but thankfully for those of us non-Sammy Hagar fans out there, volume control is included.

Control: 10

Yu Suzuki set out to bring you the experience of driving a F355 without actually owning one. Guess what. He did it. This is a true Ferrari simulator.


Courses: 9

As far as I'm concerned this is the only thing a racing game needs hundreds of. F355 has plenty though. 12 (6 are unlocked as you play)real world courses including the legendary Laguna Seca Raceway. Each course vastly different from the last. All expertly designed. All recreated in startling visual detail.

Challenge: 10

Your driving a F355. So are your opponents. You can't alter the gear ratio. Neither can they. You start in last place. The AI is ruthlessly talented. Are you looking to push your driving skills to perfection? What more could you want?


Replayability: 9

Okay, in F355 Challenge there's only one car. For some people this may be a problem. But to me racing is about competition between skilled drivers. And what better way to encourage skilled competition than to have a game where everyone is forced to drive the same car with the same parts and gear ratio. Couple this with your standard versus and championship modes featuring an extremely ruthless AI plus an online ghost racing mode that allows you to challenge other drivers from around the world in your own living room and you've got a racing game that you will come back to again and again for years.

Overall: 10

I couldn't recommend this game anymore than I already have.