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As an avid player of
automotive racing games, I'm always apprehensive when someone asks me to try
a motorcycle racing game. I've rarely been successful at playing them, nor
have I've bothered to buy them. Ducati World Racing Challenge, however,
provided a different experience for me. There has always been a place in my
heart for the Ducati line of motorcycles and because of this I was excited
to have an opportunity to try this game. The bottom line is this: Ducati
World Racing Challenge is an absolute must-have for any Ducati enthusiast.
I found this game easily
playable, unlike some games where a frequent game player would need weeks to
master it. The controls are defaulted to your standard arrow keypad and the
rest shifting, breaking, and the like are among the numbered keypad. They do
this to support the two-player mode on the keyboard, but if you play it
often enough in single player mode, you can quickly customize them in the
options menu. This game also supports joysticks and gamepads, but the true
enthusiasts who want to get a thrill will want to head over to the Ducati
Store to buy the Ducati Corse Controller, a handlebar controller designed to
mimic the effect of Ducati motorcycle -- complete with force feedback and
brake control.
The graphics
are not stunning, however, they are not disappointing either. In the first
person view, as you lean from side to side, you can actually use the gauges
as a guide. The numbers are not legible on some of the bikes, but you can
guess as to what they should say. The audio, as well, is pleasing to the
ears; sounds close to the real thing. What can you say about graphics and
sound? They are either immaculate or terrible. This game, graphics-wise,
beats about 70% of what's out there.
Overall:- the menus
make it extremely easy to navigate because they are not as overwhelming as
you might find on other racing simulators. Ducati World Racing Challenge has
two modes of play: Quick Race and Ducati Life.
In Quick Race Mode, a single
player can climb through a progression of tracks where an accomplished rider
can achieve faster more desirable bikes. There are three difficulty levels
and eight initial tracks on which to test your skills as a rider.
The Ducati Life Mode is more
of a simulation type game play. One begins with a set amount of cash and
after that, has to earn more cash to buy other bikes. A player starts by
first passing the driver training and then winning races for more cash. Your
winnings can also be used to purchase different riding apparel and upgrades
for your bike. The upgrades include: engine kits, exhaust systems, brake
kits, bodywork, wheel sets, flywheel, clutch, and tires. The game has all of
the Ducati's a player could wish for, over 40 bikes in all. The Classic
Showroom offers samples of Ducati bikes from the 1950's to today, the Ducati
showroom features all modern bikes, and the used showroom allows the player
to purchase a less expensive, used bike.
Star Rating: HHHII
Producer: Acclaim
Required Spec:
32MB RAM
16Mb 3D AGP Graphics Card
Sound Blaster 16
Pentium II 266
4x CD-ROM drive
50MB
Hard Drive space.
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