Free Download Superstars V8 Next Challenge (2010) PAL.XBOX360-SWAG

Black Bean Games' Superstar V8 Racing series is perhaps not the most stand-out of racing titles available on consoles. The newly released sequel, titled Superstars V8 Next Challenge, hopes to bring them some more attention on the racing circuit in a rather nice window where there's little other racers on the calendar track.

Does this racing sequel take pole position from the many other great racers or is Next Challenge just one for only the purists to add to their illustrious racing collection?

Gameplay:

The gameplay feels as though it encompasses both simulation and arcade racing action, which thankfully means it's approachable by those who enjoy their over-the-top and zany arcade racing titles, but those will likely find the experience to feel somewhat generic and lifeless. For those who enjoy the ability to customise and tinker with your vehicular settings, then there's certainly some enjoyment to be had here for the purists.

Superstars V8: Next Challenge boasts a total of 19 vehicles and 11 tacks to race and trade paint on, some which must be unlocked by training and winning championships. While racing on the tracks themselves can grow tiresome fairly quickly, as we can't help but feel that "same old, same old" feeling on most of them. This can be countered however by ramping up the difficulty, and with another 18 cars filling your screen, things certainly get more tense and a bit more exciting; which is just what the doctor ordered. The only quabble here comes in the form of the A.I. of the other drivers; they have no real awareness of your location on the track and more often than not act as though you're not there at all, and proceed about their business unbeknownst to the fact that they're pushing you off the track (which is something you don't see the A.I. doing to each other).

If you've played a racing game before - of course you have if you're reading this - you will quickly be able to familiarise yourself with the controls, and can even tailor your driving experience somewhat to give it that personal touch. You can tinker away and customise your vehicle with many settings available, although if you just want to get on the racing track in a hurry you can quickly assess the situation and see if it's a wet or sunny day, and can choose from some Preset customisations for things such as speed, or wet tracks, and not have to worry about setting these up yourself. Depending on track conditions and your vehicular set-up, it may be easier to slide off the track than expected, and any significant time off the track results in a penalty, with your car screeching to a snail, or tortoises pace, whilst you watch the Penalty countdown tick back down to zero, and keeping your eyes on the traffic behind, before regaining full control. It's something that, whilst annoying at first, really makes you want to perform better, as those few seconds can make the difference. The game, like many racers does feature a replay system, but like some others as well, it does not offer the ability to save replays, which really should surely become standard with racing games by now.

There are several modes of play on offer for both single and multi-player experiences. The Championship mode offers up the bulk of the experience and see players competing in Qualifying, lengthy, Qualifying races - which become tedious very quickly. This really depends on how serious one takes ones driving though, the Qualifying races may be essential if playing on a harder difficulty, as really any advantage you can take may be significant. Others though will appreciate the skippable option here and just proceed straight to the racing circuit without much concern for their starting position on the track (if on Easy or Normal difficulty). Other modes of play include Time Attack, Race Weekend, Driving School Academy and Quick Race. The latter of which is handy if you've got a few minutes spare and want to jump right in the driving seat for a few laps. With some time on your hands though, the Championship mode, and others will quickly wear down those tyres fast. The inclusion of these modes in multiplayer is certainly welcome, although sadly we've yet to actually find anyone else on the game to play with.

Graphics:

In terms of visuals the game looks fairly realistic and having a total of 18 cars on a track (16 in multiplayer) with this detail is certainly impressive. There are some issues such as frame-tear and poor quality shadows, especially when in the bonnet view you can see the tracks reflections, which judder across the bonnet. There's the option to change tracks from sunny to wet, but there appears to be no dynamic weather effects during the actual race, regardless the difference between the sunny and rather darker wet tracks does break the mould a bit and breathes a bit more life into the tracks. Sadly there's no fancy special effects to take note of, such as the car in front of you on a wet track does not get your windscreen wet or dripping with water when in the in-car view. While the game looks realistic visually, as a still image at least; things break down a bit in motion though and ultimately it just feel lifeless and very static, besides the helicopter and blimp that move slowly in the background.

Audio:

The audio when in-game mainly consists of engine noises from the various cars on the track, for those requiring a bit of music to get them in the racing mood, you'll have to look at your own music library for your racing entertainment; replays however do feature some racing tunes. The audio effects on offer does little to add to proceedings, whilst it does its job adequately in vehicular sound effects, there's little that really shines or stands out.

Longevity:

The longevity really depends on your love of racing games. The fact that there's just eleven tacks isn't going to help matters. Although with various cars to choose from, settings to tinker away with, and plenty of racing on the online circuit to be had with a total of 16 players, then there's some potential for the game to have some lasting appeal - provided you can find other players online.

Overall:

If you get your kick out of the likes of other arcadey racers such as DiRT or the PGR series for example, then Superstars V8: Next Challenge will likely end up feeling like a dirty one night stand for the majority. The game feels more like a transition between arcade racing and simulation, so there's bound to be appeal for some, speaking of appeal the fact that it's at a budget price tag certainly helps. Fortunately though there is a demo on the Xbox Live Marketplace, so you can at least get a feel for the Next Challenge that lies ahead

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